LAMICTAL Reviews (LAMOTRIGINE)Average Rating: 3.4 (1917 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare LAMICTAL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
|
Results are sorted by Satisfaction lowest to highest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 |
More on LAMICTAL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR LAMICTAL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | Bipolar I / seizure | I have not experienced ANY side effects. Have been on several other moodstabilizers, but this one is the most gentle on my brain. Depakote caused weight gain, and hair loss. Neurontin caused drowsiness and weight gain. No weight gain here with Lamictal which is a plus, because I need to lose alot. | I have been on this medication for about 4 1/2 months now. No rash. Started very slowly, which was hard, to become stabilized. Worth it. | F | 42 | 4 months | 11/12/2006 | 5 | uncontrolled PGTC seizures | sleepy, hyper, lost sex drive, nauseated. dose 250mg, 2 times a day. total = 500 mg. I also take dilantin and topamax. | Lamictal made my partial complex seizures go from many per week to 3-4 in a month. I am really happy with that. Topamax is controlling the granmals/tonic clonics really well, and dilantin has now brought the partials down to 1 or 2 a month and sometimes even none. I'm getting close to no seizures. =) Lamictal is a good drug. | F | 28 | 3 years | 11/10/2006 | 5 | Depression, slight BPD1 | So far only dry mouth, but I have only been on it a week. | I wanted to chronicle my progress here in case it may help anyone. I am 41 and had been diagnosed Major Depression for years. Took all anti-d's, none worked until Prozac (40mg) and Wellbutrin combo (300mg ext release). Now after 3 years that is not working as well as it was. Hope this med works :-) Feel free to drop me an email for chatting. | F | 41 | 5 days | 11/3/2006 | 5 | depression/bpd traits | problems with concentration, difficulty thinking of words, "blurry" thinking, decreased enjoyment of music and art | lamicatal has helped me more than any other pharmaceutical that i've been prescribed (zoloft, effexor, xyprexa, abilify, seroquel, etc.). i also take 300mg of wellbutrin a day and the combination has really helped me escape constant thoughts of suicide and urges to selfinjure. I have healthier eating and sleeping habits than i've had in years. the side effects are frustrating but for now worth the positive impact lamictal has made on my emotional state. | F | 20 | 5 months | 10/26/2006 | 5 | bipolar 1 | AWFUL short term memory loss and constantly searching for words . The first 2 weeks were difficult, rapid cycling and hypomania but evened out at week 3. Hair breakage, but my fingernails are hard as rocks. Loss of appetite for the first 3 months, back to normal now. | I was misdiagnosed with depression 1 for over 13 years and went through every SSRI known to man until I was prescribed effexor. I became a veritable zombie, gained 30 pounds, sustained liver damage and withdrew from the world. I have a BS and psych and eventually the light bulb went on and I took the Goldburg's depression scale. I brought the results to a psychiatrist and she agreed with my self diagnosis. I began at 50 mg of Lamictal and am now at 125. The memory loss is incredibly bothersome but it's saved my life in more ways than one so I'll continue until the disease progresses. Hope this helps and good luck. | F | 31 | 7 months | 10/26/2006 | 5 | Bipolar Disorder | Nausea almost constantly, some problems with word recall, spaciness, lots of forgetfulness (REALLY bad when I drink too much the night before), shaking, increased body odor, headache, some racing thoughts (almost hypomanic feelings when starting the meds that go away after a few days) | When I first started taking Lamictal I was very skeptical. I had taken Neurontin before (which is also an anticonvulsant) and ended up taking 3x the amount an epiletic should take spread through out the day before bed, which resulting in my head spinning and not being able to see when I woke up for about 30 minutes. So, I looked on here and I couldn't understand why a medicine with such extreme side effects would be rated so highly. The reason is that it changes your life. I have been on nearly every antidepressant/antianxiety/sleep combo my doctors could think of for the past 3 years and NOTHING has worked. I am currently taking Lamictal, Welbutrin, Paxil, Serequil, and Clonazepam. I know its a lot, but this mixture has allowed me to become the person I used to be again. I'm happy, but most of all I have the desire to live and better myself. So, to anyone who's reading this thinking we're all crazy (Hmm... bad choice of words!) for enduring such side effects all I can say is t | F | 23 | 6 months | 10/25/2006 | 5 | Bipolar Disorder | Hair loss (one big nickel shaped bald spot in the center of my forehead)-happened only once and grew back, hindered word retreival, short-term memory loss, decreased concentration, decreased creativity and motivation, INCONTINENCE (didn't start until 2 years into it). I thought it was from artificial sweeteners, but I am just finding out that there may be a link between Lamictal and incontinence. I also have the urge to go and them am disappointed to find only a few drops. | I realize that Lamictal is not a miracle drug, but it has done the job of making me feel what I believe is "normal", and my mood is much more stable. Although (and I think someone else wrote this) I don't cry or feel elated very often. However, the benefits outweigh the negative side effects immeasurably. | F | 28 | 4.5 years | 10/22/2006 | 5 | Bipolar Disorder- Mood Stabilizer | My nails grew very fast and were very strong, my hair also grew in very fast and was thick. | I LOVE Lamictal! My bipolar disorder wasn't contained by anything else before Lamictal, and now it is quite under control. It works against my depressions, mixed episodes, and manias. | F | 28 | 2 years | 10/19/2006 | 5 | Depression and Bipolar I | Dry mouth, forgetfulness (*almost got fired for missing too many meetings*), and now mild sharp pains in my chest. I have to get the pains checked out. I sometimes get very, very sleepy in the afternoon if I get less than 8 hours of sleep for any length of time. A 20-40 minute nap takes care of it. | Saved my marriage. I am also on 300mg Wellbutrin and 20mg Fluoxetine (Prozac). They were working for 3 years, but then I started to have mood swings, irratibility, and withdrawal from family. I also had problems interacting with people at work. My Pdoc added Lamictal a year ago and after 4 weeks I was doing much, much better. My relationship with wife and kids has turned around 100%. I wish I was able to go on fewer meds. Stopping prozac led to immediate irratibility and bad temper, as well as dark moods. If I miss my evening 150mg Wellbutrin SR for more than 1 day, I become apathetic and don't work hard enough at work. But, with Lamictal, Wellbutrin, and Fluoxetine cocktail I am ok. My dad was Bipolar II and was on Depakote, Lithium, and antipsychotics at the end. Glad I haven't progressed that far (and am not a nasty bastard like he was). | M | 41 | 400 days | 10/10/2006 | 5 | Bipolar Type II | Hair loss, dry skin/psoriasis, eyeballs sometimes "jiggle" when I try to focus on something in particular, "lose" words sometimes, some short term memory problems | Previous diagnosis was depression, but after 9 years on various antidepressants (prozac, effexor, wellbutrin, zoloft, paxil et al), was still cycling from "happy normal" to "sleep-all-day-don't-go-to-work" depression. Ten months ago, psychiatrist re-evaluated diagnosis to Bipolar II. Tried Tegretol first, which was an unhappy experience for me. Then Lamictal (started at 50 mg) with a side of Lexapro. Stopped the Lexapro after one month without any appreciable difference from it. The Lamictal has made a significant difference. No depressive episodes in 10 months, no hypomania. After reaching 200 mg/day (taken at night), was seeing irritability and explosive anger under stressful conditions. Doc recently raised dosage to 225, and we may go to 250. So far, so good. No anger control issues since increasing dosage. The hair loss is a concern, but will work with PCP on improving that condition through either medication or nutritional therapy. | F | 50 | 10 months | 10/9/2006 | 5 | Bi Polar disorder, depression | None really. Possible sexual dysfunction | Been on it a year now. I also take Prozac and Seroquel. I have found this combination to be the most effective of any I have ever had! I have struggled with depression my entire life. I have taken most antidepressants on the market, as well as Depacote for Bi Polar disorder. I am very pleased, I actually wake up a lot of mornings in an optimistic mood. That never used to happen. Sometimes I can't believe how good I feel and wonder if it's for real. If I don't take Lamictal, I experience a complete drop off in about 5 days, tired and not social at all. Once I get back on it, in about 4-5 days, I can really see the difference. NOTE to users: if you get a rash from this, you are supposed to discontinue this medication AT ONCE. Personally, I have no side effects. | M | 35 | 1 years | 10/8/2006 | 5 | BPD 2- Rapid Cycling | Anxiety after 125mg. | I had extreme anxiety before taking Lamictal and started experiencing "unreasonable anxiety", jumpiness, a sense of something bad happening,freaky nightmares, sleeping problems, and hypertension. I will be adding .5mg of Lexapro tomorrow for anxiety- hope it works! | F | 29 | 5 days | 10/5/2006 | 5 | Bipolar I | Back pain, blurred vision, night sweats, short-term memory loss, sensation of water drops on skin. | My doctor told me there were no side effects using Lamictal. That is just wrong. But, he did me a big favor by putting me on this. I had a lot of side effects with Depakote also, but nowhere near the benefits. I am at 300mg day, taking 200 in the morning, and 100 at night. I have a lot of energy, and just feel good, which is a really odd thing for me. I feel like what I imagine a "normal" person feels like. If you are hesitant to use this, don't be. Any side effects are worth getting through. | M | 41 | 8 months | 10/5/2006 | 5 | Bi-Polar | Barely any side effects experienced so far except for a mild difficulty in finding the right words to explain things. | Its only been a week, and WOW! I guess I really am bi-polar, 3 years on anti-depressants never made me feel *normal* again. Thanks to Paxil's severe withdrawals I am still slowly weaning off of 10 mg every 3 days but other than that this Lamictal is already starting to help, I can tell. | F | 27 | 7 days | 9/30/2006 | 5 | BPD 1 | Not too many but since I am just on 25mg and only at day 8, I can honestly say I have felt no side effects at all. Possibly some leg/hip pain at night, but since I just had spinal surgery 3 months ago I can't be sure. | I have been newly diagnosed with BPD1. My mother had it when I was growing up. She was an alcoholic on top of this. I have been on this trip a long time and the few normal episodes I have had were great. Most of the rages and deep dpressions I learned to deal with on my own. I never felt as though i was insane, just different in my thoughts and feelings than others. Since childhood I have been on any and every drug that I have seen listed on this site so far by others who are on this medication. None worked for long or it made me sick and I stopped taking it. Now I am currently on Zoloft 100mg, seroquel at night, 200 mg, ( no weight gain ) lamictal 25mg. I have high hopes this takes the spikes out of my life forever. I can wait and see. Peace to you out there in BPD land. My prayers are with you all. | F | 44 | | 9/14/2006 | 5 | bipolar | Heavier sweating, including night sweats, and noticeably more rapid hair loss. | An amazing drug. Levels out both highs and lows. For years I suffered serious monthly depressions even after beginning treatment 10 years ago with anti-cyclical AND anti-depression medications. Lamictal has been the only drug in that time to put a solid floor under my tendency to get clinically depressed. It's also added lucidity to my thoughts (I'd accepted Depakote and Trileptal spaciness) and allowed me to lead as normal a life as I've had since my diagnosis. I have had issues sweating much more often with greater perspiration. Have taken between 200-1200 mg of this drug over past 18 months. All the positive comments here are true. It's wonderful. | 18 months | 9/14/2006 | 5 | Bipolar II Disorder | Some bad, vivid dreams, but nothing I can't deal with compared to the awesome effect it has had for my mental health. | I have been mentally ill for as long as I can remember. My family doctor diagnosed me with depression. For several years, I was on every single kind of typical anti-depressant that is made. I was severly debilitated because of this illness. I then decided it was time to go to a psychiatrist. My psychiatrist just thought that I was depressed and continued my 300 mg of Effexor that my family doctor had lastly prescribed. Effexor is a horribly evil drug and I recommend that no one take it. Anyways I realized that this psychiatrist was useless and I decided to go to psychologist and get some psychological testing. This psychologist was kind of ignorant and didn't do the right testing on me. So his conclusion was guess what "major depression". He recommended that I go see this new psychiatrist and within about 5 minutes this amazing psychatrist determined that I had bipolar II disorder and put me on Lamictal 400 mg a day. I have been %100000 better since getting my dose | M | 28 | 6 months | 9/14/2006 | 5 | Bipolar- mania | dry mouth, slight rash (occasional) | this drug, combined with lexapro, is the first combination that has successfully enabled me to function normally in daily life. I do not feel like a robot or have any severe side effects. i feel balanced and healthy. | F | 18 | 10 months | 9/1/2006 | 5 | depression/slight bipolar I | light headaches, short term memory loss (but it happened before), slight shakiness in the hands; occasional anxiety, urination during the night | this drug is great! I finally feel like I can enfoy life, myself and people and feel proud of what I accomplished in life even though I have had depression (with rare hypomanic periods) all my life! I have succeeded majorly as an immigrant in this country, but have alwasy felt insecure, lonely, dull and unable to enjoy anything, even though I have a great career and husband, and now finally able to form friendships and talk easier with all kinds of people and stand up for myself! I have had a difficult childhood so that might have added to the general dysphoric feeling. I feel lighter, brighter, smarter, more social, no longer withdrawn and dull. I love it! I don't want to get off it ever. I am also concurrently taking Effexor but it did not seem to help much, but my psychiatrist wants to take me off slowly. I have taken many different antidepressants over the years. Paxil seemed to help in the beginning to get out of the deepest depression but then it made me feel like a zombi | F | 29 | 3.5 months | 8/28/2006 | 5 | Epilepsy | Dizziness and disorientation when blood levels are low. This only occurs when I forget to take doses. I don't have any of the other awful side effects of other epilepsy medications, such as sleepiness and stupidity (i.e., forgetting words and friends' names). However, I've experienced short and long term memory problems. I find it harder to read as well. | This epilepsy medication is better than any other that I've taken. The memory loss is discouraging sometimes, but when I weigh the positives and negatives, it's worth it. I haven't had a seizure in 6 years, and I have just learned to cope with the fact that I have to concentrate harder when I read. I would not recommend this drug to a college student, because the memory and reading effects can be very frustrating and stressful. However, it has been THE most successful drug for me at preventing seizures. | F | 26 | 6 years | 8/18/2006 |