User Reviews for Lamictal oral

I’ve been taking this for almost 20 years and it’s iffy. At first I had fair control of my seizures but as I got older they got worse and I started taking Deprakote causing me to gain about 60 lbs, stop sweating, lose hair and plenty more. Along with my seizures getting worse and worse. When I was 21 I got a surgery done and haven’t had one since. I was taken off Deprakote and lost 62 pounds, stopped losing as much hair and can sweat a really small amount. Lamictal was doubled to 600 mg. I got all my weight back over the next few months, losing my hair again but more, got insomnia when I started taking it and now don’t fall asleep until 1- 4:30 am and have to get up at 5 for work, my face breaks out as if I’m not putting face medicine on every morning and night and even worse wearing a mask at work all day, start losing weight and then by day 3 it’s back, the powder makes it hard to swallow sometimes to. So people that it works with, lucky you.Read More Read Less

So I take anticonvulsants for nocturnal seizures (I had 1-2/yr before meds, nothing too severe fortunately). When I began taking Lamictal, I immediately erupted in a burning facial rash so we scaled the dose back (and not stop it altogether for some reason). Progressively, my days began with vertigo/severe fatigue, my vision became blurry (optometrist saw no literal vision changes during testing), I had tremors periodically, my short term memory was practically non-existent, difficulty concentrating, dry mouth, my limbs felt weak/tingly, I had to stop working out because I'd tremble so badly from physical exertion (weights and cardio were both bad), I lost a massive amount of my already fine hair, I had deep, wailing crying spells out of nowhere, and I had an INCREASE in seizures! My doctors feared MS or something because of how bad the symptoms were becoming. I had a million tests done and wasn't diagnosed with a new health problem. The only health problem I've ever had are these occasional nocturnal seizures, ALL of these other things appeared once I began Lamictal. I was on this medication for 10 months, and the severity of the side effects began peaking around the 5 month mark. I'd never been so scared in my life. Why can't these pharmaceutical companies with their billions of dollars make medications that don't put a patient in an impossible position where they have to severely compromise their quality of life, mentally and physically. This just isn't worth it. Seizures are terrifying enough as it is. When I began randomly having seizures when I was 23, my worst fear was having to depend on prescriptions and what they would do to me. This medication confirmed those fears like no others have. We need more compassion in the pharmaceutical industry - big time. Read More Read Less

I took this medication for anxiety as I had already tried Zoloft and Pristiq with horrible results. This one made me feel great for 10 days. Then anxiety followed by extreme mood swings of anger and crying.. And finally the rash appeared. This medication is definitely not the drug for me. Too bad as the first 9 days I felt great.

I was put on this medication for my depression after a suicide attempt as I had tried ssri's and had bad reactions. I have not been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and have never had a manic or hypomanic episode. Honestly, I am confused about why they put me on a medication that can cause suicidal ideation after I had attempted suicide. I triaged up to 200mg as there were no positive symptoms on a lower dose. After 100mg I began having really bad panic attacks and which triggered my asthma. Since moving up to 200 mg I have had terrible symptoms which have prevented me from doing any work. I have had multiple asthma attacks when I typically only have one a year. In addition to this I have the following symptoms: dizziness, tremors, headaches, blurred vision, lack of coordination, abdominal pain, sleepiness, back pain, nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, dry mouth, sore throat, swelling of my tongue, fatigue, trouble walking, chest pain, sensitivity to light, chills, drowsiness, stiff neck, muscle pain, joint pain, trouble swallowing to the point of choking, little to no balance, upset stomach, and shakiness. Overall, I have had horrible symptoms at a higher dosage and still have seen no positive side effects (at a lower dose or the higher dose). I know my reaction has been extreme, but this medicine can have a positive reaction for someone else as each individual has their own body chemistry. I would just be cognizant that they don't discuss many of the negative symptoms. Additionally, I would warn people with breathing problems that they can get worse. Even though this drug says nothing about a negative reaction to asthma I am sure the symptoms affecting breath are what's causing the increased attacks. I would also be cognizant of the fact that prescriptions and the psychiatric world have a monetary value and that "Lamictal (name brand for lamotrigine) is one of GSK’s top-selling drugs."Read More Read Less

Awful awful awful… 6 weeks of Lamictal/Latuda and I don’t sleep, agitated as hell, cry constantly, nausea, sensitivity to light, can’t drive and anger like I’ve never had. I’m Bipolar 2 and have been struggling in a sea of pharma toxicity. You’d think in 2022 there would be more options for treating Bipolar effectively. Not so much. This crap is poison. Steer clear…

I have major depression disorder and I tried Lamictal for the first time a couple of months ago. Initially, I felt better the first day! I thought it was a lifesaver and thought I could not even get depressed if I tried. But after almost 3 months on the medication, I am again severely depressed and its not working anymore. I am unable to lose weight, in fact I did gain some weight, while dieting and walking 1.5 miles daily. I know my metabolism and this is not normal for me. The other side effects I experienced were double vision, terrible balance, zero short term memory, which is embarrassing while having conversations. I need to get off of this ASAP. Read More Read Less

I had been treated for regular depression for years with little to no relief while on regular antidepressants but then I had a severe manic episode which then led to horrendous depression which was later diagnosed as bipolar depression. I’ve been on Lamictal for about 10 years now and it has helped my bipolar depression greatly along with a antidepressant. My doctor started me on a low dose and worked up and up and I had been on 300 mg for maybe 8 years but I had a nasty episode of mania followed by depression so I was bumped up to 400mg. At this point it’s working ok but I want to lower my dose because it’s a large dose. I also take Prozac and they work well with each other. My word of caution is that I experienced the absolute worst headaches all day every day for at least a week but as nothing worked for me in the past I waited to wait and see and they did go away in less than 2 weeks. I do also get some of the weird side effects like lots of canker sores. I never got the rash thank goodness Read More Read Less

I've been taking 200mg for just short of 2 years. Before starting on it, I was very willing to take anything to stop the rapid cycling regardless of side effects or personality changes it may cause. It did stop the rapid cycling and the side effects were tolerable for a long time- brain fog, vision blur/loss of depth perception/difficulty seeing in anything but well lit areas, muscle weakness, loss of balance, weight gain, and difficulty speaking. But it was after these two years that I realized it had also paused my life. I became too accepting of the limitations the side effects had put on my life and lost any sense of drive and I didn't feel one way or another about it. I really was a robot who just worked and slept for two years. Lamictal gave me 2 years to breathe and I'm thankful for that. But eventually I had to start trying other medications after admitting that the juice wasn't worth the squeeze anymore. I'd like to add that having reviews for medications is a strange concept to me. To see people reviewing them with comments like "STAY AWAY!" seems absurd and selfish- this isn't Amazon. Reactions to medications are very individual and what is terrible for one person can save another. Lamictal is one of the safer options for bipolar medications and is generally well tolerated by most. The rash is rare and is made rarer by starting at a low dose. Side effects tend to be very mild for most and go away after a bit (nearly all meds claim this, but it does seem accurate for the majority with Lamictal). So don't let the negative reviews deter you from one of the better options available. Maybe it's not the one for you but it's a good starting point. Good luck.Read More Read Less

I'm currently on 150mg and I don't actually have any side effects, but it also does absolutely nothing. I haven't noticed any diference since I started using this medication

I have been a Registered Nurse for 25 years and I struggle with severe Rapid Cycling Bipolar disorder with mostly full blown manic symptoms and very little depression. I have been on Lithium Carbonate since 1993, and it used to work great but not anymore. It has caused me Chronic Kidney Disease Stage III, Hypothyroidism, and damaged retinas with associated night blindness. My provider started me on Lamictal prior to bedtime. I thought that I had no adverse effects from it; however, I became severely depressed with increasing suicidal ideation with plan and intent. I AM NEVER THAT WAY!!!! When I told my doctor, she advised me to discontinue the Lamictal. I then google searched the side effects, and it said you could become severely depressed and suicidal!!!!!!!!! I am lucky I am still alive!Read More Read Less

I am on day three of 25mg Lamictal. It’s been life changing so far. I have Bipolar II and OCD and have never been on medication. I finally feel normal, I have energy, I’m showering everyday and have been looking forward to daily life. I have been less irritable, I haven’t had binge eating episodes, and I haven’t felt my mania at its height. My psychiatrist said it takes a couple weeks to feel, but I feel intensely better already. There are wide effects, so we are titrating my dosage. So far, I haven’t felt anything out of the ordinary except im not sleeping as much. I used to sleep a minimum of 9 hours a night and would feel lethargic (hello depression) every. Single. Day. The last two nights, I’ve gotten about 7 hours of sleep, awoken naturally, and felt GREAT in the morning. I take my dose everyday at 2:30 in the afternoon. It’s been wonderful. This could save your life. Read More Read Less

This medication has too many dangerous side effects. I am 40 years old and got pregnant while on birth control and found out that Lamictal decreases the effectiveness of birth control among other things. I’ve also had persistent skin rashes, blurred vision, headaches, severe dry mouth, kidney pain, brain fog and still had horrible depression. The only side effect I was warned about was the allergic reaction when starting the medication. I’ve been on so many medications over the years that I didn’t read the entire novel of serious side effects that this drug causes. When I got pregnant I did some research and was shocked that this medication could be approved by the FDA. I now started micro dosing with psilocybin and it has helped more than the 10+ meds Ive tried (not while pregnant). Yet pharma and the medical industry try to discredit something that works and causes no long term side effects. I’d rather take something that doesn’t cause multiple organ failure and makes me bald. Beware of taking Lamictal and make sure you read about all of the side effects so you aren’t surprised. Read More Read Less

Drug needs to be introduced very slowly or life threatening conditions can occur. I followed this protocol perfectly. I am already on 100 mgs Topomax and 100 mg Seroquel. I've had bulimia and struggled with addiction but since ceasing these behaviors my anxiety has worsened along with PTSD symptoms. Thus Lamictal. I tried 100 and had serious onset on flu like symptoms that resulted in me rushing to get Covid tested which was negative. I felt like death. All week I thought I was just sick with stiff neck, shoulders, high anxiety and no way could I drink caffeine. Finally I bumped to 200 and forget it my hand turned into a claw I felt horrible and I'm so dissapointed. While I feel like this is hitting correct receptors I just can't take this drug. Very scary. I hope these symptoms fade. Read More Read Less

I'm 41 and was diagnosed 2 yrs ago with bipolar 2. I've been on a few dif meds for it. Lamictal at 25mg made me feel great. But once I was uped to 50mg I started having bad headaches and jaw pain. I wonder if this will go away.

I was placed on a lower does of lamictal by a psychiatrist. I had suicidal thoughts, and acted on them during a serious bout of depression caused by infidelity in my marriage. I did not pull the trigger that night. The psychiatrist treated me with this medication and it was helpful at first... but then basically did nothing. I had zero side effects and was on a moderate dosage. I've since been diagnosed with anxiety related issues and am still struggling to the detriment of my family, especially. Lamictal did not take me out of my depression, i'm still having suicidal thoughts, and my anxiety is through the friggin' roof. From what I've read in these reviews it was a bad diagnosis. I shouldnt be treated with lamictal. That being said, beware the world of psychiatry. For the amount of money I've paid these people, this particular diagnosis and prescription was totally wrong. Lamictal did NOT work for me.Read More Read Less

Very good at treating my bipolar disorder. I’ve tried other meds and they either didn’t do anything or set off my mania. This has been extremely effective at keeping me more stable and has helped me to get my life back on track

***Warning*** Avoid, Dangerous, Toxic, Run Forest! Total Health Hazard.....??

I was prescribed Lamictal for anxiety and bipolar II. My doctor started me on 25mg for two weeks, with the plan to continue to titrate up. After a week and a half, I had to stop taking it. It helped greatly with my anxiety but I became incredibly depressed and had recurring suicidal thoughts which I maybe only ever had once before Lamictal. I was so scared of how I felt just on 25mg that I messaged my doctor in a panic before starting the 50mg as I was so worried about what it would do to me.

I am not officially diagnosed, my doctor suspects either bipolar 2 or borderline personality disorder. I was on and off antidepressants and antipsychotics for about 2 years and nothing had an affect on me. My moods were out of control and I was constantly suicidal. I got put on Lamictal (now along with seraqual) 8 months ago and it completely changed my life. Although my moods arenâ??t completely under control, I literally have not had a suicidal thought since. I think more rationally about situations and I donâ??t lose my temper when something slightly wrong happens. I am able to better control my anger and mood swings. I have also not experienced any side effects. After dealing with these moods/thoughts for about 6 years, I never believed a medication could change the way my brain operates. Itâ??s crazy what the right combination of medicine can do for you. I am so grateful to be where I am today. Read More Read Less

Incredible. Get this if you can. 25mg /twice a day.