LAMICTAL Reviews (LAMOTRIGINE)Average Rating: 3.4 (1917 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare LAMICTAL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken longest to shortest. 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 |
| 2 | Bipolar | memory loss, trouble finding the right words, tremors, developed a studder, irritability, slurring of speech, feeling "not right" | I guess it's helping with my mood, but I am not sure the good is outweighing the bad. There has GOT to be another medication for me! | F | 35 | 3 months | 11/20/2008 | 2 | BiPolar 2 | Started out at 100 which seemed to help with severe depression after a total nervous breakdown in which I stayed in bed for a month, stopped eating, lost 25 lbs and would cry uncontrollably when I was awake. MD put me on 100 and I stopped crying constantly and having intense racing thoughts and started functioning fairly normally. Psychiatrist MD upped dosage to 300 and it totally increased my depression. I am able to function 8 hours a day (I work from home), but crying daily and hysterically for an hour. I told him that I sincerely felt his original diagnosis of BP was incorrect and that I suffer from severe depression without the mania associated with BP, so he reduced me to 100 and added Wellbutrin. With Lamictal, I would sleep well, but wake up every morning feeling totally groggy, not well-rested and would take at least an hour to be able to start functioning. Lamictal made me hyper-sensitive and hyper-emotional. | I think Lamictal is miraculous if you're diagnosed correctly with BP. I think my doctor made a quick diagnosis because of my complete breakdown, without inquiring about possible manic episodes, which I never experienced. | F | 61 | 3 months | 4/2/2008 | 2 | bipolar disorder | abnormal dreams every night - headache every day - high blood pressure - cuts down on the manic episodes, but does nothing for the depression - low energy - muscle fatigue | M | 62 | 3 months | 3/17/2008 | 1 | Bi-polar II | Hair loss; scaly, painful rash all over torso and arms; "electric" feeling throughout my body; double vision; slight fever and general flu-like symptoms; muscle aches and tightness; loss of appetite. | Obviously, I was allergic to this medication. I am so glad that I searched the web for the possible side-effects - I found that, while it's rare, people who are allergic can experience multiple organ failure. It took over a month for the rash, which is a precursor to the unbelievably frightening "Stevens-Johnson Syndrome", to disappear after I quit taking lamictal. For info, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevens-Johnson_syndrome. Please be aware of how this drug affects you after taking it for a little while - it could save your life. | F | 29 | 3 months | 3/19/2008 | 1 | bipolar | massive hair loss, memory loss, weight gain, depression | felt like I was in a fog, couldn't be happy | F | 33 | 3 months | 1/2/2009 | 1 | Rapid Bipolar II | Hand tremors, twitching, rash, loss of balance, speech impairment, hair loss, can't sleep. Shakey writing, can't spell very well, typing is out the door. | M | 47 | 3 months | 10/18/2007 | 1 | bipolar2 disorder | blisters on my face,nightmares. | didnt have any effect on my mood swings.im actualy suicidal since ive been on lamictal.the blisters makes me feel even worse about myself. | F | 30 | 3 months | 2/13/2008 | 1 | mood stabilizer w/celexa | Outragious vivid dreams, then coma-like sleep (I was upped to 200 mg daily). Dry itchy scalp that drives me crazy. Forgetfulness. Shaking not just in my hands, but all over and in my mind if that makes sense. I'm still on the crap 'cause my doctor hasn't called me back in SEVEN days. I'm gonna half my dose starting tomorrow. I hate all this. | To doctors: DON'T prescribe this as a mood stabilizer. I am NOT bipolar. I just need to get off this and talk to a therapist. | F | 51 | 3 months | 7/9/2008 | 1 | Bipolar II | continued effects from last post | now my hair is falling out, I have wrinkles that are getting worse under my eyes (I'm 20), acne and dry skin, and nails that are literally so weak they break when I fluff pillows. I'm having to get fake nails because they are starting to break off below the nail bed even though I have them trimmed very short. I also gained weight, despite monitoring my food intake. This drug was like a poison to my body!! No one could pay me enough money to take this drug again. Very scary experience. On top of all the side effects it did NOTHING for my depression or anxiety or anything else for that matter. Currently working down on the dose as quickly as is possible while still being safe. HR continues to stay high. EKG and all other tests were normal. I can just hope it didn't do any lasting damage. | F | 20 | 3 months | 11/21/2009 | 1 | Biploar II | HIGH anxiety, increased heart rate, constant chest pains though the day, back pain, ice pick headaches (some lasting hours), lower abdominal pain, muscle aches, constipation, constant indigestion/heart burn, feeling like I can't get full or feeling like I'm starving after I eat a meal, worsened nerve pain (I have FM), hot flashes and chills, dry mouth, dehydration, deteriorating nails hair and skin condition, weight gain | Apparently this drug is a miracle drug for some. For me it was poison. Couldn't pay me to take it again. I had the worst anxiety I've had in years- I rarely take my xanax but ever since being on this med. I've had to take it almost every day, sometimes several times a day. The most disturbing side effect:It increased my heart rate greatly- never below 80pbm, mostly hangs around 100bmp, resting average 96bpm, 115-120+ if I get a little exited, and 150+ when doing light activities or walking leisurely. Pulse wakes me up, can feel it pounding through my entire body or at least my torso and neck. I also experienced more chest pains than usual for much longer, that would also wake me up in my sleep. Ended up in the ER because of such a high HR. I had back pain that pain killers couldn't touch, ice pick headaches that were severe and sometimes lasted for hours, intense lower abdominal pain, random muscle aches, constipation, constant indigestion and heart burn- didn't matter what I ate, I never felt full and would even feel like I was starving after meals so I had to watch my food intake, worsened my nerve pain from my FM, I get hot flashes as well as chills with violent chills and am still cold after I get warm enough to stop shaking, dry mouth no matter how much water I drank, very stubborn dehydration that didn't go way no matter how much I drank and even after I got IV fluids. My hair skin and nails are now extremely weak (started when I started meds)- now my hair is falli | F | 20 | 3 months | 11/21/2009 | 1 | Bipolar II - rapid cycler | Burning eyes, "why bother" feeling. Huge sense of urgency to do something in the middle of the night. Insomnia, Very very dark thoughts. I want off this med. | I have never had the kind of thougths I am currently having. I know it has to be the lamictal. I keep having thoughts about the world ending and nothing matters because we are all doomed to die anyway. When I have these thougts I am absolutely certain it is the truth and that I (and everyone else) is just wasting time living. I have to fight to get that thought out of my head. I am also waking up knowing I have to do a certain task, like look up something on the internet or call someone. I am most certain that it has to be done at that moment. It makes perfect sense to me at the time. I don't do it because there is still a part of my brain that stops me. I have been on Trileptal for years but my circle thoughts were coming back and it was causing me to lose my concentration. My psychiatrist put me on this (100mgs sid) to help-thinking it might get rid of depression and thus help me focus (can't take adderall for too long-screws me up big time) but it hasn't helped at all. I can't wait to be finished with it. I'll take my lack of concentration and rapid thoughts over this any day. It actually seems to make them worse! I need to find a med that works well with the trileptal (my miracle med-this drug is the reason I can hold a steady job)and helps me focus as well. Tried concerta and strattera, but upset my stomach way too much. Adderall made me an emotional wreck. Thanks to this site, I know I am even more certain it is the med and I am not going into a bad place again. | F | 41 | 3 months | 10/18/2009 | 1 | For mood stabilization of bipolar | The dreams/nightmares are HORRIBLE! I was doing well on 100mg dosage, but went up to 200mg and that's when the vivid, bizarre dreams began. Losing people and things close to me, being haunted by a demon, sleeping but in an awake state and people at work who I dislike tormenting and scaring me. It goes on and on. My PsychDoc asked me to take it up to 250mg which I did for 1 night and the dreams turned into real nightmares. That was it for me. I switched to taking the Lamictal from night to morning and dropped the dosage to 150mg. I plan on dropping it in a couple of days to my original 100 mg dose. | Lamictal and almost ALL the Psych meds I have been on since 1994 have really been terrible. I cannot get any peace with any of these meds and yes I am angry. I know the manufacturers are trying to make money and MAYBE trying to help the mentally ill, but without the proper trials (which I have read the doctor's instructions online for every script I have taken)are not done because the pharmaceuticals are rushing to beat each other to the punchline. And the FDA condones this behavior - not sure what the standard is or the reasons why. Yes, I am angry. I am almost through with taking any meds as I have had my chin up everytime my PsychDoc asked for me to try something new with me not knowing what side effects will manifest themselves in me. Don't want to sound suicidal, but I am 47 years old now and have been battling my depression and manic episodes, making decisions one minute and changing my mind by going another way the next. This causes extreme stress which adds another med to my list because I cannot control my agitation and anxiety. I say now, I have lived my life and now it's time for me to go. It's of my opinion that most people in this world are so caught up in their own doings that they don't care for their own children nevertheless care for some stranger like me. It breaks my heart to feel that I want to leave this world, but I am of sound mind and body right now and would like to move on. | F | 47 | 3 months | 8/27/2009 | 1 | Central pain Syndrome | Save yourself! Terrible drug! It caused severe damage to my intestines. I have severe intestional spasms!!! There are not words to describe the amount of pain! Excruciating doesn't come close!! My suffering is caused by Lamotrigene!!!! I ubered to the is hospital because of this drug! I had no intestinal issues ever until this drug Now i have inflamation in my intestines and silent reflux, from Lamotrigine i can not eat anything acidic or spicy. I am praying this damage is NOT permanent. Or IT HAS DESTROYED MY LIFE! From this day forward I will read the fine print side effects!! I have been off this drug for 6 months intestines are still spasming! | Other side effects I experienced were a very dry parched mouth no matter how much you drank your mouth is dry that's awful then I started losing my balance. | F | 58 | 3 months 25 mg | 1/12/2020 | 1 | Bipolar | It burns my stomach even after I take it after food | F | 53 | 3 months | 9/5/2015 | 1 | Bipolar II | I took this drug about 7 years ago and now I have random muscle spasms all over my body throughout the day. Consumer Beware! | M | 3 months 1X day | 1/22/2021 | 1 | Unipolar Depression | HORRIBLE hair loss (50+%)-- even weeks after stopping the drug. After seeing multiple dr's to determine what's wrong with me, my latest bloodwork revealed a failed ANA(auto-immune) test. Before starting Lamictal, I had bloodwork, and all was fine. I'm convinced this drug -- even after taking it for only three months-- is the cause of some auto-immune issue.Off to see a Rheumotologist to get more answers... | Initially, Lamictal did work for me, yet PLEASE beware of things such as hair loss. It could be a sign that your body is unfavorably reacting to the drug. | F | 38 | 3 months | 10/10/2008 | 1 | Bi - polar mania | INSOMNIA!!!! Terrible insomnia! And also an increased level of anxiety. | In addition to the side effects, Lamictal did absolutely nothing as far as helping the condition which it was intended to treat. | M | 27 | 3 months | 7/24/2005 | 1 | Bipolar I Disorder | Large, itchy rash; swollen lymph glands (allergic reaction) | Lamictal seemed like a miracle drug. I took 50mg (gradually increased from 12.5mg every other day) of Lamictal, 1250mg of Depakote, 100mg of Seroquel, and 1mg of Xanax XR. I felt the effects almost immediately and for the first time in years a medication actually made me feel "normal" again. But I developed an allergic reaction (I've read as much as 10% of the people who take Lamictal develop a mild rash) to the medication that very quickly got worse. When I stopped taking the medication at my doctor's request I became manic and didn't sleep for four days straight. I'm now on 300mg of Seroquel just to get me back to where I was before Lamictal and I take 600mg of lithium as well. It's difficult to give this medication such a low rating because it really did help me a great deal, but my rash still hasn't gone away and I'm having worse problems with mania than I did before I started taking the medication. | M | 22 | 3 months | 9/21/2007 | 1 | treatment-resistant depression | constant bowel movements and diarrhea, migraines and weird head pressure (whereas I rarely had headaches before), nausea, cognitive slow-down, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, blurred vision,increased heart rate and blood pressure | I agree with another person who rated this medication and said she felt completely "toxic" while taking it. I have been taking various psychotropics for over ten years and have never felt as sick from side effects (at 100mg daily)as I have from lamictal. Unless this medication is essentially saving your life, I would not recommend taking it. | F | 34 | 3 months | 11/1/2006 | 1 | Atypical Depression | Raised blood pressure Head tremors Headaches Dizziness Spaced-out Complete ennui Disturbed sleep Constant low-level anxiety | I read the comments of the people who gave this a "5" and feel envious: You've obviously found a drug that has counteracted your condition. Not me. This stuff is more poison than medicine to my brain chemistry. I'm paying $3 a pill to feel sick. If my Dr. doesn't taper me off this crap, I will. | M | 39 | 3 months | 3/6/2007 |