[OutlawedSpirit]

So I start Lamictal Sunday. My pdoc is having me start at 25mg then go up by 25mg each week after. She told me that if I start to get a rash, go to the ER. So of course I had to look up this rash. Now I'm regretting it. Has anyone ever gotten the rash from Lamictal? Is there anything I can do to help prevent it?

[Curiosity77]

Originally Posted by OutlawedSpirit

So I start Lamictal Sunday. My pdoc is having me start at 25mg then go up by 25mg each week after. She told me that if I start to get a rash, go to the ER. So of course I had to look up this rash. Now I'm regretting it. Has anyone ever gotten the rash from Lamictal? Is there anything I can do to help prevent it?

I didn't get the rash, and I like lamictal, I have no side effects. Starting the dose low, and going up slow prevents the rash most of the time. You can even break the 25 mg and start at 12.5 mg. I know lots of people on this med, and only one got a rash. The rash they got was not the serious one, but they had to stop the med anyway. I hope it works out for you!

[medicalfox]

Go slowly on it and you should be fine. It's one of the best meds I've ever been on.

Also, my neurologist told me that lamictal can give harmless rashes and I get them occasionally. They go away in like a day and aren't that bad because it's just one small spot that they occur in. The rash you are worried about is a large scale rash, but being safe is always recommended. The rash is called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and it's very distinct, usually around mucous membranes like your mouth, but can happen on your skin as well.

[Crazycatlady82]

I take it, never had any issues, I also know lots of people on it who have had no issues, my psychiatrist said that he hasn't had a patient who got that and that if you go up 25 at a time it shouldnt happen. Hope it helps!

[HALLIEBETH87]

I have been taking it since 2008...no side effects. Don't worry. The low dose is normal for everyone starting it and if you do notice a rash tell your dr right away. For now, trust that your dr has your best interest in mind. Its a great med!

[Buffal0gal]

I take 300mg daily and I haven't had a problem at all. Its great to stabilize your mood and it's worked really well for me. I wouldn't worry to much just think about the benefits of this medication and how it will improve your life.

[Capriciousness]

Hey,

Lamictal has been amazing for me. Let me tell you my story about rash because I think it wi help you.

I got a rash on my back early on. I called my pdoc. She was like stop taking it right away. I cried and asked if there was any way it could be checked out or something. She said I could go to urgent care and they could call her and try to convince her it was okay. So off I went to urgent care and they were pretty clueless. They were like oh yeah if you get a rash on lamictal you should stop. Then one nice nurse said to me you know we aren't really experienced with this kind of thing if we see a rash we have to tell you to stop and then she recommended I see a dermatologist ASAP. I thought this was obvious and genius. So they next day I have an emergency appointment with my dermatologist. This guy has seem THE rash and treated it. He looked at my back and was like "this is heat rash" and went on to explain all the ways in which it couldn't be THE rash. He paged my pdoc right away and talked to her. He told me that she was very hesitant to believe him and she wanted me to not take it and she would call me the next day. Well that was Tuesday and I couldn't get ahold of her till Friday. For real. I got a new pdoc obv. But anyway my dermatologist said I should come back on thurs or fri and he would make sure everything was ok. So I made the difficult decision to ignore my MIA pdoc and keep taking my lamictal. He checked me on Friday and the heat rash was gone.

A couple of weeks later I got a rash on my chest on a Saturday morning. I called my dermatologist's emergency cell and he told me to put cortaid on it and if it got better by the next day it was not THE rash and if it got worse to let him know and he would see me. I put the cortaid on it and it got better and went away. I never even told my pdoc. If I had called him first he would have told me to stop taking it and go to the ER and all that and I could have lost a life changing life saving amazing med. and if I had just listened to my first pdoc I would have lost it too.

I have the rest of my life to deal with this disorder and I am not going to lose such a fantastic med for NO reason.

So now I have my dermatologist's numbers in my phone and cortaid in my cabinet. If I get a rash again I will call him first.

That is my story.

I don't really understand why the pdocs don't tell you to get seen by a qualified dermatologist ASAP.

This link is very helpful in regards to THE rash. I did the second option I suppose and that worked for me.
http://www.psycheducation.org/depres...ds/LamRash.htm

I was very scared too in the beginning. I am still worried. But I thank god for this med! And really the chances of getting THE rash are actually pretty low and once you get past eight weeks they get even lower. And with an experienced and accessible dermatologist on board I feel like I am in good hands if anything did happen.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by OutlawedSpirit

So I start Lamictal Sunday. My pdoc is having me start at 25mg then go up by 25mg each week after. She told me that if I start to get a rash, go to the ER. So of course I had to look up this rash. Now I'm regretting it. Has anyone ever gotten the rash from Lamictal? Is there anything I can do to help prevent it?

Yes, I developed the rash. It appeared as patches of skin that had become red & slightly raised, mostly on my chest & arms. It developed about 6 to 8 weeks after I began taking Lamictal. This is, as I understand it, the typical timeframe. I went to my GP & he sent me to a dermatologist right away. They prescribed some medications & had me taken off of the med. Since I had been on it for such a short time, I was able to stop taking it completely all at once. The rash cleared up with no problem at all. I was told, though, it can be very serious if not treated early. So it is important to pay attention.

I'm not a doctor, so take what I say with that proverbial grain of salt. But, based on my experience, I'd say going to an ER is a bit extreme. But it is important to get in to see either your family doctor or a dermatologist right away & be sure to mention you're taking Lamictal.

[spoiltmom]

My pdoc said that is why you increase the dose slowly. Supposedly slow increases will cause the rash, if it's going to develop, to develop slowly in a completely treatable and reversible timeframe.

I was worried at first also but niw I can say I LOVE my Lamictal. It's the best med I've ever tried for my BP.

[nowIgetit]

I was worried about it too but if you read the statistics it's actually pretty rare. And aside from the rash lamictal has a very low side effect profile compared to other bp meds. I have been on it about a month and I feel better now than I have since I was probably 9 or 10 years old. I am so glad I tried it and wish you the best of luck.