limictal...side effects

[Nathan PD]

It worked!!! until i got the rash and was forced to quit it. Also I suffered from horrible acne for the 3.5 years I was on Lamictal. Epilepsy sucks. The drugs are worse.

[Tasha]

To Sandy,
When I was taking to much Lamictal I had blurred vision and weird heart rate. Once I went down in dosage those disappeared.

To others,

I've been on it continuosly for close to 3 years and I have been 'sane' as long as I stay on it. All side effects except for thrist have faded away. I give this med credit for saving my life But it may not be the drug for you. My mom didn't like the side effects it gave her so she had to try something else.

I have to use it in conjunction with lithium . They act together like a fence so I don't go to one side so if you are feeling one way or another I hope you have another med to work with.

[CLZ]

Hi Everyone...I have been on lamictal for 2yrs now and Buspar. Everything has been fine, then 6 months ago I started having severe joint pain in my knees,legs & toes. And now I am having problems with my eyes. My family doc has done some testing but all she wants to do is treat the symptoms instead of finding the problem. Is anyone else having severe joint pain?

[stacey]

im also on lamotrigine 25 mg and i have sores in my mouth i get really annoyed with noises.and i just want to snap on everyone.i feel anxiety lots and fuzzy head and alot of headaches too.i went off them today.not ever taking them again.

[Deced]

I have been losing hair. I am a women 54 years of age. Everyday I find hair all over. Could this be from limictal ? Has anyone else noticed this?

[Stacy]

I also experienced that side effect when I first began Lamictal. It eventually went away. In the long run, Lamictal has been much easier for me to take than Lithium.

[Dawn]

My husband and I have both been on Lamictal (and Wellbutrin) for several years. It has been great for both of us. (We have BiPolar II.) We believe it has saved our marriage. I do have some dry mouth and sometimes the inside of my mouth is a bit more sensitive than normal. But, compared to other drugs I have been on over the yes, the side effects are extremely minimal. Sometimes you have to be patient for the first month or so. Some of the side affects tend to disappear.

[wish in]

If you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you should not be on an antidepressant like lexapro, as it can trigger mania. You should see a psychiatrist who is qualified to prescribe and properly manage your medications.

rhilee wrote:

<quoted text>
i'm so glad someone else has noticed. Increased to 100mg a week ago and swear I've been manic since. trying to contact dr. am also on 10mg lexapro though. maybe the lamictal exasperated the manic effect of the ssri?

[Gina]

frank wrote:

try to stop the pain meds. slowly and evenually discontinue if you are hooked you may need help with this otherwise you may have to tolerate the sweats i know the feeling!

I have been on pain management meds for over 2 years,only when I started taking Lamictal did the night sweats start. I also developed blisters in my ears, a bumpy itchy rash on my hips and a red flat rash on my arms and legs. I contacted my doctor who told me to taper off the Lamictal but the minute I took my next dose (two days later) the rash came back even worse. I have stopped the Lamictal completely and am now on prednisone to help with the rash. The night sweats are GONE!

[lulu]

SandiBird wrote:

Dee,
I am on the computer today looking for information from users about Lamictal. I have had a long history of depression, but lately have had a bigger problem with terrible anxiety and insomnia, plus being very edgy and irritable. I had been taking an AD only for several years, and recently saw a psych doc for above symptoms. He diagnosed bipolar 2 with mixed mood, and prescribed Seroquel and Lamictal. I absolutely could not tolerate the Seroquel. I had no idea how strong it was, and was totally gorked out all day long from even 1/4 of a 25 mg. tablet. I had to stop it.
I have been on the Lamictal for 3 weeks now. I am experiencing total lethargy and loss of interest in doing anything, including simple daily tasks. I have gone to work through great force of will, and I come home and go to bed for the rest of the night. During the day I feel slightly foggy and just kind of out of it - watching what's going on but not really engaged.
Yesterday I had to go out of town for a meeting. I was driving home and feeling extremely hopeless and depressed and I realized that I no longer wanted to go on living. I had the greatest trouble getting myself home, as I was quite a distance away. I strongly considered driving to an emergency room and telling them that I wanted to kill myself, I knew that would do no good.
What I want to know is if anyone has experienced increased symptoms of depression, disengagement, and suicidal ideation on Lamictal? I know you have to give yourself time to adjust to medicine, but I'm feeling worse than when I started this mess.
I would love to hear from you or anyone else about this.
<quoted text>

"sandibird" i have been taking Lamictal for approximately six weeks now. i am starting to feel not so good. my stomach feels like there are butterflys in it all the time and kinda sick. my thoughts have been more intrusive and making plans to harm myself. my mood has been everywhere. i talked to a nurse yesterday and she said it can make your stomach upset but this is just weird. sometimes i just think they want you to shut up and take it. i am debating to if it is not my bipolar 1 or ptsd but the limictal. i think i felt better before i started taking it. id give you some advice but i am not sure what to do either. just know that you are not alone

[lulu]

hopefully i wrote that write i have never posted a comment so i do not know how to do this sorry if i messed up. that last one that is quoted sandibird is from me.

[lulu]

I have been taking Limictal for six weeks now and feel worse than when i started. my mood is more up and down and i have been having more intrusive thoughts of harming myself. physical i also feel nauseous or like there are butterfly s in my stomach.yesterday i finally could not take it anymore and was about ready to go to the er but i went to see the nurse at my doctors office and the lowered the dose to fifty and upped my topamax and put me on nuronten. i think that is how you spell it but either way it helped a little. i am still having thoughts and hope that their idea works because sitting around thinking of ways to end it just is not right. not to mention my stomach alone is driving me crazy.

[Hi about lamictal]

Has anyone found they get horrible nightmares?

[Hi about lamictal]

does anyone get nightmares on this drug. I take 400 mg

[Danielle]

My friend just began taking lamictal about 1 week ago. She is now sweating profusely, breaking out into hives and bruising everywhere when she scratches?! Were these any of the side effects you had?
Extremely Concerned

DEE wrote:

Hi,
About 3 weeks a go my doctor put me on Lamictal
I have been trial and erro with meds and the funny thing is I started out with a Councilor for bad anxiety. I have always been hyper I have always been in control of my self up until now. My councilor siad I need something to slow me down. I have always had insomnea and she said that as I am getting older it might give me health isues. I have been on antidepressants since a car accident in 1996 that left me with migrains. The doctor I was sent to now gave me the lamictal and gave me cymbolta prior. I had very bad side efects from all. If I was not Bipolar befor I am now. First I was told I was depressed than High anxiety and now Bipolar. I was taken off the cymbolta without being wiened off and I only took the lamictal for 6 days. I wound up in the hospital and am still having bad side effects and you would think all is out of my system now. My mood swings are out ragious and you can't say anything to me I just about chew your head off and I cry alot. I have worked my whole life and am affraid I might loose my job. I feel like I am working full speed but nothing is getting done. I am all over the place and this is a side of me I have never seen. When I was on the meds I felt nausious, bad headachs and could not sleep, My stomach was very upset and still is. I do not know if the meds brought out something in me. I do not like what I am feeling. I was in the hospital last week with this pain and tight feeling in my upper chest and throat and my lymph glands were in such pain and my ears as well. The experiance was real bad and I now feel I am in for a big ride. Has anyone else gone thurogh this?