[flawlessimperfectionsmft]

I was just wondering if anyone has ever been prescribed Lamictal for Bipolar Disorder?

[grizmom]

Yes, I'm on Lamictal and it's the first medication in 17 years that has worked for me. Not that I'm "all better", but my episodes are much milder and shorter. I'm very grateful that I gave it a try!!

[Maxime]

Lamactil is approved to treat BPD now. It's supposed to be the second line of treatment under Lithium. I am sure a lot of people on this forum are taking it for BPD. I took it but it didn't stabilise my mood and made me depressed. But that just how I reacted to it. I hope the med helps you.

[CindyLuWho]

I took it for a while, but my feet broke out in polka-dots. They told me it could be life-threatening, so watch for the side effects.

[RRU96]

I am currently taking it. Have just started on my target dosing of 200mg/day. Doc said that on top of the Bipolar, there may very well be BPD issues, so maybe this is why he chose this route, not sure. It is also used for Seizures. Never thought my wife would be taking the same meds as me

[Eloise42]

That was my one mood stabilizer for years and it worked for me until I built up a tolerance to the max dosage. I don't think it made me gain weight but I had weird side effects like non-stop eating from when I took my pills to when I fell asleep and if I took it during the day I was nauseated for hours.

Hi flawlessimperfectionsmft and welcome! I take Lamictal for BP. It's worked very well for me up until recently, but it may well be that I just need a dosage adjustment (tons of big time stressors going on atm). Never had any troubles at all with it. A couple of minor headaches while ramping up, but nothing problematic, no side effects or anything. My old P-doc had me taking it in split doses (half in a.m., half in p.m.) as she said she'd found it worked better that way. Don't know if that's been others' experience as well, but that's the way I've always done it. It's been a world of difference (current situation excepted, long story and not the med itself) for me.
Has your P-doc suggested it for you?

[questionable]

I take it. It's the only medication I take. I've been on it for about a year or so. It certainly kicked my depression in the bottom and I can't seem to get very giddydrunk from sleep deprivation anymore. I feel extraordinarily normal and most days that's a good thing. I've only ever experienced an "episode" once every year or less, so we'll see.

As for side effects, I don't remember getting much more than feeling very tired and sleepy after taking a dosage when I started. That went away when I got to a higher dosage though both times. I started it up twice. I had one of those "bipolar moments" where you just stop taking your medication for no rational excuse. Oops!

[sugahorse1]

i need something to boot the depression. And my pdoc says that if the sodium valporate doesn't work, i'll have to try lamictin or go into hospital for ECT to boot it once and for all

[jdajda]

I have been on lamictal for at least 10 years. It has worked great for me along with cymbalta and lyrica. Any episodes I have had have been due to a reason such as breast cancer, back pain etc...
PS. Since I've been on lamictal for so long and at a high dose, my doctor gave me lyrica to boost it and it worked really well.

[sugahorse1]

and it killed the depression, or what anti-dep do you use?

[Skully]

Yes, I currently am taking Lamictal for bipolar II and it is working well. I take 150mg in the morning and I am good for the day.

[Shakti]

I take it and it, so far, has kept me 100% stable. I only take 100 mg right now, as 200 mg in the past seemed to be a bit too much and unnecessary. I honestly think of it as my life saver. I combine it with Wellbutrin (150 mg). I may not be taking "therapeutic" doses of either of these, but this is what works. 200 mg Lamictal and 300 mg Wellbutrin made me anxious and prone to panic attacks. My bipolar is definitely not "soft" bipolar and my doctors were surprised that I did well on 100 mg Lamictal, but not 200 mg. I wish they didn't just assume everyone needed to be on the therapeutic doses...took me almost killing myself and a couple psychotic/near psychotic (who knows) breaks to insist that I take less.

Anyway, I LOVE my Lamictal. I feel functional and normal and like ME for the first time in years. All of these drugs work differently with everyone, but I'd highly recommend giving Lamictal a go. I personally have to have an antidepressant and all of my drugs have to be of the activating variety or I slip in a dark dark bad awful place...but it's the Lamictal that did the trick.

(I'm also quite happy that the two meds I take are weight neutral!)

I took 375mg lamictal for quite awhile.

[sugahorse1]

Thanks all - very useful info. I think I'm going to tell my pdoc that the sodium valporate is NOT working for me.
Anyonw have experience where Sodium Valporate did not work, but Lamictal did?

[Dave255]

It does wonders for me with bipolar depression. If I miss my lamictal for a few days my mood plummets. The downside is its hurt my communication skills, its harder to express what Im thinking. It has also hurt my memory. Despite those side effects, it is way worth it.

[Amazonmom]

Lamictal worked so well for my bipolar that I am thinking of trying to take it again. I would have to start at a pediatric dose, but I think it would be worth it....

[bp*april]

I have been on lamictal for over a year and it has been very helpful.

[Maxime]

Originally Posted by Maxime

Lamactil is approved to treat BPD now. It's supposed to be the second line of treatment under Lithium. I am sure a lot of people on this forum are taking it for BPD. I took it but it didn't stabilise my mood and made me depressed. But that just how I reacted to it. I hope the med helps you.

Just a clarification, when I wrote BPD it was short for Bipolor Disorder and not Bornerline Personality disorder.

[grizmom]

Originally Posted by sugahorse

Thanks all - very useful info. I think I'm going to tell my pdoc that the sodium valporate is NOT working for me.
Anyonw have experience where Sodium Valporate did not work, but Lamictal did?

I was on depakote (US version of sodium valproate) and it did absolutely nothing for me but lamictal has been like a miracle.

[cheesesquid]

this thread has intrigued me, right now i am just on lithium which worked at first but it's just not as effective anymore. is weight gain a side effect from lamictal?

[WendyAussie]

Lamictal has been a life-saver for me. I also take Lithium, Seroquel, Valium and others. Lamictal has pushed the Bipolar Depression right back and enabled me to be much more functional - nothing like a "normie", I'm still on the Disability Pension and probably will be for ever, but my quality of life is much improved. I hear so many good reports on the Net from other Bipolars about this drug.

[RRU96]

I think for me it is still to early to determine if it is working. I mean, I have been titrating for 5 weeks from 25mg to 100mg. Just within the last week I have started taking 200mg in the AM. Just last week I got in with it so bad with my wife, over what I dont even remember right now. I will continue on the Lamictal, but all I know is, I need something else, fast. Because if it is working, it isnt working fast enough.

[musikcrazy]

I take Lamictal. At first I had strange side effects, like feeling like I was drunk or something. It was strange. But now it works great. I take half of it in the morning and half at night. I have been stable, except for when I recently went off of it for a while.

[Shakti]

Cheesesquid, Lamictal is completely weight neutral. I actually lost weight on it. I went from 120 to 113 in a month with no effort at all. It kind of worried me actually because at 5'4" I don't want to be 113, ya know? Anyway, Lamictal will definitely NOT cause weight gain.

I'm pretty sure Lamictal and Lithium can be combined. The NP I was seeing for psychopharm discussed adding Lithium, but I was feeling great and didn't want to mess with what was working.