sngree01 replied: "I took Lamictal for about a year, and I can say that that was one of the worst times of my life. I had increased depression, a few suicidal attempts (whereas before, I'd only had one), increased anxiety and panic attacks. The physical symptoms were those common for depression, of course: headaches, body aches, and then a major lack of motivation and care for anything. I became even more emotionally unstable and had serious fits of anger, restlessness, and the feeling of a great loss of control. I became paranoid and obsessed with nihilism. I quit the medicine cold turkey, burned the bottle.
Now I am on Effexor XR and it has done wonders. I do not have ups and downs so much with my emotions, though I do often feel like I lack those beautiful parts that make us human. After Lamictal I would not touch another medication. But, my brother, who suffered from major depression, did wonderful on Effexor; doctors will tell you that if one medication works well for a member of your blood kin, most likely it will work for you.
I say this, but I do not recommend Effexor because of the side effects and that it has not been on the market for very long. I am unable to quit because of withdrawal sickness.
Medicines work different for everyone. My experience may be totally different from yours, as it is different from some of the others who have posted answers.
I would recommend exercise, a nutritious diet, daily recreational activity and meditation, and a good night's sleep every night. Caffeine generally makes people irritable. Also, frequent small meals keeps the blood sugar regular, while a drop in blood sugar can also cause irritability. Positive thoughts are key, whether you feel stupid or untruthful to yourself - eventually, they become the truth.
If these don't work, than I would consider medications. But before you swallow that first pill, and no matter what your doctor tells you, please research it yourself. Don't trust doctors.
Hope this helps. Good luck to you!"
Has anyone had any experiences (good or bad) with using Lamictal along with Wellbutrin for mild to moderate? depression ? Lamictal by itself ? Meds suggestions ?
Candy C replied: "I've only taken Lamictal. I'm allergic to Wellbutrin. Lamictal gave me extreme headaches and made me feel really drunk. I took it for a week then I quit taking it. Lamictal is used more for people with bi-polar. I'm not bi-polar, I just have major depression/anxiety. Since I have switched docs they put me on Zoloft 200 mgs. and it works super great although I'm a little more tired than usual."
Has anyone had any positive or negative experiences using lamictal to assist in treating bipolar disorder? I am taking 3g of EPA and DHA in addition to Effexor and Wellbutrin with Clonazepam for my anxiety. Thank you for your help and God bless!
My psychiatrist said that Lamictal was one of 3 medicines proved effective in treating bipolar disorder
gazeygoo replied: "Lamictal is an anticonvulsant and isn't prescribed for bipolar."
mickjam replied: "I take Lamictal every day, to control seizure activity and the bipolar disorder that comes from that. I have had a good experience with it, for the most part. I can identify triggers and control seizures for the most part. My depression is usually under my control.
I took Effexor and Wellbutrin, but not at the same time. They turned out to be poison for me. They made the maladaptive thinking patterns worse, instead of better. Now I take Lamictal and Lexipro. I think I would be fine if anything in my life would solidify. I lose every opportunity that comes my way.
Why do you take so many?"
samuellcloudfkad replied: "I was looking on here to help people with bipolar disorder, because i have it myself. When i came across your question i was particularly happy. I have been on lamictal for about 2 years now, the fact that it is not prescribed for bipolar is crap. I don't get seizures and i have never gotten one. Lamictal works great for me, it controls my moods, and i definitely notice a difference when i do not take it. I can get angry and very moody. I myself take three medications now for ADHD and bipolar, and the combination i have not works splendidly. I really admire my psychiatrist and the medications i am on. The downside to lamictal is that there is a chance of getting a rash, so if you are prescribed lamictal, and i am not a doctor, but make sure you and your doctor increase the dosage slowly so as to avoid this rash. I have never gotten one, and i am very thankful. The rash is also very rare, but it can happen. Your doctor should advise you not to eat anything differently or use other laundry detergents because the drug has to be stopped if a rash occurs. For me this would be especially bad because it has helped me so very much. It is probably the most effective and necessary of the three medications i am on. Thank you for giving me the chance to answer your question. I hope you learned something and good luck!"
What are some common side effects regular people experience from Lamictal? I have looked up all the possible side effects etc on the internet and the official website. Recently been prescribed lamictal. Its been increased very slowly. I am curious to what others who are treated with it their "small" side effects. I seem to be having a slight cough shortness of breath nothing I find serious but I didn't expect it and well since its september I am assuming its the change of weather as I always get a cold from season to season. I have no signs of the potentially fatal rash though. I just want to know what others have experienced first hand without a doctors stamp on it.
n2bateyou2000 replied: ""Regular people" dont post here, quit trying to put up a front..."
lilahfairy replied: "oh i didn't do well on that drug. i had tons of side effects...one was dry mouth. ick!"
nicole26 replied: "I did not have any side effects from the lamictal. Most people that I know that are on it have not had any side effects. It has really helped with my depression and irritability."
elizgraffius replied: "Rash-rare, but serios side-effect
I have to mention to the angry person who states that a person is putting up a front. Pointing the finger means you are insecure. This IS a mental health section!!!!!
If you have a problem, go to a shrink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
char g replied: "I was on it and hated it. I had diarrhea, always felt like I couldn't breathe and had pnuemonia twice I have my Psychiatrist promptly take me off of it. It was the worst drug that I was ever put on."
goldielocks123 replied: "My son is taking Lamictal and experienced no side effects at all."
giantdwarfbat replied: "I use lamital for epilesy , i only experienced minor upset stomach over the first couple weeks ,sence ive had no side efects ben on it about three years .thoug dosage has increesed"
johnyreb64 replied: "Lamictal is an anticonvulsant and the side effects you have described such as coughing and dyspnea are some of the reactions that are listed in the PDR manual. And the rash is called toxic epidermal necrolysis. I have not spoken with anyone who is currently taking this medication. I am currently taking Neurontin for pain disorder with no serious side effects other than weight gain. Maybe you can consult with your doctor about the side effects and ask him about Neurontin if you haven't already taken this before. Maybe Cerebyx or Primidone might be a better choice. Please speak with your doctor about your concerns and best of luck to you."
Anyone had any bad experiences with Lamictal? psychologically? behavior problems?
defenseonly replied: "No, I actually prefer it over anything else but do know that I am Bi Polar so check out my question I posted. Lamictal is an anti-seizure drug from its true roots but it has been found that patients with moods disorders have benefited from it. I take 200mg a day which isnt really alot but it is the max dosage and know that medications are in regimen with other meds as well and such. I am struggling right now but I am starting to accept that my horrifying mood swings benefit no one and including having a five year old who does see the affects of mood. So if your dr said Lamicatl it is very trusted and very reputable within pharmacuticul usages. I dont not recommend prozac, lexapro and so on that stuff to me was detrimental in the most extreme of ways. God Bless"
fiVe replied: "I've been on Lamictal for the last three or four years with almost no side effects. The only thing I really noticed was that I started having trouble thinking of the right word when I wanted it, that sensation where you know you know the exact word you want to use but it's not coming to mind. My doctor lowered my dose and that problem has decreased. I take it for bipolar disorder and it's the first mood stablizer I tried and I've been on it since."
emc3443 replied: "I have been on Lamicatal for the past year and I love it. I am on 400 mg a day. I really feel like it works. Even though it is a mood stabilizer it isn't going to cure your illness. But it is a great med."
callie replied: "yes, but more physical side effects than anything else."
Linda B replied: "none and I've been taking it for a long time. It's just a mood stabilizer as I understand. It was given to me when I was severely depressed, and I didn't understand why they would want to stabilize that. But I trusted, and it worked out pretty well, although I do take a handful of pills everyday.
Peace"
Experiences with Lamictal? My doctor has put me Lamictal for my Bipolar disorder. Can anyone tell me their good or bad experiences with the drug. I am especially curious about how it affects weight and hair. My last medication made chunks of my hair fall out and I'm trying to avoid that again. Thanks.
thellra replied: "According to wiki,
if you stay under 50mg QID (4 times daily) IE less then 200mg in divided doses you should be fine,"
YA Junkie replied: "My situation is a little different from yours. I have major depression and I tried many antidepressants. None of them helped. My first relief from depression started when I began taking Lamictal.
Since beginning Lamictal almost a year and a half ago, I have lost about 25 pounds. However, I am not sure it is connected with Lamictal. I also started taking apple cider vinegar with honey, which helped with my gastritis. It also can cause weight loss.
My doctor said Lamictal tends to be weight neutral, neither causing weight gain or loss. However, as you may know, people can react to psych meds very differently.
I did not have any problem with hair loss, but I will refer you to the following link:"
David replied: "I have had a great experience with Lamictal. It has helped with euphoric and rage issues. I have been taking it for almost a year. I take 200mg 1 x day"
jeanbean1001 replied: "My doctor told me when she started me on Lamictal that some medicines for Bipolar disorder can cause weight gain, and that lamictal was her first choice for me because of its tendency to NOT cause the weight gain that others do. (It doesn't make you lose weight, just not gain.)
I haven't gained any at all, so I'm trusting her opinion on that so far.
Also, I haven't experienced any hair loss issues. This is my first time being on a medicine for Bipolar disorder, so I don't have any previous experiences to compare it to.
However, one of the things I did notice on Lamictal is that yes, it stabilizes my mood, but it seems to just prevent me from getting manic "highs". I take Wellbutrin XL for manic lows (have been for the last year & 1/2), so really the only thing I notice that Lamictal does is prevent the extremely happy episodes... which I can't say that I appreciate.
One side effect that I am definitely getting from the Lamictal is A) having a very hard time with short term memory and word retrieval, and B) very weird and realistic hallucinations and visions at night.
With the memory - i will walk into a room and immediately forget why I came into the room. Sometimes I have to leave and come back when I remember, or sometimes I just stand there and retrace my steps to figure it out. I also cannot for the life of me remember simple words in my normal vocabulary. I find myself using a thesaurus multiple times a day. This is very, very uncharacteristic of me.
With the hallucinations - they're extremely real, I'm completely awake, and I remember them clearly the next day. They are more than seeing things - I'm completely convinced that I feel things moving around as well (such as an animal squirming under the covers).
Those are the experiences I've had with it so far. I'm not convinced that it's the medicine for me. That's mostly because I'm not convinced that I need a mood stabilizer, since I feel that the Wellbutrin XL helps me to the extent that I need.
Hope this helps! Feel free to email me with any questions you might have about it."
Does anyone have experience with Lamictal and depression? I was wondering about individuals experience with how long it took to feel better from taking Lamictal for depression. Also on Cymbalta. Just started the Lamictal starter pack.
Twisted Sister replied: "Hi, Lamictal has worked pretty well for me. I take Lexapro for depression, and Lamictal more for a mood stabilizer. If you do not feel better, you can always try something else. It sometimes takes some experimenting with meds to find a good match. Always be honest with your doctor, and good luck!"
gotta luv da Li replied: "Lamictal is a weird med. Some ppl will feel some improvement on the first 25mg. Others not until they are over 100mg, some six plus weeks later. Still others will have a moody road getting to the feel better over 100mg. Generally, 150mg to 200mg is standard maintenance best I can tell, at least for bipolar.
I didn't feel anything until around 150mg, but I started off very hypomanic and then had some cycling. I didn't have any side effects until a day of virtigo at 175mg, but oddly not the same at 200mg. Over 200mg, I had some cognitive dulling. Since I've calmed down, I have not had much depression. This is due to Lithium and Lamictal since Lamictal alone is too activating for me. (I can't do antidepressants because they are way too activating.)
Hang in there on the med. The long trek is usually worth it."
Lamictal Rash Experiences? I am taking Lamictal for Bipolar disorder. Has anyone had any trouble with the rash associated with this medication, and if so, how long into treatment did it take. How was your rash treated, and was it painful? Thanks!
Marie replied: "If you have a rash you need to call your doctor or pharmacist immediately."
I just started taking lamictal today for depression/mild bipolar. What should I expect? Please share you experiences with lamictal.
shekillsangels replied: "Nothing will happen for a month or two. But after that, my mood swings were less often, less severe, my depression lifted some. Of course, I still have to take a couple other meds (anti-depressant, anti-psychotic) to control everything, but lamictal gave me a great start. :)"
shaneris5 replied: "Check out medications at: and and and
Both of those subjects are addressed in considerable detail, with many weblinks and treatments, conventional, alternative, and complimentary, at in sections 2 (see page R first) and 10 (view page O first)."
Roxy5 replied: "I've been on Lamictal for a few years and it's an important part of my cocktail. I didn't notice any side effects until I got up to 300-400mg and then it was just some cognitive dulling. I lowered it a while ago to get rid of that, but the depression came back pretty bad, so we're raising it again. I didn't really notice when it started working, but now I know it's helping at least."
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