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 |
| 5 | Diagnosed bipolar | Horrible rash that lasted for two weeks. I looked like a lobster and the rash turned my skin every shade from dark grey (around my crotch, nonetheless) to dark purple to crimson to pink. My skin began to flake. I racked up dermatology bills which included a biopsy that left a scar. This allergic reaction had a significant impact upon my life. People started asking questions at work and I spent a lot of money/insurance determining what was wrong with me. I was told that this reaction is extremeley rare. Even rarer was the fact that I didn't develop this reaction until after a year of very successful treatment. I was on a relatively small dose...50mg every morning combined with one 200mg (I think)Depakote in the morning and one at night. Fortunately, the rash went away when I stopped the meds and didn't develop into the dangerous Stephen Johnson syndrome. If you experience a rash of any sort, DISCONTINUE ASAP!!!!! and contact your doctor. I am now experimenting with Seroquel and I'm havi | The lamictal, in combination with the depakote, was a dream come true for me. I functioned wonderfully for well over a year on this combo. Unfortunately, my body rejected the lamictil and I had to stop the therapy. Depakote alone was not effective and caused weight gain. I suffered no ill sexual side effects from this medication. This drug really took away the depression! Wonderful! However, I'm very disparaged that I can no longer take it. | M | 28 | 1.5 years | 8/9/2007 | 4 | seizure | loss of balance which has gotten worse after a year of useage/also some irritability | this drug seems to be doing its job and I can live with the side effects | M | 60 | 1 years | 8/7/2007 | 3 | Bi Polar | Brief "High", 2 week Insomnia, Word loss, Loss of "good" feeling after 2 weeks. Rating should be 3 1/2. | It started off Great. I felt almost Manic for 2 weeks after starting. Unable to get that feeling again. Now I have trouble finding the right word and find that I write in more simple sentences. My emails look like a series of individual sentences, instead of compound or complex thoughts. I frequently have to delete words or parts of Emails after I reread them as the right words seem to eventually come to the surface. Somewhat foggy and depressed after 45 days on it. Currently at 200Mg after doing starter pack, been at 200mg for the past week. The "high" you feel at first is elusive. You'll try to get that feeling back, but it won't come. I can't believe I had it with 25 mg, but can't get it back with 200 mg. When I started I was weaning myself off Lexapro. Maybe that contributed to the "high". I wonder if Lexapro and Lamictal can/should be mixed? | M | 39 | 45 days | 8/7/2007 | 3 | Bipolar | I am SO tired ALL the time. I hate it and it drives me nuts! I can fall asleep ANYWHERE! Ironically, I fell asleep in the waiting room of my psychiatrist office! Wanting to sleep all the time makes me MORE depressed. I never feel like doing anything! I have NEVER had this problem before. | F | 29 | 1 years | 8/6/2007 | 3 | ADHD/Depression/Bipolar | extreme fatigue,night eating but not hungry during the day,sedated,moments of intense irritability, but i get over it real quick and i am able to reflect and wonder why the hell i got so irritated at that person. | I have been on lamictal for 1 week, I just quit a week ago ater gaining 25lbs on Lithium. I am not sure if some of these side effects are from Lithium withdrawal? any ideas? | F | 32 | 10 days | 8/6/2007 | 3 | bi polar (rapid cycling) | ACNE on my forehead which I never had before! Blurred vision and increased irritablity. I have felt more panic and anxiety, but I have always felt anxiuos so I can't tell if that is me or the drug. I have recently upped my dose from 150mg to 200mg and feel fuzzy and severely unenthused at times. I find myself getting irritated & angry about little things...which is very contrary to my nature. I have also had problems with weight gain, but that may be contributed to the Zyprexa I've been taking to help me sleep. If anyone is worried about weight gain do not take Zyprexa. I have noticed constipation and increased urination. I Haven't had problems sleeping or vivd nightmares yet. | I have a very hard time differenturating between the effects of the Lamictal and my own typical problems with anxiety and depression. Recently I had a panic attack that lasted seven days and had to be hospitalized. I am also 3 months sober after several years of heroin addiction so I am unable to tell how much of the irritation and mood swings are from getting sober and recovering from the damage I've done to my brain and what are the results of the Lamictal. | F | 23 | 3 months | 8/4/2007 | 3 | Depression/Anxiety/Trichotillomania | Fatigued, dizziness, blurred vision, weight gain. | I started out at 25 mg with no side effects and no visible positive effects. I then increased to 50 mg (25mg in the morning and 25mg at night). I am going to be starting at 100 mg today and I am hoping that the side effects do not get worse. I feel tired all day long, unmotivated, perhaps less anxious, sleeping better (in the beginning I had really strange, vivid dreams that would wake me up), and an increased appetite (probably because I feel like crap so I crave high energy snacks to make me feel better). Will it get better or should I stop taking it? I had more anxiety than depression but the typical SSRI's made me more anxious. Has anyone had a similar situation as mine? If so, did you find something that has worked better for you? | F | 25 | 28 days | 8/3/2007 | 2 | Bipolar/Rapid Cycling/Depression | The first two weeks on 25mg were fine. The moment I bumped up to 50mg, I won the Lamictal Lottery with a brand new itchy rash on legs and one hand, folliculitis, and a heaping side of raging acne for dessert. | I can see (from my first two weeks) how it could be a beneficial drug to some if you happen to not be one of the 8 in 1000 allergic to it. worth the risk of trying! | F | 24 | 16 days | 8/3/2007 | 1 | depression | massive hair loss, change in hair texture (wiry, dry) lack of patience, irritability,crying jags, facial and neck rashes, itchy, red, swollen eyelids. | I HONESTLY DO NOT BELIEVE THIS DRUG SHOULD BE PRESCRIBED FOR DEPRESSION. A series of various rashes can occur at any time, whether you have reached your "therapeutic" (God KNOWS what that is) DO NOT let your doctor tell you that you are bipolar if you have NO MANIC symptoms!!! If you just have depression, Lamictal is NOT the drug for you! and adding it on to "help" your antidepressant only insures that you will add on more side effects, and more trouble getting off of yet another drug. I have weaned my self off of lamictal as of this past Wednesday, waiting five days to "clean out", then starting a low dose of Lexapro if I feel that I need to continue a med. | F | 50 | 7 months | 8/3/2007 | 2 | BP2 | Hearing loss and major tinnitus had to quit it...a shame since it worked | It was a wonder drug in the beginning, but as the months went by i developed tinnitus which then progressed to mild then moderate hearing loss. After many ENT consultations I went off lamictal to indeed see if it is the culprit. Now after 3 months off it. I am sorry to say that my hearing loss is permanent. | M | 28 | 1 years | 8/2/2007 | 5 | Bipolar I | not so bothersome: vivid dreams, weight loss, decreased appetite (compared to increased from Depakote, drastic improvement in menstrual pain/ it cured my dysmennorrea./// bothersome, but livable: slight word recall trouble/ speaking difficulties, some mental cloudiness and listlessness (but then again, i graduated magna cum laude on it), incredibly easy bruising, break through bleeding during ovulation which stopped after 10 months on it (but this could be due to stress) | A godsend. I was miserable on Depakote, which I was placed on during my first (and only) manic episode. I taped off Depakote and onto Lamictal. I lost 20 pounds and felt I had returned to normal. I felt/feel saner than ever. Mood improvement,it took the edge of my frequent spells of anxious depression and erased signs of mania. I excelled in school and personal life. hope it keeps working for me and I hope it causes no long term damage. anyway, it saved my life. the side effects do not interfere with my life. but if i miss a pill, my hands shake uncontrollably and i feel horrible. so dont miss doses. and do not go onto estrogen-containing contraceptives as they cause fluctuations in lamictal blood levels. try to use a progestin only mini pill. i am trying that now. i also feel that an increased libido is due to the general increase in well being that lamictal engenders. I am most bothered by the mental effects, but i get by just fine and am still known as highly verbal a | M | 22 | 11 months | 7/31/2007 | 4 | bipolar, OCD, ADD | so far, my mental status has decreased- hard to concentrate, nightmares, and fatigue. mild itchy skin and mild decreased libido but not problematic. | overall good drug, but coupled with a drug such as wellbutrin XR can be real helpful too. didnt cure OCD or ADD, effexor was good for OCD. Unfortunately not treated for ADD yet... nevertheless, i would recommend lamictal and hopefully it will work for you. | F | 27 | 2 years | 7/31/2007 | 5 | bipolar, mostly depressive | first week or so: extreme tiredness and slight dizziness for a few hours after taking. moderate to severe nausea almost all day. extremely hard to pay attention, spacing out a lot when people are talking to me. however, mood-wise i felt much happier almost immediately. long term: eye rolling (i have pre-existing tourettes syndrome, which may have something to do with it), rather easily distracted, lost 10-15 lbs, highly increased libido (probably due to feeling better mentally), extremely vivid dreams, sometimes have extreme insomnia but sometimes will fall asleep within seconds of lying down, nausea unless extremely hungry, much more ambition, and the urge to get out and live (i am moving within the next year because i am just not satisfied in my hometown anymore, probably also to do with getting better). i have never experienced "the rash", thankfully. for reference: i am extremely easily affected by all medications, so i started treatment on only 25mg once at night, then a | lamictal has been amazing to me. i enjoy life every single day and i have literally never been this happy in my entire life. pretty much the only bones i have to pick are that unless i am extremely hungry, i am extremely nauseous, and that i have terribly vivid dreams: sometimes i will wake up and think that what happened in the dream applies to real life. this can get scary if it's not a good dream. but i feel so much better that it is very worth it. | F | 17 | 4 months | 7/30/2007 | 1 | deprssion | confusion, sore, neck hurts, itchy skin, inceased depression, yeast infection, dry mouth, increase of appetite | F | 52 | 3 days | 7/30/2007 | 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 | 1 | Bipolar | Constant state of fatigue, lack of sexual desire, short term memory loss. I am obsessed with the desire to sleep - anywhere, anytime. | Mood swings were better, however side affects are intolerable. I am weening myself off of lamictal. | F | 38 | 2 years | 7/29/2007 | 4 | bipolar II disorder | Some weight gain, some nausea, NO RASH | Although I have only been taking Lamictal for about nine months, it has been a godsend for my mood swings. I am able to experience true happiness and real joy again. | F | 36 | 9 months | 7/27/2007 | 5 | Bipolar II/Bulimia | None whatsoever! | After several years of trying different medications (including Lithium, Risperdal, Abilify, Topamax), I have finally found an Rx that has saved my life. Most of the previously listed meds made me gain weight, decreased my sex drive, made me "ditsy" and realy interfered with my life in general. If anything, those meds made me worse. Lamictal has not only helped my bipolar depression but has also helped me conquer my eating disorder. | F | 23 | 2 years | 7/26/2007 | 4 | Bipolar Disorder | When upping the dosage I had a headache for less than a week each time which went away. I notice fatigue but this could be caused by any number of things and I can not say it directly correllates to the Lamictal. Memory worsened. Unfortunately I do feel as if it simply dulls me down, which I suppose is the idea. Less lows=less highs. | While I do feel somewhat dumbed down and think it has affected my memory, it is important to remind myself that feeling a little numbed is certainly preferable to wanting to die due to severe depression. You have to take the good with the bad. Overall, Lamictal probably saved my life. I've read a lot of negative feedback about it, and everyone is certainly different, but it has helped me regain a level of normality and to regain much more of myself than I had feeling depressed nearly every day for far too long. | M | 21 | 1 years | 7/26/2007 | 3 | Bipolar II | When I quit Effexor (75 mg) to start Lamictal (25 mg), I was SERIOUSLY ill for about 3 days - dizzy, nauseated, headache. I couldn't function AT ALL. That went away, but then I experienced extreme depression that lasted through the ramp up to 50 mg. At 100 mg I started to feel like I was evening out, and was feeling pretty good, although I could start crying for no reason, and would become so angry at such small things that I would scream & throw things (my doctor gave me samples of Risperdal to take at the same time). Some weight gain, and that depresses me. I often have to get up in the middle of the night to urinate, and have occasional insomnia. My doctor has prescribed 50 mg Xanax at bedtime, and 25 mg in the morning, but I'll only take the morning dose if I start feeling out of control. I still have headaches, and today I'm experiencing nausea (first day ramped up to 150 mg; my doctor wants me to ramp up to 400 mg). My typing skills seem to have turned to shit. On th | I will continue taking Lamictal to the 400 mg that my doctor has recommended, unless things get really terrible. I do feel so much better than I did a month ago that I'm fairly amazed. | F | 45 | 7 weeks | 7/26/2007 |