There are 109 ratings for the drug: LAMICTAL CD in the Askapatient database.

Key to ratings for lamictal cd: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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Rating	Reason	Side Effects	Comments	Sex	Age	Time Taken		Date Added
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4	bipolar	weight loss of 15-20 pounds - wasn't really needed. Less appetite. Very, very vivid dreams. Recent development of pain in two knuckles of right hand with a bruise like appearance.	My son is taking lamictal. He had previously taken depakote with seemingly good results but he did not want ot go back on that. I was excited for him to try Lamictal. I can really tell if he has missed 2 or 3 consecutive doses - starts to develop a little agitation. He seems pleased with the results of the medication.	M	17	2.5 months		2/4/2010 Email
5	bi-polar			F	60	3 months		1/13/2010
5	bi-polar	Sounds weird, but instead of age related night sweats, my sweats seemed to tell me to wake up to go to the bathroom at night. Had sweats before, but never syncronized with urination. Thought that was kind of strange. It happens ever time! Medication is working for me. Up to 300 MG a night and feel pretty good now. No other problems yet....		F	60	3 months		1/10/2010
4	yes	Definite short term memory loss and constant constipation	Eliminated most partial seizures. Had two gran mal seizures before taking and haven't had any since then.	M	58	6 months		12/18/2009
4	Bi Polar	Has been working well for me at 200 mg. Hasn't full stopped my mood swings. Back and Joint pain at 250 mg	I have been taking 200 mg for 2 years with out any problems. I got a new doctor and he suggested that I ramp up to 300 mg. After a few days at 225 mg I started getting back, muscle, and joint pain. I thought I was getting a bad case of the flu before I found this website and found out that others are having the same side effects.	M	36	2 years		11/21/2009
4	depression	Night sweats, I guess word mix up (didn't really attribute it until seeing other comments), vivid dreams (some good, some really bad), memory loss, propensity for slurring (+alcohol)	Lamictal has really helped me. I was feeling suicidal and this generally kept those thoughts at bay. It has set a floor for my depressed moods.	M	38	4 months		8/26/2009
3	Depressive Bipolar II	Inability to focus vision on fine details, some discoordination with fine motor tasks, abnormal liver functions, high triglycerides and cholesterol, and CRIPPLING BACK PAIN.	I was excited to try this med as, like many people with BPD, I have a hard time taking SSRIs. It's claimed to be more effective against depressive episodes than more regularly prescribed BPD meds like Lithium, and it was. However, I gradually developed back pain during the slow dose increase used to start this medication. It started as a slight stiffness in my back, and I assumed I was just out of shape. Then it became painful, and I assumed I had hurt my back somehow, but didn't think the Lamictal had anything to do with it. By the time I got to 200mg, I was basically crippled and wondered each time I bent over whether that would be the time I wouldn't be able to stand back up- at 37 and fairly healthy, I knew something was wrong. In spite of pointing this out to various doctors and nurses, none of them seemed to make the connection, and it wasn't until I did my own research that I found that a VERY HIGH NUMBER of people have similar complaints, something like 1 in 12. At 200mg I had my blood checked, which revealed abnormal liver functioning, and high triglycerides and cholesterol. The doctors (all psych trained) didn't find that odd either. I have stopped taking the med and hope that sometime in the next month or so my back will recover and that the damage isn't permanent. So PLEASE recognize that your doctors are not all-knowing gods, and that the side effects of this med can creep up on you VERY slowly.	M	37	3 months		8/23/2009
5	bipolar I	short term memory loss, words get mixed up, some itchiness, dry mouth.	Was able to think clearly for the first time in my life, after beginning Lamictal. Was ultra rapid cycling daily. Finally feel in control of myself, thoughts, feelings. Anxiety, and severe depression 90% eliminated. Some "break through" days as with any medication. Definitely feel flat most of the time. Stable. No more extreme highs, however there is some depression when mania is triggered. Overall, life saving drug. Would recommend giving a try.	F	40	7 months		8/16/2009 Email
4	bipolar	NO SEX DRIVE		F	26	3 years		8/12/2009
3	Bipolar	fatique, motor agitation, twitching in limbs and trouble with gait. Good med but broke out in rash.	First day I felt the med's working in my frontal lobe. Quick mood swings on the first day which I found interesting. I was laughing and crying at the same time. My moods started to calm down. Instead of quick mood swings....I would have a bad mood one day and good mood the next day. Always felt aggitated and irritable at night. I had to take 2mg of Clonzepam to get me to sleep. Felt my skin itching but no visible rash. That sensation disappeared after I got into my new dose level and it started again when the pdoc increased my dose. I felt he moved me too quickly into the dosages. First two week 25 mg, the 2nd two weeks 50mg, the 3rd dosage was increased to 100 mg for three weeks. I did felt it stabilized my moods but the initial dosages made very tired and it was hard to concentrate at times when people talked to me but that slowly cleared up. Experienced some headaches. Experienced in the sixth week some twitching at night in my limbs. Felt dizzy at times. Noticed in the seventh week motor agitation which came in spurts and came throughout the day. Also had trouble with my gait but nothing real serious. None of this effected my driving ability. I did experience flu systems which the pdoc thought was the regular flu. I thought it was the meds. ...then I broke out in hives. Pdoc told me to stop ASAP. When the rash reached my face I went to the emergency room. Got a quick dose of allergy steriods and diphenhydramine. Took a whole week for my rash to clear up.	F	52	49 days		7/10/2009 Email
3	Bipolar II	Back & joint pain, numbness in feet when exercising, fatigue, dental pain, circulation issues on left side of body, short of breath, dizziness, vision changes, trouble "finding" words when speaking	I have experienced many side effects on this med & none of them are what I would call "minor". There is one very good thing Lamictal does for me that makes it worth taking: it regulates my sleep to around 8hrs per day. Without it, I would rarely be able to wake up and function after 8hrs of sleep. I strongly suggest taking calcium & vit D3 with this med due to the issues with joints & teeth. I have taken it for 4 years and wish I knew about that when I started taking it.	M	33	4 years		3/20/2009
4	Epilepsy	Short term memory loss, dizziness, lack of strong feelings, weaving when walking	Previous to taking Lamictal I was on Dylantin. The stuff had horrible side effects including what I have on Lamictal and more. I could not function on my job and still had seizures. My doctor put me on Lamictal and I take it 3 times a day - 150 mg AM/PM and 100 at lunch. I figured out I had seizures in the late afternoon so the lunch dose is just a little push to get me to my night time dose. I've been seizure free for 5 years this April. That said, sometime the side effects are pretty bad. They seem to improve or get worse with hormonal changes. I get frustrated at the lack of strong feelings but I'm on this drug for the side effect of controlling seizures rather than the primary intention of helping bipolar. So, I should expect no strong feelings since it is a mood controlling drug. However... I miss them. When I start weaving down the hallways I drag my finger against a wall and it helps straighten me out. Lamictal recently went generic and I've read that people are hav	F	56	6 years		3/1/2009 Email
3	Bipolar Disorder II, rapid cycling	Dizziness, weight gain, increased appitite, difficultly reading and concentrating, insomnia.	I've been on it for a few months. The first month it felt like it had completely chanaged my life. I was happier and higher on life than ever! Unfortunately that didn't last. My depression came back in full furry, but the hypomania didn't. So basically I felt like crap all the time. And now sleeping problems and weight gain have become issues. I go for days without sleeping, but its not that I am not tired, my body just can't sleep, so I am sluggish and withdrawn during the day. Kind of sucks. But, it has only been four months, so maybe it can still work for me. Last time I visited the psych, she bumped me up from 100mg to 150mg and reminded me that it was important to take the meds. Its not like I wasn't before, I just don't like taking them. . . but apparently I am a suicide risk, so people get all freaked if I don't take them. I don't know. Go luck to anyone taking it.	F	18	4 months		1/27/2009 Email
4	yes	hives and small rash nothing serious.insomnia.but i take a simple sleeping pill and that does the trick.I go off in a daze sometimes when people are talking to me i hear them but dont know what they said.Tingling in my cheeks and jaw.This medicine has helped me a lot though so i could say i dont mind the side effects because i feel better when im taking lamictal when i forget to take it for a day or so i feel horrible so i know it works,considering ive been taking it for a good while it took me since i was 4 to find a medication that worked.	Its a good perscription for someone suffering with bipolar and comes with less serious side effects.	F	17	2 years		1/4/2009 Email
4	BIPOLAR I	DULL HEADACHE BEHIND EYES, CHRONIC CONGESTION	FELT NORMAL, AND CLEAR MINDED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. MORE ENERGY, MORE MOTIVATION. NO IRRITABILITY, NO ANGER, NO RAGE. THIS WOULD BE PERFECT IF I DIDN'T HAVE THE HEADACHE AND CONGESTION.	F	36	2 months		12/27/2008 Email
3	Mood Stabilizer	After 2 weeks I experienced manic/ Racing thoughts (for just two days)and Blurred vision. after 6 weeks I developed a rash on my feet, neck, shoulder and buttocks and a SEVERE rash in my mouth (50+ sores on all gums, cheeks, tongue, soft pallet, roof of mouth throat and lips). I was then diagnosed with SJS	I was so mad that I had to come off Lamactal because of the side effects because this was TRULY a miracle drug for me. It changed my life completely, Then, by a cruel coincidence snatched away. I suggest trying it and see if it works.	M	39	2 months		11/30/2008 Email
4	Bipolar II	Appetite loss, blurred vision, dizzy, "high" feeling at first	The appetite loss has been the most severe side effect (which I dont mind, I've lost 5 pounds so far), but the other side effects are eliminated completely by exercising immediately after taking the pill. I'm fortunate that I was already working out regularly before taking this medication, but I strongly recommend trying to exercise (even walking) if one were struggling with side effects. It works for me. The drug seems to be clearing my mind as I increase the dosages (started at 25 mg, then 50, etc.). I played the violin when I was young and at a very definite point about 10 years ago seemed to lose my ability. Luckily I kept my violin because I seem to have picked up where I left off 10 years ago! Could be coincidental? Feel free to email me.	F	28	4 weeks		11/2/2008 Email
4	Anxiety, irritability, depression	sore throat, weight gain, irregular periods	I felt HUGE relief the first couple of days when I started on 25mg. Now I am on 100mg and I constantly have to drink water and tea as my throat hurts. Also have to keep clearing my throat. Got my period 2 weeks early. Overall though, a positive effect. Will have to wean off soon as I plan to get pregnant in the near future. Also on 20mg Prozac.	F	38	6 weeks		10/11/2008
2	mood disorder	anxiety, headache, head feels heavy and "stuffed up", ears feel plugged up, extreme drowsiness/fatigue, vivid dreams, waking up a lot in the night, mood swings.	I dont think I can do this. I've never felt this weird on antidepressants. I've never felt bad enough that I start crying uncontrollably and get really scared to take another dose. I was told this drug is well tolerated but I'm not tolerating it well at all! Its only been a week but I'm going to ask my doc if I can ween off of it.	F	31	7 days		9/6/2008
4	bi polar 2	scratching my head, that's not so bad. :) please contact me with positive experiences with this medication. that would help.	i have just started taking Lamictal and have felt relatively good this first week at 25mg. i will be increasing that dosage every week and see what happens. while i recognize that some of the side effects are real for people on this site, i am concentrating on relieving my depression which can become very severe regarding my bi-polar. The balanced periods are not too severe or out of bounds, but the depressions are paralyzing and suicidal. i appreciate all the comments from everyone that has had success with this drug. i am hoping it is an answer to a 25 year search for controlling the depressions i have had. Hang in there people.	M	45	7 days		8/27/2008 Email
3	bipolar II	vision blurry, fuzzy-headed, loss of creativity and enthusiasm, sex drive MAJORLY decreased	I had the side effects described by others on this page regarding fuzzy-headedness, dropping words, etc., as well as vision problems, but I have noticed these are lessened if I take the dosage at night. I was at 100 mgs for some time and recently increased to 150, but my sex drive is literally ENTIRELY gone. As this is creating problems in my marriage, I am dropping back to 125 and am going to hold there for a while to reassess. Also general loss of creativity, although I wonder if the loss of sex drive and creativity are because I am missing the manic phases.	F	31	1.5 years		8/26/2008
4	Bipolor	Listlessness, increased appetite, fatigue, insomnia.	I've been at 200 mg for over a year now. It leveled things out. The raging ended and the quick swings into depression stopped too. It was almost miraculous. Lately, I have had almost no energy, don't get enthused about anything any more. I feel rather zombie-like. Sleep was a problem until the doctor put me on Ambien. No problem any more.	M	50	16 months		8/15/2008 Email
5	bipolar II	Some: dry eye, blurred vision, acne, short term memory loss, trouble finding words, insomnia, vivid sometimes very strange dreams, ulcers in mouth, mild rashes, the usual	Great drug, my third time to use in the last 3 years. The side effects are a mild nuisance compared to suicide and deep depression. Had one bout of depression at 5 months this time and increased the dosage from 100mg. to 150mg. and will soon try 200mg. Also take 150mg. of wellbutrin upon waking and 150 mg. at noon. Its the original fast acting parent drug. I take it this way so it wears off before bedtime. About the memory thing, on depressed days I couldn't remember shit then either.	M	59	6 months		8/11/2008 Email
5	Bi-polar II	None that I identified as side effects.	Lamictal plus Provigil really turned my life around. I had been barely functional for 3 years prior. But I have recently discovered that I have osteoporosis and that Lamictal interferes w/ absorption of Vitamin D and calcium. I have also experienced severe cognitive deficits since taking the drug--memory loss, difficulty finding words, can't remember how to do basic arithmetic. I am now re-thinking my use of this drug.	F	62	4 years		6/7/2008
3	bipolar 2	at first, none. now i am experiencing agitation, hostility, racing negative thoughts, dysphoria, emotional detatchment, "spaced out", loss of creativity and motivation	at first, no side effects and i felt better and happier than i have ever felt in my life. i was happy and confident but then i started to feel kinda detatched as i moved up on the dosage scale. then added lexapro and experienced severe agitation, hostility and dyphoria. stopped lexapro and those symptoms worstened and i take xanax to calm me down. it helps ease the anxiety but doesnt remove it completely-just helps me forget it and move on with my day- but i don't enjoy it. i don't enjoy anything i used to. music, movies... music used to get me through the tough times. i don't get excited about anything and my husband thinks i am unhappy in the relationship. that is not the case, i know that deep down. i just don't care about anything. now i am at 100 mg lamictal and just don't care. i have never felt so emotionally flat. i don't feel connected to my husband whom i am normally crazy about. i understand this stuff takes time to work and i have only been at 100 mg for 2-3 weeks. I felt	F	23	5 months		5/23/2008
1	Mood swings	Severe back and joint pain, 3 spine fractures, high blood pressure, high triglycerides.	My 15 year old son started Lamictal 150 mg at age 12. He has suffered 3 fractures in his spine, terrible bone and joint pain, and high blood pressure. Hasn't been in school in 3 mo. Unable to sit. Been to Cleveland - Pittsburgh had spinal epidurals, facet injections, MRI, bone scans, spect scan, steroid inj, physical therapy, labwork, took many meds -put on Enbrel IM Injections for 3 mo hoping he might have arthritis. Doctors guessed arthritis or that his pain was in his head. Turns out LAMICTAL can cause. VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY which causes high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, elevated ionized calcium /PTH, fractures AND MORE. Tapering off. Doc started 50,000IU vit D wkly. and 1000mg calcium daily. BE CAREFUL. Vit D Deficiency is serious. Have your blood checked. Lamictal can be helpful but the anticonvulsant family can cause Vit D deficiency. Are very thankful that we know the source of his pain. We now have hope that the next weeks and months will bring relief. We thank God.	M	15	3 years		5/3/2008
4	moods swings BPll	I think my side effects were non existent, started off with very small doesage like others here, was increased slowly to 150mg, 75 twice daily...have experienced some weird things going on which i attribute to age and life...maybe the drug	For 15 months it was my wonder drug, lived a very even keel life and was very happy. Past two months have had a slight hypomania and now think i am sinking into depression. Figure it is time for a doseage adjustment? Would luv to hear from someone, who has had a similar prob.	F	50	15 months		4/25/2008 Email
3	Bipolar	I have weight gain since risperdal was added to it. However, lamictal works well with me.	It's known that lamictal can cause cleft palate in new borns if the mother to be is taking the medication. Get off it before having children.	F	28	6 months		4/16/2008 Email
4	Bipolar II	short-term memory loss, fuzzy head, drowsiness, inability to articulate things, disinterest in exercise, possibly why I keep getting sick, lack of motivation, indifference	In many ways this med has been wonderful- my moods are the most stable they have ever been. That said, I am starting to feel like an idiot. I am a writer and I can't even call my children by the proper name, let alone combine correct verbs and nouns to express myself properly. It used to only take me an hour in the morning to start functioning; now I feel like it never happens. Also, I have little desire to do anything- I used to be physically fit and eat well, now I have little motivation to do either. And I keep getting sick, which never used to happen. All of this seems to be getting worse in the last four months. On 200mg, ready to reduce my dose. Definitely won't get off all the way. Don't get all that excited about anything anymore.	F	33	15 months		4/12/2008
3	Epilepsy	Sensitive/bleeding gums. Occasional weakness throughout body. And this weird/awkward feeling throughout my body that is very hard to describe.		M	22	1 months		4/1/2008
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5	bipolar	Slight weight loss immediately after weening off depakote ER.	The drug is expensive & has potentially serious rashes as possible side-effects but I would gladly pay double because it allows me to work with a clear head & doesn't make me feel lethargic nor does it make me feel as though I have no true RANGE of emotions.	M	44	2.5 years		3/26/2008
4	Epilepsy	Acne	I switched to Lamictal after taking Depakote for several years. I am currently on 100mg/day and I have no complaints other than acne. I had flawless skin before taking this drug and it hasn't been the same since. All and all though, its a good drug, especially in comparison with Depakote.	F	26	6 years		3/24/2008
4	1st DX: PTSD 2nd: Mood Dis NOS	At 25mg for two weeks I experienced: dull headache, dizziness At 50mg: dull headache, blurred vision, rapid eye twitch, nausea, very dry eye. Increased dreaming. Felt like I slept better. At jump to 100mg: Acute Insomnia, blurred vision, headache, eye twitch, dry eye. Went down to 75mg: Developed swollen bottom lip with 1 pencil erasure sized ulcer on inside lip, blurred vision in the morning, coordination problems, eye twitch, dry eye got worse. Lip swelled to twice it's size with some soreness. Stopped the drug immediately. Took liquid Benydryl for four days and it finally went down. Now going to rechallenge.	Despite the having the side affects, I was feeling better, less anxious, happier and much less hypervigalence. I noticed I felt rested in the morning before I jumped to the 100mg dose causing me to have major insomnia. Going back down stopped that. I again experience restful sleep. My partner noticed very positive changes in my mood while on the 50mg dose. You know, despite what people say is the theraputic dose, 50mgs might be fine for me. I'm re-challenging at a much slower titration up. I'm hoping it works because it's the only drug I've found to be helpful for my problem. I was wondering if others had similar experiences.	F	38	1.5 months		3/15/2008
3	Bipolar I	Inability to sleep	Lamictal is a good mood stabilizer. However, the effectiveness wears off with us. I had to switch to Lithium to stabilize my mood.	F	18			2/20/2008
3	bipolar I	I am also experiencing joint paint, but it is only on the left side of my body. My elbow, shoulder, and knee all on the left side ache when I try to exercise. Other than that I do have relatively low side effects, little shaking, little blood work. I also lose my balance once in a while. In a way I like this the best, but I can't work out and I do tend to eat more.	I also have a hard time completing tasks. I start 50 projects and not finish 1. I have a hard time concentrating and am having a hard time at work. Before I added abilify to help this, but the side effects are unbearable. I have a hard time swallowing, walking, and get sunburned easy. The other problem is doctors are not open to discussing side effects, or possibility of. Pharmacists are better for information, but they can't practice medicine.	M	29	5 years		2/20/2008 Email
4	BiPolar and Depression	I have had(have)the memory thing, the clumsiness, constipation, and the intestinal pain. But this drug along with Vistral and Wellbutrin has changed my life.	I was scared to take the drug after reading all the posts, but I would have killed myself without it. I can tolerate the side effects to feel like my old self again. I am lucky that it works for me. It was like someone throwing a switch.	M	40	15 days		2/16/2008
5	Epilepsy	None, really! A slight weight gain (about 7 lbs), and a little extra drowsiness (it takes me a little longer to get going in the morning). I'm extremely satisfied at how little it effects my life negatively, though.	This drug changed my life. I was having nighttime seizures and partial seizures many times a week.. it was ruining my social, school and work life. As soon as my neurologist started me on the slowest dose (gradually moving up), my seizures stopped COMPLETELY. I now feel great and don't live in fear of having a seizure. I'm living my life to the fullest and thank God every day for having Lamictal.	F	24	4 years		2/12/2008 Email
4	epilepsy	while taking lamictal the only side effect is a little fatigue, and increase in appetite, about a five pound weighgt gain in four years.	I think lamicatal is a wonderful drug for treatmetn of epilepsy, I take 400 mg a day . It also helps my mood. it's very expensive about $400 for 60 200Mg pills. If you have no insurance and low income the epilepsy foundation will give you a 3 month supply of it . Just go to epilepsy foundation .com	F	28	4 years		2/8/2008
4	Partial seizures+Absence seizures	Night sweats ( i wake up with my pajamas soaked through and have had to change them up to twice a night) Insomnia,and anxiety	I like this med, i was on Trileptal before, but had breakthrough seizures. The pill is tiny! compared to my gargantuan Trileptal pill. I take a lot of meds, so a smaller pill is nice. does anyone out there have a history of prematurity and has developed benign liver tumors? I've had this happen and am searching for others like me, if there are any. thanks.	F	17	6 months		2/4/2008 Email
1	Agression and Drepression	The first day that I started to take the medication from the Starter Kit, I experianced the normal side effects that it has said like dizziness and blurred vision. The other side effects that I have come across on the 3rd day is the whole left side of my face hurts so bad as if someone hit me with a baseball bat. The other one is that severe color blindness has set in to the fact that all my blacks are red and blues are purple.		M	36	3 days		2/3/2008 Email
1	Depression/ Bipolar 11	Sleepy during the day (somewhat) hard to get up in the morning.	Strangely, the first couple of days I felt over the moon. Like my depression had lifted and the world was my oyster. Perhaps that was just a manic episode that just happened to hit right when I started taking it, though I never felt that good during a mania episode. I am on 400 mg a day. No rashes, some acne, BUT HAS DONE NOTHING FOR DEPRESSION. In fairness I have had huge stress, moving, relationship break up. Work issues, constant time changes 12 13 hour shifts. Dr. wants to add Depakote or Lithium, I am fed up. Dont want the weight gain and hair loss which would just depress me more. Feel like there is no hope.	M		8 days		1/25/2008
2	treatment-resistant depression	Lots of anxiety and restlessness, problems sleeping. Stabbing pains behind my eyes, and strange sensations of seeing something in my peripheral vision (when nothing was there). After the first few weeks, the anxiety eased off a bit, but I started getting stabbing headaches in my temples, usually only on the right side of my head; sometimes they would only last a minute, sometimes they would go on for hours. After a month or two, I started getting a rash (lots of tiny red bumps, but fairly pale) all over both arms.	Didn’t seem to improve my mood at all. Going off Lamictal coincided with my mood getting quite a bit worse, but also coincided with the 2-year anniversary of my mom’s death (correlation does not equal causation). The headaches tapered off after a few weeks, the rash after a few months.	F	27	5 months		1/22/2008
4		vision changes, asthma is a little worse, memory is fuzzy	I have been on alot of psychatric drugs to treat my emotional issues....this one helps the most with my anxiety and panic attacks. My moods seem more even. The asthma attacks kinda bother me, but its better than wanting to die every day and feel like I am so miserable I could just not exist. I have felt alot better on this drug.	F	28	10 months		1/12/2008
1	Depression	Brother, It sounds like there is a door buzzer in my ears! Night sweats. The rest are tolerable, but really with the 1st 2, do I need to list less aggrivating ones?	It really did nothing at all as for as help, but then again I stopped it at day 15 as I couldn't take the buzzing in my ears anymore. I had advised the doctor and he said take it a few more days to see if it is a temporary side effect. This was the second day of dosing. I took it for 15 days. now i cant get this buzzing to go away. 5 days and counting.Also still night sweats still. Another of the guinea pig medicines that the little pill peddlers pawn off on the doctors and as all doctors do... try this and see if it helps	M	41	15 days		12/31/2007
1	Epilepsy	Rash, fast heartrate ,clumsiness, bad stomach pains by the 6th and 7th day, but nothing compared to the mood swings!	Taken off of Lamictal after rash on my back, shoulders, chest, and neck showed up after 1 week. All I could think is thank God for the rash, because this med was making me nuts! I can't believe that it's supposed to stabilize moods. I felt suicidal, at times possibly homicidal, had odd thoughts, was very irritable and it was getting worse day by day. Personally, I was on Dilantin for 18 years and tried this one because it was supposed to be a newer better med with less side effects. Yeah, whatever!!! Don't get me wrong, Dilantin has some bad long-term side effects-but I couldn't take Lamictal for even a week! That tells you how bad Lamictal can be! In fact, I wish my doctors had to take this stuff, then maybe they would be a little more sensitive to what the heck it does to your mind! Now, apparently this med works for some people, but if you take it and feel like you're going whacko-trust me it's not just you. Everyone around me noticed the mood swings because they were so sho	F	38	1 weeks		12/29/2007
3	Seizures	Took at night and could not sleep until taking in early evening. Headaches, lost concentration, forgetfulness, difficulty words, irritable, never felt more stupider. Taking 900mg/Lamictal day,400 mg Dilantin and 150mg Zoloft--that's got me throwing questions at the doctor.	No seizures and that's a blessing. Costs a ton.	M	33	1 years		12/26/2007 Email
3	Bipolar/Depression	Hyperactivity, mania, severe insomnia, tremors, uncontrollable eye movements, and VISION LOSS/BLINDNESS. Please, please, check your eyes every few weeks for any blind spots: http://www.eyesight.org/Eye_Test/eye_test.html . It mimics macular degeneration. GOOD NEWS: upon stopping, my blindness has stabilized. The spots are still there, they just stopped growing. Over time, however, they may heal.	There don't seem to be any reports about this blindness, believe me - my doctors and I have researched it. Obviously, not everyone has the problem -- I haven't seen any reports on this site. My doc is contacting the manufacturer to inquire about/report the situation. Pro: This is the one drug that lifted me out of my suicidal state three years ago. I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I only got off of it about six months later "just in case" it was responsible for my blindness. Upon taking it again this October for a more managable depression, within four weeks, the black spots obstructing my vision grew considerably larger. I'm giving Geodon a try for now.	F	36	6 months		12/9/2007 Email
5	absence seizures	While still on Depakote and working very slowly up to the maximum dosage of lamictal I was weak, dizzy, confused and I had poor balance. The tremors made motor control nearly impossible. But when I reached the theraputic level of Lamictal and the Depakote began to leave my system all those symptoms disappeared. Transition was difficult, but well worth the difficulties of being on both medicines while working up to necessary dose of Lamictal. I take 100mg/AM and PM and have only occasional mild insomnia and some night sweats.	I had gained a lot of weight on Depakote and since I have been on Lamictal I have lost 37 pounds of that weight gain. I feel better than I have during the six years I was on Depakote. The tremors I experienced on Depakote are completely gone. The confusion from Depakote is also gone. I feel like I have a functioning brain again. My balance has returned and the weakness and dizziness are completely gone. It has been the best drug I have taken and I have tried Tegretol, Dilantion, Phenobarbitol and Selantin. I have been on Lamictal for five months and hope I never have to change medicines again.	F	61	5 months		11/18/2007
5	Cyclothymia	Night sweats (soak the pillow), insomnia, blurred vision (only at first)	Thank God is all I can say. My moods were literally cycling between 5 - 7 times DAILY. I was on Prozac for 18 years and came off one year ago, only to discover that I do indeed need SOMETHING. My doctor has worked so patiently with me. Trial and error, pill after pill, then LAMICTAL. I am so pleased. I can't believe how stable I am right now. I so hope I am not jumping the gun. Started on 25mg per day, now up to 100. The insomnia is bothering me though as I have never had trouble sleeping...	F	38	3 months		10/22/2007 Email
3	Complex-partial seizures	Dizziness		F	24	3 years		9/22/2007
1	Mood Swings	I was one of the unlucky souls who was allergic to this medication. I had numbing througout my limbs, very high fever, chills, and other flu like symptoms. I was so sick I lost my job.						8/23/2007
2	depression	difficulty with short term memory. Joint pain.	I am taking 200 mg, but I should have stopped at 100. When I went above that dosage I got irritable with small problems. Now I am aware that the pain in my joints is an obvious side effect to this medication. Furious with my doctor who told me that apart from the risk of developing a rash, there were no side effects to this drug.	M	51			8/13/2007
2	depression bipolar	A relief to read other patient reports about this drug as I experienced similar side effects to this drug: memory problems, joint pain, irritablity. I have gradually been boosted to 200 mg and will not take a higher dose than this if I choose to stay on it at all.	In some respects it has smoothed out my mood swings, but I am not sure it is worth the physical problems. If the doctor didn't tell me about the above mentioned side effects, what else is he keeping from me.	M	51			8/10/2007 Email
4	mood disorder	none		F	34	1 weeks		7/24/2007
3	epilepsy - complex partial siezure	Started off with chronic runny nose. By the time I reached full dose - 100mg am and pm - I was having lower back pain. Despite the back pain, I was in a very optimistic upbeat mood. I subsequently started having unbearable muscle spasms down the back of my legs. I was taking too much ibuprophen during the day just to function. I wasn't sleeping well due to the pain. Some days getting out of bed nearly brought me to tears because the ibuprophen had worn off. I had to ween myself of the ib. The muscle spasms have slowly dissipated, but I still have the back pain and overall joint aches. Now I'm dealing with night sweats and near panic attacks, bordering on depression, trouble with mixing up words. I feel like I'm 80 years old and don't want to do anything.	I have had no siezures on the 6 months I have been on this. I hope to be tapered down to a lower dose so I can feel human again. I was on dilantin previously. It made me feel like a tired zombie, but I no other side effects.	F	53	6 months		7/23/2007 Email
4	bipolar	weight loss, cognitive problems, acne, tingling in fingers and tongue	PROACTIVE HELPS THE ACNE	F	36	2 years		7/21/2007
4	Bipolar (severe)	All over bumpy skin, started on legs and arms and spread to trunk. Peeling feet. Severe joint pain that started in my shoulders (bursitis) then spread to my knees, then elbows, wrists, ankles and fingers.	Loved its effects, made me feel great (in combo with lithium) but took my p doctor a long time to realis that the rash I had been describing WAS related, as was the joint pain. As soon as he did though, he took me off the Lithium (100mg) cold turkey.	F	34	9 weeks		7/4/2007
3	bipoler ll	severe memory loss: can't find ordinary words, remember what I've been told 30 seconds ago, remember what I did a few days ago. I mix up words, must read the same thing over and over.	I've been taking Lamictal forabour 1 year. It has basically stabilized my mood....tho left me mostly feeling flat with some periods of great mood. No further severe depression episodes. No other side effects, except that it could be causing my extreme memory problems, including difficulty writing.	F	50	1 years		6/26/2007
3	Bi-Polar	Prolonged Nausea and loss of appetite, fevers (come and go), and cycling depression during the course of a day	I began taking the medication and at first it was really working well. After about 6 weeks on the medication (and a dose of 150 mg split up between morning and night), I'm having nausea and "hot flashes" of fever. Not sure if this is the right medication, though it did start off good.	F	36	6 weeks		6/25/2007
4	Bipolar Depression	I was diagnosed with BPD over 4 years ago and started taking Lamictal. It worked because I no longer have severe depressive or manic episodes but the tradeoff is that I feel flat. I no longer experience passion for my work or recreational endeavors; rather, I feel like an automaton with a job to do. And I do it.	Clearly I am reminiscing about just the tiniest fraction of my BPD being but I am not the person I once was. The charming, witty, energetic and likeable woman who once dominated my (hypo-) manic life has now disappeared. My wish is that we could titrate our medication doses so that we could live at the least destructive but most productive and creative levels of hypomania.	F	50	4 years		5/29/2007
3	Bipolar	My vision is really bad, i got a really bad asthma, when the doctor upgraded up to 200.	iT HELPS ME WITH THE BIPOLAR, BUT THE ASTHMA IS DRIVING ME CRAZY	F	42	1 years		5/17/2007
5	Bi polar disorder type 1 severe.	None...	I wondered, for awhile, if Lamictal was having any effect on my condition at all. I felt nothing. Not one side effect. I was anticipating all the regular stuff that goes along with starting a new mediation, that's one of the reasons I've wasted the last 7 years not getting treatment. I always felt like I had had a pharmaceutical lobotomy after treatment with a new drug. Lamictal wasn't one of "those". One morning I just woke up feeing like a human again. I love this drug.	F	55	60 days		5/14/2007 Email
4	epilespy/bipolor/light sensitivity	sour taste in mouth, but has somewhat subsided. Weight gain, some confusion and some speech problems. It has helped I can not deny. 100mg a day		F	50	60 days		5/7/2007
4	Bipolar	I have been on it since October 2005. At first I had severe memory loss and time confusion. That subsided. Now I only have problems with word mix-ups, like, "He is store to the going." It's a pain, but not terribly bad. I noticed that this got MUCH worse when I stopped drinking caffeinated coffee about one month ago.		M	24	2 years		5/3/2007
2	bipolar II	memory loss, mixing up words, can't find words, anxiety	25mg did the trick for moods, side affect doesn't make it worthwhile. Currently going to try 50mg for a week and if side affects persist it will be time to move on.	M	31	55 days		5/2/2007 Email
1	Seizure Disorder	Had a very bad rash that (Although not the cause of my hospitalization at the time) was hard to cure and full body and if had not been in the hospital for a related issue I'd have been in trouble.	The rash is the main concern.	M	38	1 months		4/27/2007 Email
5	Bipolar Disorder	None.	After 20 years of tackling recurrent depressions that would switch into hypomania or psychosis after being put on an antidepressant, this is finally the med I've been hoping was out there. I've tried other stabilizers, lithium, Valproate, Tegretol, but I couldn't stand the side effects and they just didn't seem to work. I hated the sense of emotional detachment from everything and everybody lithium gave me. Lamictal seems to give a very slight detachment, but in a helpful way. My moods aren't all over the map day to day and through the day. I finally feel stable, normal. I can deal with everyday living and not feel like I can't live in my own skin. This drug has been a life saver.	M	43	1 years		4/23/2007
3	Mood Disorder/Bipolar II/	Moderate to Severe Memory loss(overtime is getting worse, mix up words, can't find the words, trouble writing. All which is actually causing me anxiety. Who wouldn't freak out if they thought they were loosing their intelligence and memory. Hair Loss, night sweats, possible weight gain	I have had good response for my main concern of mood stabilization. It have noticed if I forget to take a pill that I start to become irritable again by very trivial matters. I am also on Wellbutrin SR 300mg and Effexor (which I am being taken off of as its not working anymore). The wellbutrin helped with energy because I was a tired depressive person and the Lamictal made my moods stable. So I actually like the medicine just hate the Memory loss. I did notice that younger people had similiar side effects.	F	24	10 months		4/20/2007
3	Mood stabilizer	Headache behind eyes, blurred vision, trouble finding words, vivid dreams, hair growth, some weight gain.	I think it helps for some mood stabilization. But I was only taking 50 mg (split morning/evening) because I usually start really low on medications. But the side effects like the stumbling for words and blurred visionn bothered me, so I don't think I ever got enough of a dose to really tell if it would help for mood stabilization. Still, the side effects are less than some other medications! Adding Wellbutrin in seemed to help clear the "fog."	F	44	45 days		4/15/2007
2	bipolar spectrum	It triggered mania and anxiety/panic attack, the very thing I am trying to be treated for.	Be careful	F	51	1 days		4/15/2007
5	bipolar 1	none	It's by far the best med I've ever taken! No side effects and it keeps me stable even when things go awry in life. I wouldn't trade it for any other med.	F	47	5 years		4/13/2007
4	Bipolar 1	No side effects so far.	My moods do seem to be stabilizing, that is, cycling at much lower extremes. I'm happy with the medication so far.	F	55	5 weeks		3/17/2007
5	bipolar II	none	i've been on several other meds, this one works the best and had 0-none side effects. don't have trouble concentrating moods are stable and don't have as much depression as i did on other drugs.	F	25	3 years		2/26/2007
3	bipolar/depression	felt tired in beginning but helps me from going into adepressive episode and helps stabalize my moods blurry vison though maybe a little weight gain		F	32	1 years		2/26/2007
1	Pain from lower back injury	This is the WORST medication ever. Period. I was given the "beginnner pack" where the doses are increased over time. After 48 hours I suffered terrible vision problems and headaches. I called the doctor's office. I was told there was no way possible that it was the meds and to continue taking them. I was told it would reduce my pain significantly. HA. It reduce everything BUT my pain level. On the fourth day I was experiencing comatose symptoms for the first 4 hours. Then followed by 4 hours of hallucinations, ranting, raving, pacing, and uncontrollable crying....not to mention severe insomnia. I know what it feels like to be litterally losing your mind. My husband called the doctor to tell him of my side effects. The doctor told him there was no way that could happen and to take me to our local psych hospital. Funny...never was psychotic prior to taking this med, and even funnier, wasn't psychotic when I took myself off. It wasn't me. It was the pills. Listen	I would NOT ever recommend this drug to ANYONE. Ever. Period.	F	42	5 days		2/24/2007
5	Bipolar	I have joint pain and sweat a lot. No rashes, no noticable increase in forgetfullness (I think). Weight gain?	Despite any possible side effects which I can't blame just on Lamictal, this is the best drug I have been on. I have been able to stop Lithium and I'm more stable than I had been. I wouldn't trade it for any other.	M	52	2 years		2/9/2007
4	Epilepsy	a little sleepy	Have anyone taking this medication suffered from arthritis or severe joint pains? I'm wondering if this is a long term effect of Lamictal. Arthritis does not run in my family.	F	30	7 years		1/30/2007 Email
4	mood disorder	water retention, memory loss		F	43	3 days		1/29/2007
4	mood disorder	water retention and painful breast during period, loss of words	seems to be helping...negative thoughts are reduced and more controllable. I feel more optimistic. LOVED Topamax, made me lose weight -- untill i got the severe red eye problem, which is very dangerous. Tried Tegratol, which worked well, but made me FAT!!!	F	43	3 months		1/29/2007
4	mood disorder	water retention and painful breast during period, loss of words	seems to be helping...negative thoughts are reduced and more controllable. I feel more optimistic. LOVED Topamax, made me lose weight -- untill i got the severe red eye problem, which is very dangerous. Tried Tegratol, which worked well, but made me FAT!!!	F	43	3 months		1/29/2007
5	Bipolar Disorder	NONE	This drug has helped me immensely. I went from wanting to kill myself every minute of everyday to being much more energetic, able to concentrate more easily. This is the first time in my entire twenty four years that I can say I am whole and happy!! Awesome drug. Start up is slow but stick it out it will help you.	F	24	3 months		1/21/2007
5	Depression	A little hard finding the right word at first and a couple of strange dreams. The side effects have gotten much better as time passes. No other side effects so far.	I was diagnosed with medication resistant depression about 5 years ago. The depression was so deep I was suicidal at times. I have tried seven anti-depressants, Wellbutrin twice. They would kind of work for a short time on the maximum doses but then the depression would fade back in. My doc talked me into trying Lamictal 7 weeks ago and this is the first time, in a long time, I can say "I feel Good". The depression lifted after taking Lamictal for 4 days. I feel I can focus better at work and have more energy. I am taking 50mgs morning and night and 200mgs of Wellbutrin SR. This is working for me but if it doesn't for you, don't give up. There is one or a combination of drugs that can help. As a good friend says "Better living through Chemistry" Thank God they are still finding new ways to approach our problems.	M	57	7 weeks		1/17/2007
4	bipolar	None. I vame up very slowly from 25mg per day, increasing 25mg every week. i.e., week-1 25mg daily, week-2 50mg daily, week-3 75mg daily, and week-4 100mg daily.	I have been taking this drug for one year. I started with Wellbutrin XL 300mg for moderate depression & work related stress, then several months after starting the Wellbutrin, my doctor added 100mgof Lamictal. I recently wen to 200mg per day. Lamictal made a very big difference in my mood and ability to deal with stressfull situations. Prior to Lamictal, a stressfull situation, at work or home, frequently would trigger internal rage, and the rage would ruin my day, put me in a faul mood, etc. Lamictal really helped. I did not want to think that I was bipolar, afterall, I am 43 years old, a succesfull executive with a wife and three childres, a scout leader, etc. but, based on the positive change this drig has made in my life, I guess I must be bipolar. The only reason a I gave it a 4 rather than a 5 is because after about 12 months of use, I had to double my dose from 100mg to 200mg per day, as I slowly started to feel my rage-reaction creeping back into my life.		43	1 years		12/16/2006
1	mood disorder	I had to be hospitalized after taking medication for less than one month. did okay on 25 mg but got ill as soon as dosage was upped to 50 mg. Caused congestive heart failure anemia, and liver damage.		F	50	20 days		12/7/2006
1	mood disorder	I had to be hospitalized after taking medication for less than one month. did okay on 25 mg but got ill as soon as dosage was upped to 50 mg. Caused congestive heart failure anemia, and liver damage.	This s a good medicine for someone. It is most definitely not for me	F	50	20 days		12/7/2006
1	bipolar	prolonged psychosis	my nurse practitioner refused to admit there could be any correlation between my symptoms and the drug	M	38	1 years		12/1/2006
3	bi polar disorder / depression	Confusion, insommnia, extreme joint pain	At 175 mg. a day, I become confused, couldn't type or finish a sentence. Max dose I can take is 150 mg. which isn't really enough to relieve the symptoms, and some confusion remains. It helps quite a bit with the depression, only "sort of" with the mania. I have recently developed extreme joint pain. I forgot my meds for a couple of days and the pain completely disappeared. When I resumed the meds, the pain came back. My suspicion is that Lamictal is causing the joint pain.	F	65	4 years		11/24/2006 Email
4	bpd 1, depressive episode	sleeping all day and can't get to sleep at night(could be from depression, stomach pain at each increase as well as blurry vision, horrible vivid dreams, overall groggy feeling	lamictal got me out of a suicidal depression because antidepressants make me manic (while still being depressed), and anxious..i am still in a depression however and am at 250 milligrams. i have mixed state at nighttime however.	F	30	3 days		11/7/2006 Email
3	manic			F				11/6/2006
2	depression possible bi-polar	headaches, cold sores, flu-like symptoms, sore throat ,body aches , irritability, anxiety, itchy eyes	did fine on 25mg. for first two weeks. I noticed problems as soon as the dose increased to 50 mg.s on 19th day dr. said stop taking it	F	41	18 days		10/31/2006
1	epilepsy	Free floating anxiety, shortness of breath, forgetfulness, insomnia, intestinal pain, difficulty urinating.	Trying a new anticonvulsant drug made me realize how much pharmicists don't know about the human condition. I am not a spiritualist or even a religious person, but this drug had a way of sucking my soul into the netherworld. I am so happy to fall back on the drug I had been taking for 24 years: Dilantin.	M	43	40 days		10/20/2006 Email
1	bipolar	WARNING - IF YOU GET *ANY* RASH, DISCONTINUE IMMEDIATELY. THE RASH ITSELF IS NOT LIFE-THREATENING BUT IT IS *INDICATIVE* OF SOMETHING POORLY UNDERSTOOD BUT POTENTIALLY LETHAL GOING ON IN THE BODY. (OK if you get a little heat rash, that's one thing....) I CONSULTED THREE PHYSICIANS ABOUT DELETERIOUS SIDE-EFFECTS (psychiatrist, internal med doc, dermatologist) WHO ALL NEGLECTED GSK'S FRONT PAGE WARNINGS. WHEN THE PHYSICIANS WERE SHOWN THE EXACT BOLD-PRINT WARNINGS SPECIFIED BY GSK THEY ALL DISREGARDED THE WARNINGS AND ADVISED I CONTINUE ON THE MEDICATION. AS A RESULT THE DRUG NEARLY KILLED ME. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT NO ONE IS ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE A GOOD RASH FROM A BAD ONE. PHYSICANS ARE IN GENERAL POORLY TRAINED AT IDENTIFYING DRUG-RELATED PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY AUTOIMMUNE ONES. I KNOW BECAUSE I AM ONE. WE ARE SPOON-FED NEW MEDS AND FALSELY TRUST IN WHAT HAS BECOME AN INSUFFICIENT DRUG SAFETY TESTING SYSTEM. WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO EXECUTE DRUG SAFETY TESTING						9/22/2006
1	Bipolar rapid cycling	slow buildup of severe autoimmune problems that went undetected by three different physicians. first I started getting rashes and boils. I developed asthma. Vertigo. Open sores on my scalp. Severe allergies. In the last six weeks of taking it I developed an ulcer in my bladder and suffered a sinus infection that beat out some of the strongest antibiotics known. Sinus infections that keep swelling and keep beating antibiotics This drug would have likely killed me if I didn't have the professional expertise I have to determine the source of my problems.	Various autoimmune-like symptoms continue even 18 months after discontinuing lamictal. I still suffer asthma attacks and rashes. No history of asthma, rashes, sores, etc., before the drug but they are all part of my daily life now. Other minor chronic problems I had before taking the lamictal (urinary/bladder, allergies) have been permanently exacerbated it seems. Discontinuing the drug did cause the sinus infection and inflammation to go away--within 36 hours. Lamictal was incredibly effective for bipolar disorder for me, particularly because it induced no cognitive deficits and I have a mentally highly-demanding job. The stuff works. But it is also dangerous to the point that it is deadly. Word has it that the manufacturer of lamictal is internally and secretly investigating claims that it causes asthma. Anyway, killing a patient is not the best way to rid someone of a disease. It sort of defeats the purpose. Before the drug I was basically a very healthy person with bipol	F	35	15 months		9/22/2006
3	Parial Seizures	Short term memory loss, trouble sleeping, night sweats, I get aggitated very easily and I am very irritable and aggresive. I have also found that I have trouble reading. I have to re-read things up to 4 times. Hair loss.	When I have the night sweats and heat up, I generally have a partial seziure. The memory loss is extremely annoying along with the trouble of reading, as I am currently studying. I am on 200mg morning and night. I have been on Lamictal for about 4 years. I still have a partial seziure about once every 3 weeks. When I first started Lamictal, my sex drive decreased. The Dr recently tried to add in Topamax but that didnt work. I am thinking of trying Keppra. Has anyone tried Keppra and what did you think of it??	F	28	4 years		9/21/2006 Email
3	BP II	At first, jitters and speedy feeling, but the depressive feelings were lifted at 100mg. The biggest side effect has been severe insomnia - I'll get sleepy, then lay down and be wide awake. Can't sleep without a ambien. My vision lately has become so bad I need to get glasses, and I'm increasingly forgetful, absent minded and spaced out. I don't take drugs, but lately I feel 'stoned' and dizzy. I'm lapsing into depression and maybe time to get off Lamictal. It worked for a while.		M	50	10 months		8/28/2006
3	bipolar	screwed up pms, haven't had a period since i started it, weight gain, insomnia, lack of appetite, anxiety, dperession, anger, forgetfulness, easily frustrated	i don't reccomend it. my moods have been somewhat stabilized but i'm going to ask to be taken off of lamictal.	F	16	2 days		7/18/2006
3	bipolar 2 rapid cycling	was on it for 3 1/2 years and it was my miracle drug until I started to develop vertigo and extreme dizziness got to the point the vertigo was too severe to stay on it anymore unfortunatly I had to get off for this reason		F	31	3 years		5/31/2006
1	Bipolar	Rash - thought to be stevens johnsons thank God it wasnt severe weight gain	I wouldnt take it agian ever	F	20	9 months		4/27/2006
2	bipolar	severe insomnia, blurry vision, can't concentrate	can't tell any difference - except for the side effects - nothing has changed for me???	F	25	2 months		3/30/2006

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Average rating for drug: 3.2. This page is printer-friendly; use landscape print with background color turned on.

Key to ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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