[Blue Poppy]

Hello all,

Frustrated with my mood stabilizer, lamictal. My skin is terrible and I feel dull. I am on 250mg.

Maybe I am asking for a miracle here, but does anyone know of a mood stabilizer that: does not cause acne and does not cause weight gain?

My shrink has mentioned some alternatives in the past, but I don't know the side effects. One was valproic acid and the other was carbemazepine. Any experience with these drugs?

I know we all respond differently to meds, but I feel pretty directionless right now.

Thanks for you answers.

[Victoria'smom]

I've been on both. Valproic acid made me feel like any feelings where to far away and wrong to express. It's also big pills 2x a day. I stopped taking it because I was scared of weight gain. The carbemazepine I believe that one was good but made my food taste weird and that was unacceptable given my eating disorder past.

[hamster-bamster]

Tazorac for acne does wonders for my skin. It is very expensive but a little goes a long way. I get my prescription from a dermatologist, but perhaps a GP can prescribe as well - I do not know. I highly, highly recommend it. It beat Retin-A (although is chemically similar to it). It also helps prevent wrinkles. My 14-y-o daughters sometimes tells me in amazement "Mommy, you do not have wrinkles yet you do not go to skincare places". This is true. I bet Tazorac is to thank for that.

[Trippin2.0]

I responded well to Carbamazapene, no side effects and certainly no acne... I hope you find a solution, lithium gave me my very first experience with acne, so I understand your frustration...

[Blue Poppy]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Tazorac for acne does wonders for my skin. It is very expensive but a little goes a long way. I get my prescription from a dermatologist, but perhaps a GP can prescribe as well - I do not know. I highly, highly recommend it. It beat Retin-A (although is chemically similar to it). It also helps prevent wrinkles. My 14-y-o daughters sometimes tells me in amazement "Mommy, you do not have wrinkles yet you do not go to skincare places". This is true. I bet Tazorac is to thank for that.

Thanks for this! I will ask my family GP to prescribe it when I see her in September. I hope this will work or I am ready to pitch the lamictal.