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  #1  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 04:45 PM
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I am truly interested in hearing about your experience with Lamictal. It looks like I have to come off of my AP due to being diagnosed recently with Acromegaly so I'm looking for alternatives in mood stabilization.

I've been pretty much stable on just an AD and AP for several years but now I'm scared shtless because before this things were way out of control because I took myself off my AP and just stayed on my AD. As it stands, it seems that all AP's are now off the table as they all deal with dopamine and this down regulation of dopamine is what is causing a problem with my pituitary regardless that the AP is helping me mentally.

So if you can share your experience with Lamictal and how to avoid the deathly rash it would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much for your help.

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  #2  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 05:12 PM
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I have been on it for about 3 years , no side effects and no rash, It works for me in the background for depression ,, The rash is very uncommon as long as you follow your doctors orders on the correct way to take it.
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  #3  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 05:17 PM
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Originally Posted by ~Christina View Post
I have been on it for about 3 years , no side effects and no rash, It works for me in the background for depression ,, The rash is very uncommon as long as you follow your doctors orders on the correct way to take it.
So, Lamictal is actually for depression and not mania?
  #4  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 05:21 PM
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It's used mainly for depression but its listed as a mood stabilizer like Lithium is .
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  #5  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 05:28 PM
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I am more stable with lamictal, with no side effects. The rash is a reaction that some people get, some people don't, depends on the individual. I say try it, it works for a lot of people. I am much less swingy on it.
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  #6  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 05:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Ash89 View Post
I am more stable with lamictal, with no side effects. The rash is a reaction that some people get, some people don't, depends on the individual. I say try it, it works for a lot of people. I am much less swingy on it.
When you were swinging, were you swinging more one way or was it equally the same?
  #7  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 05:47 PM
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I have been on it for about two years, on and off (only myself to blame), but when I take it right, for mania, it works great. I have never had any bad side effects.
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  #8  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 05:50 PM
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I've gotten a lot of mixed episodes. I used to be more depressed but I'm also on wellbutrin so that helps a lot with the depressions I'm sure.
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  #9  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 06:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Jeepgirl View Post
I have been on it for about two years, on and off (only myself to blame), but when I take it right, for mania, it works great. I have never had any bad side effects.
Ha, there's hope for me yet!
  #10  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 08:06 PM
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I have been on it for almost five months. I had a terrible time on an AD and an AP before. I have not had really any side effects with lamictal. Some nausea in the beginning with increases and perhaps some lethargy and appetite loss but nothing like the AP. I love it.

Here is the thing about the rash. I have had two rashes while on it. Neither had anything at all to do with Lamictal. The first one my pdoc told me on the phone i had to stop immediately and we had to figure something else out. It seemed like such a mild rash to me that I pushed her on it because i so didn't want to lose this med. So she told me I could go to urgent care. I went to urgent care and they were totally clueless and were like well yeah if you have a rash on lamictal you should stop just to be safe. But then I very intelligent nurse told me that really they weren't knowledgable in this way and said I really should see a dermatologist as soon as possible. DUH!!! So the next day my dermatologist gave me and emergency appointment and was like this has nothing to do with lamictal. It is heat rash. So he called my pdoc to tell her that because he knew how important it is to not miss too many days of lamictal. But she didn't contact me for four days (i fired her obv). I decided to continue the med based on the derm's opinion and he saw me two days later just to make sure and it was gone by then.

So I would have lost Lamictal forever if I had followed that pdoc.

Second time I got a rash on my chest and freaked out. But wise now, I called my derm before my new pdoc. He said to out hydrocortisone on it and if it got better it was not Lamictal and if it got worse by the next day to come right in. Well it went right away and I have figured out I cannot use firming neck cream. Alas.

So my advice about the rash would be to get a good, experienced, accessible dermatologist and deal with him or her first. Of course you should tell your pdoc but they aren't dermatologists, ya know. A doc who has SEEN the rash and TREATED the rash can actually evaluate it.

That is my story.
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  #11  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 08:11 PM
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It has gotten me out of a mixed episode and lessened my depression. I'm II though, so I don't get mania. No side effects, just good stuff.

Good luck.
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  #12  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 08:27 PM
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I love lamictal it's the only mood stabilizer that has worked for me now I do avoid my psychiatrist when manic but I never miss an appointment. My husband and son also have had good results on it.
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  #13  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 08:30 PM
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They put me on lamictal in October to bring me down from a manic episode. Lamictal is an anticonvulsant medicine for epilepsy (seizures). It basically keeps you're brain from becoming overexcited which happens in both people with epilepsy and manics. So lamictal is used almost exclusively to treat mania but does little to treat depression.

This is okay with me since I rarely get depressed. Mania is a big problem for me and lamictal helped me gain control of my life again. I have had no side effects and the best part is I don't feel slow and sluggish like I did on antidepressants.
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  #14  
Old Dec 10, 2013, 08:47 PM
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It's my understanding that Lamictal is used for treatment resistant depression in bi-polar as a mood stabilizer. That's what I use it for. I don't have manic episodes. I really like what it has done for my mood.
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  #15  
Old Dec 13, 2013, 03:02 PM
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It's helped a lot with depression, but doesn't do much for my mania. Then again, mania is my predominant mood swing and I sometimes get bad enough to need two APs to get me down off the moon. I don't know if Lamictal has any effect on that end at all, but I've been able to stay out of the hospital so it might. At any rate, I'm glad I'm on it since my depression has been less severe overall.
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  #16  
Old Dec 13, 2013, 03:25 PM
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I can swing from one pole to the other but, thankfully, I'm not a rapid cycler. I'm a slow brew. It's so subtle that the warning signs are never clearly apparent until I've gone off the deep end either way. Depression sucks and so does mixed mania so I'm looking for something that will soften the blow either way. I'm hoping that Lamictal will fit the bill because as it stands an AP will eventually be the death of me. Literally.
  #17  
Old Dec 14, 2013, 07:49 PM
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I have been on it for yrs, LOVE IT, a lot of people have talked about the rash, that would not be nice
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  #18  
Old Dec 14, 2013, 08:24 PM
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Does is have side effect of weight gain like other mood stabilizers? I have been offered it to add in or to replace epilim. I think to help with depressive symptoms.
  #19  
Old Dec 14, 2013, 08:31 PM
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I think Lamictal is suppose to be weight neutral.
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  #20  
Old Dec 14, 2013, 09:43 PM
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I've been on Lamictal for 3 years and it's been great. I do have to take 400 mg of the stuff though. I also take tegretol though.
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  #21  
Old Dec 14, 2013, 11:36 PM
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I hope that it will work for you. Up until 3 weeks ago I was taking Lamictal for Bipolar II. Started it 14 months ago. It did an amazing job of warding off my depression, but I did have at least 3, possibly 4 hypomanic episodes in the past year while on it. I'm debating going back on it or trying something else out because I feel that I need something to mellow me out a bit more. Let us know what you end up doing!
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  #22  
Old Dec 15, 2013, 10:53 AM
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I hope that it will work for you. Up until 3 weeks ago I was taking Lamictal for Bipolar II. Started it 14 months ago. It did an amazing job of warding off my depression, but I did have at least 3, possibly 4 hypomanic episodes in the past year while on it. I'm debating going back on it or trying something else out because I feel that I need something to mellow me out a bit more. Let us know what you end up doing!
Thanks for sharing your experience.

I do hope Lamictal works for me and will definitely let you and everyone else know what transpires with my next appt. with my pdoc. This coming Wed. I see my endo to go over my lab results then I need to schedule an earlier appt. to see my pdoc to start the the titration of my AP and switch over to Lamictal.

I'm shaking in my shoes that all goes well.
  #23  
Old Dec 15, 2013, 01:58 PM
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Been on Lamictal for 2 years now and won't stop it. Lots of people in the comments' been on it for years which should say a lot. it's got minimal side effects. The rash is extremely rare, I never had that problem. It is also supposed to be weight neutral, as it was for me. To my understanding it works better for mania and hypomania than depression. In the time I've been taking it, I went back on Wellbutrin for a while but couldn't handle side effects, tried an AP which didn't go well with me and now finally started an AD. So, for me at least, it didn't keep the depression at bay.
I do however feel much more stable on it so yes, I hope you go for it!
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  #24  
Old Dec 16, 2013, 01:40 AM
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Originally Posted by cybermember View Post
I am truly interested in

hearing about your experience with Lamictal. It looks like I have to come off of my AP due to being diagnosed recently with Acromegaly so I'm looking for alternatives in mood stabilization.

I've been pretty much stable on just an AD and AP for several years but now I'm scared shtless because before this things were way out of control because I took myself off my AP and just stayed on my AD. As it stands, it seems that all AP's are now off the table as they all deal with dopamine and this down regulation of dopamine is what is causing a problem with my pituitary regardless that the AP is helping me mentally.

So if you can share your experience with Lamictal and how to avoid the deathly rash it would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much for your help.
Hi I have been on lamictal for 5 years and its a miracle drug. I have no negative side effects at all. My correct dosage is 200 mgs 2x a day.. I will never go off of it,made huge difference in my life. I feel normal not manic not drugged...good luck!
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  #25  
Old Dec 16, 2013, 07:14 AM
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I really liked lamictal. It did take the edge off the lows and I never got too high on it. I only stopped taking it because of the cost.
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