r/lamictal

I have bipolar and I tried so many meds in the past for depression but nothing helped me . i also take ritalin for adhd and this îs still not enough. I tried lamictal two years ago and reached 200 mg. the weird thing is that I was better at 50 100 mg and at 200 I was worse with depression. but now looking back I was much more funcțional with lamictal. i could even go to the seaside 2 years ago. now I can barely get out of bed. Did lamictal help this type of bed rotting depression for You?

I’ve found with SSRIS and SNRIS I go through a honeymoon phase where my mood is lifted before the meds just stop working for me after awhile. I’m at 100mg of Lamotrigine and I’ve not noticed any changes or benefits… did people also find that upping their dose every 2 weeks doesn’t offer much relief as your body doesn’t have time to adjust before you need to up your dose again? E.g. 25mg titration to 100mg. Not sure if it’s due to also coming off of Pristiq and going through the withdrawal symptoms first.

I was started on Lamotrigine for mood disorder. I read up on the medication and was so hopeful this would be the answer to getting my life back. I started on 25 mg twice a day and increased to 50 mg twice a day after 2 weeks. The first 2 weeks my appetite wasn't great but I was still eating small amounts. Anxiety started to get a bit worse. When I increased to the 50 mg dose I had completely lost my appetite, my husband was force feeding me and I lost 30 lbs. Anxiety was so bad I was beside myself, from the minute I woke up until I went to sleep, which was very little because the anxiety was so bad. I had terrible suicidal thoughts, possibly because the anxiety was so bad I didn't know what to do. I was afraid to increase to 75 mg and stopped the medication.
My psychiatrist is adamant that the Lamotrigine would not cause this but when I stopped taking it my appetite returned and the anxiety decreased to pre meditation level and no more suicidal thoughts.
I meet with the psychiatrist soon and want to know if anyone else has had bad experiences with this medication?

I felt better after each dose increase (ever so slightly) after a week and a half- 25 mg and 50 mg. So I’d have a few days of feeling better before increasing. I’ve been on 100 mg for 3 weeks and haven’t hit that “feeling better” moment.. in fact I feel a little worse. When did you feel better on each dose? Can it just take several weeks?

I did something that messed up my titration and I wanted to warn anyone who was starting the medication. I started, and am now pausing at 25mg. My doctors didn’t consider my shower aversion when starting me on this medication and though I knew I needed to check myself for rashes- I had a bad period and didn’t- wore my clothing for two days straight, napping and sleeping and sweating. I woke up today from a particularly warm nap and had a rash on my chest where my yoga top had been making my chest sweaty. Looks exactly like a lamictal rash. And just like that, I’m off the medication I started a week ago that was giving me hope. Can’t be sure it’s not a drug reaction and I understand. They said I can try again and when I do, I’m going to be so clean when I do.

Hi. So started 100mg today. Just for background. But I was wondering if anyone had any experience with lamictal making u an angrier person? seriously wtf is going on? i’ve become very sensitive over the years and have a little anger problems(WHEN IM SEVERELY TRIGGERED), but idk something seems really off every since lamictal. Been on it since November, stopped for a month or like 3 weeks march-april. Had to restart over and now finally on 100.

Is it just me? or my situation and my life?😭 Or do I just full on have uncontrolled anger issues now. What I loveeeee about lamictal is how is conceals my anxiety. Especially my physical, have tried many anti anxiety meds in the past, propranolol, hydroxyzine, BUPROPION, gabapentin….. Love benzos but very bad to my health. THE LIST GOES ON! Nothing has ever stopped my PHYSICAL anxiety the way lamictal does. which is literally a miracle.

Like it’s giving me such a strong sense of justice? I have a terrible relationship with my family already, but they can’t stop triggering me. When I first started lamictal I felt a sense of calmness and happiness like I could tolerate anything and anyone. Where TF DID THAT GO? It’s kind of embarrassing how angry I get like genuinely ew I give myself the ICK. atleast i’m not breaking anything or hurting myself, nothing has gotten that bad. That’s why i’m saying the feelings inside of me and the furiousness inside my soul begging to escape.

I also can’t stand people anymore! Things that piss me off are pissing me off 200x more. Like my friend answers to me sarcastically. I’m so triggered in my head. Or says something super obvious. I’m like displeased💀 LIKE EW GIRL RELAX(i’m not outwardly showing this btw i’m not that angry and uncontrollable, im just sharing). Feel like if someone did something small to me i’m going to be angry like a weirdo, i don’t wanna be angry alone either like in my head and feel it in my body, not just infront of people. But im afraid I might start causing people to hate me or just acting out badly acting irrational. Pls let me know🤲😔

Btw: I was on 50mg for a month. today I started 100. I’ve been angry even on the 50. This didn’t start today.

I just started my lamictal today and I’m having the worst anxiety about it because I’ve seen on TikTok about people getting SJS and the rash putting them in the ICU. I am prescribed it for bpd and stayed today with 25mg, I just already have bad healths anxiety and I’m nervous. Please does any have any advice or any peace of mind about the medication and how to handle this anxiety. I’ve always been more dizzy and lightheaded today.

Iv been in a severe I mean severe anxiety and depression for 6 months iv tried soooo many meds with no success or too many side effects to continue

Last one was low dose abilify added to my antidepressants I only lasted a week as made me feel extremely out of it and spacey and got heart palpitations all the time

Now been offered lamictal starting at 25mg what can I expect? Is there side effects any sedation?

Firstly I am NOT recommending for anyone to do this, please consult with your doctors before you make any changes.

I stopped my 150mg lamotrigine dosage cold turkey (today is day 10) and aside from some headaches at the start that have since gone away I haven’t experienced anything. Am I past the danger zone or will the symptoms
kick my ass in a few days/weeks time?

Any advice on what to expect would be super helpful

I'm supposed to be taking this to try and get emotions back also I can't recognize my body or my voice.

I just feel shakey and sweat all the time and wired or annoyed. When I take it I feel like a robot and can't really function and really flat but calm

I just want my emotions back.

The doctor added Lamictal to Effexor today for treatment-resistant depression. I was going to take the first dose, but I saw very bad comments here about memory and cognitive issues, and despite my doctor’s recommendation, I probably won’t take it.

Can even 25–50 mg slow down the brain and make you feel stupid?

Hi I’ve always been very thin and ate a lot. I’m 5’4” and was 117 lbs at the end of my pregnancy, started at 100lbs. After my pregnancy (2007) I remained 110lbs with rate fluctuations of 1-2 lbs. In 2023 when I got on Lamictal I was 110. Today I’m 124 lbs and not doing anything new except probably…aging (I’m 48) I took a Lamictal break last year and my weight did go down to about 117lbs. I’m not eating more or less. Has anyone gained weight on this drug? Thank you and advance and please no opinions on my past or current weight 🙏🏻 I am on Lamictal for MDD/possibly Bipolar 2 and do not have an eating disorder.

For those who completely quit/tapered down Lamotrigine/lemictal due to negative cognitive side effects like brain fog, memory issues, words retrieval or something similar, how long after stopping or at what lower dose did you feel your mental clarity fully return?

My PCP started me on Lamictal because I started having DPDR about 3 weeks ago. I’m only on my 3rd dose. She started me on 25mg every other day for 2 weeks, then 25mg daily for 2 weeks, then eventually 50mg.
I take it at night, and the day after I take it I feel increased panic. It also feels like my breathing is heavier and like I’m in slow motion the morning after taking it. I don’t know if it’s helping the DPDR because I was gradually getting better before I started it, but I thought it couldn’t hurt.
Some days, for most of the day, I feel almost normal. Then I get bad waves of being super detached and I can’t even look at myself in the mirror. I KNOW who I am and I know all my surroundings, they just don’t feel like mine. It’s like somebody put me into another person’s body with another person’s memories. I KNOW everything is mine and this is just my brain, but it’s terrifying.
On top of it all, I’ve had vestibular issues from a concussion from a wreck 6 months ago. I just started vestibular therapy again yesterday because I never finished it 6 months ago like I was supposed to because I had to work and honestly wasn’t having many issues at the time.
Now everything is bright and loud and my ear constantly rings. I’m detached/DPDR, get overstimulated very easily, anxious and scared. I get headaches and head pressure. I don’t know if vestibular issues can cause DPDR.
Yesterday at my appointment she did the Epley maneuver on me. She said I didn’t have the eye movements people usually have if that was the issue, but after she raised me back to sitting position I could suddenly hear sounds clearly again. It was like I could hear sounds individually again instead of everything being jumbled together and stabbing me in the brain. It immediately felt quieter in my head. My ear also stopped ringing. After leaving I felt so well, almost normal for the first time in weeks.
But it didn’t last. I tried to go into multiple stores that I had been avoiding because everything is overwhelming right now, and I had a panic attack. I think I reintroduced too much too fast. After the panic attack when I was home the dpdr hit again. After not having it most the day it was excruciating.
Last night wasn’t a night I was supposed to take Lamictal, and today I woke up crying because I felt so detached and sad about missing my normal life. I have this like cloud of depression or lost or something. I can’t explain. Maybe it was from doing too much yesterday, or because I didn’t take Lamictal last night. I honestly don’t know. I don’t know if it’s helping or if my brain was already correcting itself. Or maybe yesterday wasn’t just the vestibular therapy maybe it was partly because I had taken Lamictal the night before.
I don’t have bipolar disorder, but I do have a strong family history of it (brother, sister, dad). My family members with bipolar all take Lamictal. I’ve seen several therapists and psychiatrists who said they do not think I have bipolar disorder. I do have anxiety with panic attacks and OCD. I take klonopin and buspar.
I’ve also been getting pretty depressed lately, which started before the Lamictal. I think it’s because my life doesn’t feel the same anymore. I basically can’t do anything I used to enjoy. It does get better some days, but I always feel like I have this cloud of depressed anxiety and detachment following me. Even on days I feel almost normal, I still feel it in the background.
This has been happening for about 3.5 weeks now with some slow improvement. I have to distract myself most of the time. I just want my life back and I don’t know if Lamictal is helping, if it could help eventually if I ignore the side effects, or if it’s making things worse.
I see my psychiatrist Wednesday. And I do weekly therapy. I had to go on leave from work. It’s hard to play with my kids or do anything I used to like doing. I don’t want to do anything or go anywhere. I have to force myself out when the depression gets really bad. I hate all of this. I just want my life back. Could lamictal help with any of this or anything else that could help?

hi! just a bit of a rant about lamictal because ... oh boy. it's frustrating me bad right now.

i've been on 50mg of lamictal for around 5 years at this point for OCD/MDD/GAD (and suspected borderline...) and it's been amazing. literally cut my OCD symptoms in half. however, i've been having a rough time lately and decided to try upping my dosage to 75mg. i mean, so many people's bare minimum therapeutic dose is 100mg+ so i figured it'd help me a lot!

nope. immediate panic attacks and horrible anxiety. i tried splitting up the dosage and thought i might be alright for a couple days, but that horrible dread was getting worse. 6 days ago, i just went back down to 50mg because i couldn't stand it anymore.

the horrific anxiety continued for another couple days, but has mostly mellowed out. now, i just have been having horrible headaches, brain fog, fatigue, blurry vision, and dizziness. like what the hell??? my symptoms are gradually getting better, but i just don't know why it messed me up so bad. especially since i've seen people on as high as 900mg!!!!! everyone's bodies are insanely different, i guess. i'm just waiting for the weirdness to settle down and it's frustrating that time is really the only thing that can fix it. and lots of rest. which sucks since i'm in finals season rn 💀💀 ohhh medication how i love/hate you

Tw sh, suicide

I'm a new user and on 25mg every other day ive only taken it a week and a half. My doctor thinks I have bipolar mixed.

Whenever there's something wrong, even just a minor inconvenience or something out of my control, I have an increased want to SH or even kms. I haven't SH in years, however, one slight argument with someone and I want to stab or cut myself.

Is this normal?