LAMICTAL Reviews (LAMOTRIGINE)Average Rating: 3.4 (1917 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare LAMICTAL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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More on LAMICTAL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR LAMICTAL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 4 | Bipolar/depression | Night sweats; sleep disturbance | Seems to reduce depression; the side effects are relatively minor as long as you don't see a rash; it takes a long time to increase to the effective dose (about 200 mg) because you are supposed to watch out for the rash. | M | 33 | 2 months | 5/27/2005 | 4 | bipolar II | Overall I feel great, WAY better than lithium which made me nauseous and gave me the most hideous taste in my mouth. I am having really heavy night sweats which is annoying but I can deal with it better than the yuck mouth. I'm on 100mg/day + cymbalta. | RASH - I'm worried about the rash, something is happening on one of my elbows and behind one knee, could someone who got the rash tell me what it looks and feels like? | F | 32 | 2 months | 3/29/2005 | 4 | Bipolar 2 and Anxiety | HORRIBLE DREAMS caused me waking up hysterically crying and in a panic attack, itchiness, but not severe. Dizziness if I miss a dose, increased breast size (not so bad)the good isn't so good anymore, but the bad isn't so bad. Occasional sucidial thoughts or the urge to cut which I have NEVER had before. | I will continue to take the medication, but I'm thinking about asking my doctor for welbutrin because I'm feeling down lately. | F | 22 | 2 months | 5/10/2006 | 4 | Bipolar I | Very intense dreams. Trouble breathing sometimes. Stomach pain right after every increase, went away. Insomnia. | Im feeling great as far as my mood, but the dreams are really freaking me out. I am almost nervous to go back to sleep. They last all night dream after dream. | F | 19 | 2 months | 9/1/2005 | 4 | bipolar 2 | any one getting the awful muscle aches? At first felt wonderful, moved up to 100 mg, every muscle in my body ached like i had the flu or mono, even went to MD. At least it has helped my mood tremendously | My psychiatrist doesn't believe it's the lamictal making me feel this way but decreased my does to 50 mg. I've been researching on the net and this drug is gaining a rep for muscle aches, hope i can stay on it. | F | 33 | 2 months | 10/1/2007 | 4 | Bipolar II Disorder | headache in the beginning- but has gone away now- at 100 mg i had a hypnogogic episode and very horrible dreams- i decreased my dosage and am fine. | lamictal has been extrememly helpful so far. i have been on many SSRI's... and one other mood stabilizer- lithium, and lamictal has worked the best so far! | F | 20 | 2 months | 3/9/2006 | 4 | epilepsy | scalp itches, a few headaches, dreams, dry mouth, some all over muscle aches | Took Dilantin for 30 years for idiopathic seizures and started the switch to Lamictal about 2 months ago. Currently taking 200mg twice daily. The biggest side effect for me so far is the itchy scalp. Drives me crazy! A few headaches here and there but they go away. I have been dreaming more and can actually remember my dreams in great detail now. I like that. Frequent dry mouth but water and gum fix that. Muscle aches a couple of times out of the blue that felt like I had been run over by a train. Not sure if that is Lamictal related or not. As for my seizures, only time will tell if it works. I like Lamictal so far and hope that I can continue taking it without any problems. | F | 45 | 2 months 200 2X day | 6/11/2011 | 4 | bi polar 2 | Migrains, dry mouth. | I have been on 15 anti depressant and other meds like them and this worked by far the best for me. it gave me terrible migraines which is the only reason i stopped it. i would recommend it still. | M | 19 | 2 months ? 1X day | 11/29/2011 | 4 | BPD II, depression, insomnia, mood | Perhaps some fatigue but difficult to tell since I am on narcotics for a car accident. Some severe headaches but am a migraine sufferer. | Recently diagnosed w/ BPD II w/episodes of mania and rapid cycles, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Went untreated for yrs and managed it with other substances. Was very hesitant about taking this because it felt like I was admitting something was "wrong" with me. Once I started, what a difference! Started on 100mg -initially it really curbed very severe mood swings, agitation, anxiety, and irritability. I would seriously want to choke someone for spilled water and this has helped tremendously. Don't think I had many side effects but it is difficult to tell b/c was on soma 250mg, and currently take flexiril 5-10mg, vicodin 500/5mg as needed for car accident. Hence the Lamictal. Dr said I should stop taking soma b/c it caused headaches (which I had) and the Lamictal would help w/that. I felt great, felt more like my old self and happier. After a month, bipolar and depression cycles not as frequent, less severe but still there. Was still really snappy and irritable w/crying episodes. Currently titrating up to 200mg of Lamictal and am on 150mg right now. Also take Seroquel at night, after Ambien 10mg stopped working, and that has helped me so much. Feel less anxiety and feel much happier! I am joking and laughing again, more carefree, and just feel amazing. I am exercising again after not having the motivation for about 3 yrs, and used to be very athletic. This drug obviously doesn't work for all people, but it really works for me. | F | 25 | 2 months 150mg 1X day | 2/4/2010 | 3 | Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, Depression | very hot memory loss (short term) can't concentrate can't sleep at night even with ambien 3-4 hrs at most want to nap all the time lower sex drive very dizzy/fuzzy faintness numbness (lightning shooting down from head to neck to arms and hands...pins/needles type feeling) brain flashes just like in the movies(if that makes sense) really bad headaches (worst headaches every) head aches with orgasm aggitated/angry severe anxiety very vivid dreams (very real, almost like halucinating) | Currently on Pristic, Lamictal, and Ambien. After being depressed/anxious forever I use to have problems getting to sleep and then have problems waking up. Now with Lamictal and Ambien I go to sleep immediately and wake up approximately 3-4 hours later every night. I think that is driving me more crazy than any of my actual crazy. Sex drive is down a little bit, but it use to be very high. I just got taken off Paxiva. Couldn't have an orgasm with it and I think that was adding to my anxiety a little bit. I do, however, think my wife enjoyed it until she realized it was bothering me a lot. I can't remember anything. Names, words, memories, they pretty much escape me. I have the same conversations with the same people multiple times. Most people just humor me and let me tell them again. Its really getting embarrassing. Almost to the point that I don't even want to talk to anyway, fearing I may have already talked to them about it. The dizziness, pin/needles, and brain flashes aren't really that fun either. I get these really odd flashes when I move my eyes or head sometimes. Almost like someone just took a picture in my eyes. That is usually followed by some weird 110 volt electricity running from my head to my fingertips. I've never fainted in my life, but I have almost fainted twice since taking this. I think I accidently took 2 of these one night when I meant to take 2 Zoloft and I think I nearly died. I don't remember going to bed and my wife said I was | M | 35 | 2 months 150 MG 1X day | 10/17/2010 | 3 | depersonalization and depression | No side effects of note which is good. | After being so hopefull early on in treatment, I am now on the fence as to whether or not this medication is really helping or going to help. After a slight response on 25mgs and a really promising response on 50mgs, I have yet to regain the initial benefit. Though my moods are okay, I still have a good deal of dissociation. Given my history with medication perhaps I'll need to go higher (possibly up to 400mgs or even higher)or add an SSRI as I've heard the combination can be quite effective. My doctor wants to wait another couple of weeks before deciding to up the dose or try something else. I would really rather not have to go back on SSRI due to possible weight gain and sexual side effects. But based on the past, they have been quite effective for me, which leads me to believe serotonin plays a major role in my disorder | M | 42 | 2 months 200 1X day | 9/23/2010 Patient History | 3 | Bipolar 1 | Spleepy. I passed out the first night taking 400mg. I still had nightmares and extremem paranoia. I decided to play just before it kicked in and i fell asleep that i would play the "Silva Method" that my dad teaches in his self enhancement course. When i woke up i felt like i could run a marathon. i was so happy i bounced around the house till my father told me to shut up lol. I do believe that lamictal open the sub-conscience. I dream-pt of marriage and love and happiness. Of course i will never meet this man but its strange. Other than that people have reported the same feeling. Its over whelming and i havnt felt depression at all. not even the urge to kill myself like the days passed. | Lamictal and positive energy around you can help. Don't rely on the drug alone. Make an effort to be happy and outgoing. One drug alone can not work a miracle. You must put you foot in the door and say i am leave the room of depression. Carpe Diem | F | 21 | 2 months 400mg 1X day | 4/8/2011 | 3 | partial seizures | dizziness (major dizziness if I drink any alcohol, even 1/2 glass of wine). A harder time recalling words and spelling words though they eventually come to me. It's as if my brain is working, but in much slower motion. A perceived weakness in legs and hands (harder to type), but I think I exaggerate the symptoms due to my hypochrondia (fear of ALS, MS, what have you). The good news is that this drug seems to be helping my seizures. I used to have a minimum of two simple partial seizures a month. Since starting Lamictal I've only had one in 88 days (almost 2 months). | I was supposed to work up to 200mg, but the side effects I experienced were too much for me. I've tapered down to 100mgs and I'm hoping I'll be ok with this lower amount. | F | 47 | 2 months | 11/6/2006 | 3 | mood stabilizer for depression | None - until about a week after 150 mg. I'm starting to get itchy. I get herpes on my chest - but very rarely these days unless I'm in the tanning booth and forget to put on sun block. I have it in 4 spots on my chest and am constantly putting powder on it. Yesterday and today I am not depressed but certainly lethargic, tired, unmotivated to do my sales calls - this is very unusual for me. On the other hand - it could be left over from the holidays! I now have some itching in my vaginal area with a bump - herpes? which I don't get there, lamictal reaction?, inflamed hair follical? I dropped to 100 this morning as my dr is on vacation til next week. Until I began to experience these side effects I was really happy with it. I hope the itchiness and the blisters on my chest subside having dropped the dosage. Otherwise, adios lamictal | I take it with 100 mg effexor, which has been great. I was also on wellbutrin, but she took me off that because it was causing me to get agitated and reactive. Effexor has always been fine alone, but I hit a real hard spot in my life that necessitated increasing the dosage and it still wasn't enough. I'm not going up higher on it though because it kills your sex drive and makes me really YAWN. | F | 46 | 2 months | 12/29/2005 | 3 | PMDD, severe depression, bipolar | Insomnia - waking at least hourly (cleared when I took it in the a.m. instead of p.m.), vivid dreams, 1-2 bathroom trips daily (never been so regular; might not be a bad thing!). After two months, now having frequent dizziness. Can't tell if other symptoms are due to age or medication! Already had night sweats, memory loss, vision problems, joint pains, hair loss, and weight gain. Hard to notice if it's worse! | Was up to 125 mg - 100 in the p.m. and 25 in the a.m. but had bad insomnia. Switched it to 100 in the a.m. only and insomnia cleared. Although it has kept me from being so suicidal, I am far from in the clear. Still cycling but not as severely. Doesn't take much to put me in a dive. After reading other reports here, I'm afraid to go to any higher dosage, though. | F | 49 | 2 months | 11/2/2005 | 3 | bipolar; BPD | Weight gain & water retention; clothes and shoes no longer fit after 6 weeks (having reached only 100mg...). I also developed general digestion problems as well as eyesight issues.Very frustrating because I also see the benefits of mood stabilization, but the weight gain, mental "fog" and lethargy have led me to begin weaning off of lamictal after 2 months. | F | 45 | 2 months | 5/4/2007 | 3 | Chronic Clinical Depression | Dizziness, sudden muscle spasms and joint weakness, flu-like symptoms, sort throat, chest pain and heaviness, frequent urination at night, mental confusion, inability to focus, short-term memory loss, difficulty in completing letters in words when writing, many typos, difficulty in finding correct words to say to complete sentences in speech, clumnsiness, and difficulty in balancing myself when standing. | The Dr. started me on 50 mg. and slowly over several weeks increased the dosage. Because I take an HRT, the dosage has to be doubled to secure remission from depression. I did not notice a change in myself until I reached 400mg. The symptoms I noted began to affect me at the 400 mg. strength. I thought I was suffering from dementia and was physically ill at the same time. The Dr. has decreased the dosage to 200 mg. for a few days then I will try 300mg.to see how that affects me. I have been depressed many years, there are genetic factors and cognitive distortions stemming from years of being married to someone who is mentall ill and very abusive both physically and emotionally. The depression is less severe but still present. I hope to change though recognizing the cognitive distortions accumulated during the years and changinging my negative perceptions of the world and myself. I have been taking prozac for many years and eventually it because less effective over time. Anoth | F | 59 | 2 months | 7/29/2007 | 3 | Bi Polar Disorder | excessive salivation,increase body odor, nausea | Mood swings aren't as bad. Things don't bother me as much as they use to. No highs or lows just middle of the road.However, after a few weeks on 100mg I began to have side effects.I can't seem to tolerate the amount needed to effectively control my symptoms. The constant mouth watering is terrible and sometimes makes me nauseated. I have reduced the dosage and take it at night.Hopefully this will work. | F | 36 | 2 months | 6/13/2005 | 3 | Bipolar | Extremely tired, vivid nightmares, lower back pain and neck pain. I am not getting as much depressed as I used to get but I noticed that I am becomming more and more aggressive. I tend to snap alot quicker and get more easily frustrated and extremely aggitated by my family for things that wouldn't or shouldn't upset me. very drowsy | its Christmas and I just upped to 100 mg from 50 and today I am like a zombie...it got so bad that I actually am on the internet lookin up side effects of the drug in google.I don't have time to hear voices or get depressed anymore..im too tired. Merry Christmas | F | 18 | 2 months | 12/25/2004 | 3 | BiPolar/Depression | I am SO happy to read some of the other people's side effects on this drug. I recently made an appointment with a neurologist to have an evaluation done because I thought I was losing my mind or getting Alzheimer's, like my Mom. I have experienced trouble typing, finding the right words and stumbling over my words in conversation, trouble concentrating and staying focused, bloating, nausea and upset stomach, slight loss of balance and coordination, dropping things, slight blurred vision, diminished libido, and lots of trouble with handwriting--like leaving out letters, scrambled letters, and basically trouble writing at all. I was an honors student all through school, including college, but these apparent side effects have made feel very stupid and/or sick. | I am slowly discontuing Effexor, which I have taken for almost 7 years while slowly ramping up with Lamictal. At least my depression hasn't reapeared. But the side effects I am experiencing are quite disconcerting and bothersome. | F | 58 | 2 months | 2/11/2007 |