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 Date added. 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 |
| 4 | Possibly Bi-Polar II | Slight heart burn, Extreme heart burn when drinking alcohol (which has made me cut back on drinking; a blessing in disquise I guess). | Its not certain yet whether or not I suffer from bi-polar II disorder, but my Dr decided to treat me with Lamictal to see if it helped my sever depression/anxiety. I delayed treatment even though I was severly depressed for a long period of time becuase of my past experiences with anti-depressants/anxiety medication. I have taken Zoloft, Zeprexa, Klonapin, and Cymbalta in the past (when I was 17 - 18 years old). Even though I didn't take the Cymbalta long enough to let it work, the other medications worsened my depression to an extreme point where I wasn't myself at all. It even landed me in jail (I was so drugged out on the dose my doctor was giving me at the time, I didn't even remember what I did, or that I was even in jail). I totally don't trust any Doctor to prescribe these types of anti-depressant and anti anxiety medications because I feel that they don't monitor their patients well enough, and get happy with the prescription pad. Even though I initially sought help with t | F | 23 | 39 days | 2/28/2009 | 5 | seizures | none unless I am late taking a dose by a few hours, then my throat feel funny and I get a little dizzy, but this goes away as soon as I take my dose. I take 750mg/day | Awesome medication! was on tegretol, which gave me severe anxiety and low testosterone over time(was on it for 10 years). very low testosterone. switching to lamictal was wonderful. | M | 27 | 1 years | 2/24/2009 | 1 | Mood Swings | Rashes constantly, headaches, slurred speech, sweating. | I guess if you have nothing to do but hang around your house all day it may be effective but I can't imagine anyone at an executive level taking this daily and it being effective. No way. | M | 41 | 2 months | 2/18/2009 | 5 | Rapid-Cycling Bipolar II | I am on 150 mg currently. Its a great drug once you find a "good" dose (too litte-my mood swings came back, too much-I was a walking zombie at 200mg) This stablized me to the point where I dont even need to take an anti-depressant anymore. | DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE THIS MEDICINE! YOU WILL GET REALLY BAD WITHDRAWALS! chills, hot flashes, fever, extreme dizziness and headaches. If you do need to get off, taper slowly. | F | 17 | 1 years | 2/17/2009 | 5 | bipolar | mild to severe anxiety at times, severe constipation (since dose was upped over 100 mg. Currently on 150 mg.), abdominal pain (from constipation), dry eyes. | The side effects are unpleasant, but tolerable. This drug has saved me. I was an absolute mess before, rapid cycling constantly, rampant paranoia triggering both depression and mania. I've been upping my dose slowly from 25 mg. I know immediately when I need to up it because the paranoia starts, and once I up it, the paranoia goes away completely. It's changed my life. I've been bipolar since I was 4, and I've never known what it's like to have a stable mood. It's heavenly. I will deal with the side effects. The anxiety can get pretty bad, but because my mind is clearer than it's ever been, I am able to talk myself through it. It feels great being sane. | F | 31 | 6 months | 2/16/2009 | 2 | bipolar depression | Acne, intestinal upset at doses higher than 200mg, short fuse and intense anger leading to rage at times and inability to control anger episodes as well, suicidal ideation and worsening of depression at higher doses | I posted on 11/12 and am updating. I am trying to wean myself off Lamictal. I had 3 suicide attempts since going up on 100mg and subsequently 200mg (I should have listened to my own instincts instead of my dr. who said that the worsening depression was due to my illness and not the lamictal). Due to these overdoses my psychiatrist of 5 years dropped me b/c I became a liability. So I took the lamictal he prescribed, overdosed on meds due to the lamictal and now I currently have no dr. to oversee coming off the lamictal. I'm taking the reduction slow as to pay very close attention to negative changes in my mood. For me, lamictal acted very much like an antidepressant and I will not take it any longer b/c some antidepressants did worsen my depression. Sorry so long. | F | 35 | 4 months | 2/12/2009 | 5 | Extreme Depression and Anxiety | Side effects are not really very bad, extremely tolerable... Night Sweats, Just need to change out of my pajamas first thing in the morning, weight Loss-about 10 pounds--but I needed it. | I have had clinical depression since the age of 16, and have tried every antidepressant and mood stabilizer out there. Lamictal has been a miracle for me. I am myself again! Effexor works well as an antidepressant, depakote and zyprexa worked but I ate too much and gained tons of weight. I currently take 150 mg of lamictal and 150 mg of effexor. I hope more depressed people, will try the mood stabilizers/anticonvulsants. I read in the New Yorker once that there were theories that some scientists thought depression was similar to little mini-seizures...anyway... I agree with the lady who posted that the reason lamictal doesn't have more positive postings is because there are so many people who have been happy with this drug that they no longer need to surf the internet for help. I hope that any one who has had a positive experience with this drug will post a comment to help all those who are still searching. Good luck! | F | 40 | 2 years | 2/11/2009 | 4 | Major Depression; mood instability | Vivid dreams - not really a problem though. Feet are sometimes itchy, but it's only a minor annoyance. | Lamictal has been a great help to me! After months of trying different SSRI's, only to be pushed into hypomanic episodes time after time (in between depressive periods) this mood stabilizer was prescribed to me by my psychiatrist. I no longer have sleepless nights, or the need to be constantly moving! Most importantly, (I'm not up to a full dose yet) but I have been so much less depressed and anxious lately. Great medicine! | F | 21 | 2 weeks | 2/8/2009 | 4 | Bipolar II | At this point, I can't be sure if these problems I've had for several years are a result of the drug or not, I was not aware they were side effects when I started taking lamictal so I haven't kept good track of when they started but I'm concerned that my moderate acne, slight weight gain and frequent (very frequent) urination are to blame on lamictal. | I was very satisfied in the beginning because the drug really did even out my moods. It dulled everything though, so I went on wellbutrin as well. But after 5 years of weight fluctuation, not in my favor, and increasingly worse acne (which the topical prescriptions including retinol no longer help) as well as being constantly aware that whatever activity I'm planning should take place near a bathroom, I've had it. I'm currently weening off my 200 mg dose right now. I'm honestly scared about what will happen but I've had it with these other aspects to the point that I am at least willing to try and see if this helps my other problems. I wish I had the advice of someone who understands. I don't know anyone else in my position. | F | 25 | 5 years | 2/6/2009 | 1 | Bipolar Disorder | MAJOR RAPID CYCLING, head jerking, dry mouth, dizziness, bad memory, really bad rage, crying and outbursts, severe abdominal pain both cramps and stabbing pains, headaches. | Started on 25mgs every 2 days for a week than as soon as I changed to 25mgs every day the rapid cycling started. The moods were so bad I immediately ceased Lamictal. I was tkaing Provigil and Seroquel at the time. It's not known if the drug combination caused the bad result or I didn;t give the meds enough time to work. However the side effects were that serious that scared me and will not be taking it until i know more about this medication. please email if you have any information or queries as I would not like to rule this out if the side effects go away. | F | 29 | 1 weeks | 2/2/2009 | 5 | Bipolar I | trouble finding words, trouble with spelling (which i had never problems with before), feeling slow, trouble concentrating, worsening of short-term memory and long-term memory, feeling dull and unenthused, itchy in the middle of the night, strange feeling in my ears sometimes (feels something like swimmer's ear) | honestly i would recommend this medication to anyone who is going through serious bipolar episodes. on a whole, this medication has saved my life. when i do get depressed, it doesn't get that bad and i snap out of it very fast. one trouble is that i never get into a very happy mood state... i stay at a pretty constant monotone interspersed with mild depression. even so, it has been worth it over the past year because it has helped me recognize my emotions and my reactions to things due to being able to observe myself instead of just instantly reacting to everything. this will help me immensely once i stop taking the drug. even though i've listed so many side-effects, they are somewhat mild and have been tolerable up to this point. i am going to talk to my doctor soon about trying to come off of it, though, because i am tired of the side-effects now. still, once again, i do recommend this drug. i did not gain any weight, lose my hair, or get a rash and never felt so drugged out that i c | F | 25 | 1 years | 1/31/2009 | 4 | bipolar | None that I can trace to Lamictal, but dr. also put me on Buspar for anxiety and it caused dizziness/clumsiness/hair loss/memory problems, so I stopped taking it. Dr. now wants me to try Klonipin for anxiety. | I had depressed/suicidal and "up"/confident periods for 35 yrs. Son was diagnosed w/ bipolar disorder last year and learning about it made me see that my problem wasn't just depression. I always thought that my depression was a character flaw that I should've been able to overcome alone and God knows that I tried everything to get over it. My manic periods were not dancing-on-the-table euphoria, just a sense of normalcy and feeling capable of living, but knowing that a "down" would follow. Lamictal changed my life and I felt like the pills were my best friend; this extremely happy feeling (probably mania) only lasted about a month and my only worry then was that it wouldn't last, which it didn't. Because I'm impatient, I've experimented w/ doses (up & down) and am now on 100 mg but dr. wants me to ramp back up because I'm feeling depressed some days. My doctor keeps mentioning 400 mg as a goal even though I am thin; he says that a higher dose should not c | F | 50 | 5 months | 1/28/2009 | 2 | Bipolar II | Dizziness - for first few weeks Mild daily headaches Sleep interruptions Complete loss of libido Acne Hair breakage Irregular menstrual cycle | I was reluctant to attribute my symptoms to side effects of Lamictal, but after going off of it, everything has relented. I found the medication useful for stabilizing my depression, but now that I am in a better place, I feel MUCH better without it. What I would caution most against is possible withdrawal. Though I had daily headaches while taking Lamictal, they are far worse now that I've stopped the medication. | F | 28 | 18 months | 1/28/2009 | 5 | Bipolar | extremely forgetful, gastritis | I am on 400 mg a day. I also take prozac. This drug has been a miracle drug for me. I am a different person. No more "walking wounded feeling" or extreme sadness not being able to leave the house. Exhausting manic episodes have stopped. No more paranoia. I feel like a normal person and can deal with everyday situations for the first time in my life. I am happy and motivated. However I can feel it if I miss a day or two, so I try to never miss. I can deal with the forgetfulness... it is nothing compared to the horrible debilitating mood swings. I would trade my memory for being crazy any day of the week. Lifesaver drug. | F | 39 | 4 years | 1/27/2009 | 5 | bipolar symptoms | No significant side effects | Lamictal helped me turn my life around. Prior to taking it, my emotions and actions were all over the map. I was a wreck. Now I'm relaxed, happy, optimistic, social, thoughtful ... everyone that's known me before and after can attest to the positive, significant impact Lamictal has had in my life. My only warning: do not miss a dose. I can't stress that enough. | F | 28 | 3 years | 1/26/2009 | 3 | Diagnosed as Bi-Polar | dry mouth, lips. Hair dryed out, upset stomach, hart burn and finally bladder infection. | I was doing really well at first from 25 to 50 than 100 MG. Than shortly after the increase to 150 MG I started to experience heart burn. Now I have a bladder infection. I decieded to ween my self off of Lamictal. I not longer have heart burn the dry mouth but now have the bladder infection to deal with. | F | 58 | 6 months | 1/23/2009 | 2 | Epilepsy/Partial Seizures | Morbid thoughts and associations, lack of coordination, clumsiness, difficulty with finding words (spelling, writing, etc.), weight gain due to very increased appetite, pimples along jawline and neck only. | At first, I loved this drug. It gave me a mood boost and helped with depression. It stopped doing it's job about a year and a half through so there was no question as to keep taking this or not. Great news, considering I was feeling like a stupid, clumsy fool everyday! I couldn't spell, speak, talk or write proficiently at all! I truly felt stupid all the time. I had terrible coordination and tripped, fell and swayed constantly. I would tip over several times a day. The morbid thoughts put me over the edge too so I was going to request taken off the med for just this reason alone. I also gained 20lbs the first year from just wanting to eat all the time. That has drastically changed since being off the med. The acne part was weird - just acne along the jaw line and around the neck/ears region. That has disappeared as well - very happy about that! This did not make me sleepy though, which I loved. I had tons of energy so I put up with this drug as long as possible. I had energy like | F | 40 | 18 months | 1/22/2009 | 4 | Depression/Anxiety | Practically none. Very vivid dreams. Occasional shakes when it would wear off. Saved my life when I had to abandon the entire SSRI class of drugs! | This drug changed my life. It was the 5th medicine I tried and had fantastic success! I have started hormone therapy (to try to undo 10 years of synthetic birth control damage) and it has helped me while trying to get balanced. HOWEVER ... I think I have to stop now and go the rest on my own, because based on what I have been researching, it must be lowering my Estrogen level and working against my hormone replacement! Thanks for all of your comments, you have helped me take another step on my journey to being well and normal and happy! | F | 32 | 1 years | 1/21/2009 | 2 | Biopolar II- depression and anxiety | Well taking the starter pack- the 25 mg was not that bad... had stomach pains, terrible back aches too. When started taking the 50 mg- it became unbearable. I was so sleepy I could not work! Would have horrible back spasms, headaches, horrible cotton mouth, I was slow at everything, clusmy, etc... The final straw was when I ran my car up on a median from being sooo tired on this medicine. The only positive I have is my dreams were vivid and very interesting... Also I have had weight gain- about four pounds since Jan. 1st- that is horrible.... | Not for me! Wellbutrin XL is much better for me- but I never suffered extreme mania like some people just more anxiety and depression-- so probably was not a good fit for me anyways. | F | 31 | 18 days | 1/21/2009 | 3 | Depression | Nap attacks, night sweats, acne all over, hair loss, itchy scalp, eye twitching, severe constipation, anxiety. | 100 mg twice a day. It is useful -- but the side-affects never receded. Ever. I wasted all those years and all that money going to dermatologists, etc. Not one physician in any field I went to knew anything comprehensive or definitive about the physical side affects. | F | 49 | 6 years | 1/19/2009 |