[Giabrina]

Just wanted to see the experience people have had taking Lamictal. Has it helped anyone with stabilization? How else does it work? My doctor prescribed it for me, and I previously took it but I don't remember it having any effect on me. I am willing to try again, anything at this point will be helpful.

[Eliza Jane]

I'm almost afraid to say this aloud for fear of jinxing it....I have had a really positive experience with Lamictal recently. I know it is working because something awful happened in my life and I was able to deal with it without sinking into a deep depression. I was pretty amazed!

Actually, I first tried it many years ago in the midst of a deep depression while on many other meds. I didn't find it so helpful back then. I recently read, however, that it is better at preventing depression than pulling you out of it.

Good luck!
EJ

[BipolaRNurse]

What Eliza Jane said ^^

I've found that Lamictal is the anchor of my bipolar treatment. I have the Celexa for the depression, Ativan for sleep/anxiety, Zyprexa for the mania, and the Lamictal to help bring everything together. The only problem I've had with it was back when I titrated up to 200 mg and I was still on 20 mg of Celexa (this was before the Zyprexa came in), and I switched into hypomania which went on to become full-blown mania. But that wasn't really the fault of the Lamictal, rather it was that the Celexa suddenly was too much. Pdoc reduced it to 10 mg and added the Z, and everything was hunky-dory for awhile.

[Victoria'smom]

lamictal is the only MS that I've taken that either work or that I have given a chance to work. I don't feel I can think as well but that has been the only negative side effect.

[Blue Poppy]

I believe it has helped with my depression but I also believe it is responsible for this new acne I find myself having.

[hamster-bamster]

It did absolutely nothing for me. I could have been taking aspirin instead - it really had no impact whatsoever. No side effects, either. Like a sugar pill, basically. Did nothing against mania, nothing against depression, nothing against suicidality. I was on it as a monotherapy and as a part of the coctail. Did not work either way.

[dragonfly2]

Not to be dramatic....but Lamictal saved my life. It brought me out of profound, chronic mood instability where I was one signature away from a State Hospital to where I was able to go back to work 6 months later. I use it as part of a cocktail, and I have had to make adjustments here and there, but it really has been the cornerstone of my treatment. My husband and daughter are also on it. My husband is on a pretty low dose, my daughter's somewhere in the middle, and my dose is on the higher end. It is activating though, so be aware that it could cause some mania or agitation as it did in my daughter.

[bluemountains]

Lamictal is the one drug that I took and when the dosage was finally right, I was so relieved. It has been wonderful for me,.

[Passion222]

I go back and forth wondering if I like Lamictal. I'm on 200 mg and drs upping me to 250mg tomorrow because my moods have been so unpredictable. Im either calm and cool as can be or a irritable wreck But it sure has kept me stable in some extremely stressful times where I would've normally lost it. I try and weigh the good with the bad. Thinking the good is winning. I'm not OCD anymore or buying things compulsively, or picking nonsense arguments with people. That's just a few of my off the wall things I'd do. I was a mess and Lamictal has made some big difference. Just wishing the the irritable side effect would subside. Dread those times.

[Lil Ant Lady]

at first it didnt do nothing for me. but ive just gone up to 225mg and i feel semi-ok. as well as having 60m of cymbalta and 1mg of ativan for PRN.

i dont know if its related tho but im having severe body jerks since being on lamictal and they get more intense as my doseage is upped. im going to speak to the doc next time i see him to see if this is just a co-incidence or not?!!

[Eliza Jane]

Originally Posted by Blue Poppy

I believe it has helped with my depression but I also believe it is responsible for this new acne I find myself having.

I think that happened to me a little too. I'm 33 and haven't had a pimple in years, but I had a bit of a breakout after going to 150. So far, upping my facial cleansing regimen has helped, but I do wonder what will happen if I go up further.

I learn so much more about side effects on PC than I do from doctors. Even good doctors seem to have a poor understanding of these things. For example, one doc (a sleep specialist, mind you) told me that increasing my Lamictal wasn't responsible for my sleep disturbance. I found many patients online who had the same experience I did! (FYI, sleep disturbance resolved itself in less than 2 weeks once I got used to the med.)

Best,
EJ

[hamster-bamster]

Tazorac (prescription; expensive) and Benzoyl Peroxide from AcneFree (OTC) have helped me personally a lot, and since Tazorac also prevents wrinkles, I think it is a must for every woman regardless of acne. I get the script from a very good dermatologist, but you can possibly get it from a GP as well (I do not know). If you can afford it, go see a dermatologist and have a possibly life-saving full body skin test in addition to discussing your acne. Melanoma is all too common to not be taken seriously. A skin test should be performed annually, like a physical exam. Only dermatologists are qualified to perform it - a GP is NOT.

[bunnifoo]

Originally Posted by Giabrina

Just wanted to see the experience people have had taking Lamictal. Has it helped anyone with stabilization? How else does it work? My doctor prescribed it for me, and I previously took it but I don't remember it having any effect on me. I am willing to try again, anything at this point will be helpful.

I was on Lamictal for several years with Seroquel and it really worked and was one of the few things we tried that didn't cause horrible side effects. It kept me stable for long enough that the pdoc I was seeing at the time took me off of it so I was only taking Seroquel.

It kept me from being depressed and worked where the former pdoc was worried about using anti depressants.

[Blue Poppy]

Originally Posted by Eliza Jane

I think that happened to me a little too. I'm 33 and haven't had a pimple in years, but I had a bit of a breakout after going to 150. So far, upping my facial cleansing regimen has helped, but I do wonder what will happen if I go up further.

I learn so much more about side effects on PC than I do from doctors. Even good doctors seem to have a poor understanding of these things. For example, one doc (a sleep specialist, mind you) told me that increasing my Lamictal wasn't responsible for my sleep disturbance. I found many patients online who had the same experience I did! (FYI, sleep disturbance resolved itself in less than 2 weeks once I got used to the med.)

Best,
EJ

Hello there,

I also agree that even the pdocs don't know the side effects. They read about the drugs in their manuals, but thus far, I have never been told that any of these drugs cause acne. There is so much on the net about people having bad acne on these meds.

I think I really noticed my skin worsening when I went up from 150 to 250 mg. I have a prescription for Tazorac now, just waiting for the pharmacy to get it in.

[Passion222]

Pdoc has me taking 1 mg of Xanax for sleep as I can't sleep on these meds or actually I haven't slept much since I was a kid. Xanax for sleep has def been wonderful