Lamotrigine Question Also

Dr Started me a week ago 25mg. Working my way up to 100 mg through the next 4 weeks. Added this to Wellbutrin 300mg. What's you opinion on Lamotrigine? Did it help and make a noticeable difference and at what point of Mg. could you feel a difference!

Thank you!!

I was on it several years ago at 200 mg. I am back on it now, ramping up the same way you are. It was helpful to me in the past when I got help for a deep depressive episode, kept me from being manic from the AD and also gave the AD a little kick at the same time. Interesting stuff.

The only side effects I have are intense headaches with each increased dose, but they only last a day or so, and muscle aches/fatigue with higher doses that also goes away.

Good deal!! Thank u!! Im hoping to see a big difference by adding this.

I was just started on this medication yesterday. I hope it works well for you!

I take 125 mg. I think it has been helpful for depression. I also take Fetzima though. Lamictal is supposed to be a good augmenter for depression as well as a mood stabilizer. Has a low side effect profile. Go up 25 at a time slowly and see how it goes.

Watch very closely for any kind of rash or problems with your skin and stop immediately and call doc. This is rare but dangerous.

I have BP and it works for me. I take 150mg and doing fine, My daughter has BP also and shes on 75 mg and it works for her.

I'm on 200 mg every night. Every time I increased it I got canker sores for a week. And vivid dreams, and headaches. But those all went away Now it just makes me sleepy after I take it.

This is good information so far. I've been doing my research on this medication since I'm potentially going to be put on it. Does anyone know if there is any way to reduce your risk of getting this rash? Like is there any correlation between people who do get the rash vs. those who don't?

You just have to increase the amount really slowly. I started on 25, then 50, then 100, then 200. But you could start even lower than that to be safer.

How slowly should Lamictal be increased? I'd read every two weeks, but my pdoc is saying every five days. She's been REALLY wrong about other meds, so I'm a little nervous about increasing so quickly.

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Why go to her if she's been wrong about other meds? I have never heard of anything quicker than 2 weeks and I would be concerned with going any quicker, personally... But what's just my opinion and I'm not a doctor or pharmacist.

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Sadly, I've tried finding another pdoc, but the mental health system in NM is so screwed up. I haven't been able to find anyone who's accepting new patients.

I'm definitely waiting two weeks, though!

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Sorry to hear it! I hope you can find somebody else! It's so important to trust your pdoc!


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I didn't read all of the other posts. Lamictal is a mood stabilizer. Your pdoc may be using it to balance out the Wellbutrin 300 xl is good, IMO! Wellbutrin fast acting can be to harsh on reuptake of 2 monoamines. So the Wellbutrin as a strong NE and DA antidepressant with Lamictal as a mood stabilizer. Which is a very good med. and I am sure you start slow tit rate up. To keep track of rashes. That can commonly occur in minor amounts with the med. The reason for such a slow titration is the serious S.J.( Steven- Johnson) syndrome. So the starter pack given by the pharmacists is important. Which is a very serious outbreak.

" SJS usually begins with fever, sore throat, and fatigue, which is commonly misdiagnosed and therefore treated with antibiotics. Ulcers and other lesions begin to appear in the mucous membranes, almost always in the mouth and lips, but also in the genital and **** regions. Those in the mouth are usually extremely painful and reduce the patient's ability to eat or drink. Conjunctivitis of the eyes occurs in about 30% of children who develop SJS. A rash of round lesions about an inch across arises on the face, trunk, arms and legs, and soles of the feet, but usually not the scalp."
Stevens?Johnson syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Let me look at the data!
"LAMICTAL® can cause serious rashes requiring hospitalization and discontinuation of treatment. The incidence of these rashes, which have included Stevens-Johnson syndrome, is approximately 0.8% (8 per 1,000) in pediatric patients (2 to 16 years of age) receiving LAMICTAL as adjunctive therapy for epilepsy and 0.3% (3 per 1,000) in adults on adjuduntive therapy for epilepsy. In clinical trials of bipolar and other mood disorders, the rate of serious rash was 0.08% (0.8 per 1,000) in adult patients receiving LAMICTAL as initial monotherapy and 0.13% (1.3 per 1,000) in adult patients receiving LAMICTAL as adjudicative therapy. In a prospectively followed cohort of 1,983 pediatric patients (2 to 16 years of age) with epilepsy taking adjudicative LAMICTAL, there was 1 rash-related death. In worldwide post marketing experience, rare cases of toxic epidermal necrolysis and/or rash-related death have been reported in adult and pediatric patients, but their numbers are too few to permit a precise estimate of the rate."
Lamictal (Lamotrigine) Drug Information: Description, User Reviews, Drug Side Effects, Interactions - Prescribing Information at RxList
This link has a lot there on Lamictal.
It talks about the drug as a whole including dosage- amount taken and other side effects and the benefits. Which many people have had with positive results. Your pdoc should start you very slow unless you are on a certain amount now. I cannot say this. I am not a doc. or a pdoc. but I would expect him/her to start low on the Lamictal.

Let me see the statistics. I take Lamictal and never had a problem. There are reports if you stop and then start again . You are more susceptible to side effects.

What is Lamictal?
I pulled this up for you and others:
Psychiatric Uses of Lamotrigine

I see also at the bottom of the page. It give Stahl's 3rd Ed. and MEDLINE sources. Which are invaluable.

https://stahlonline.cambridge.org/pr...e=Therapeutics

As you see it was originally used as an anticonvulsants . Was found to help bi-polar, depression and a mood stabilizer. Basically it's not even uncommon in use as a psychotropic!
Finally, I will give you a DOCTOROFMIND youtube video. Yes, he is a competent psychiatrist. He uses these type of "acting" on youtube, to get people to actually listen. Take him as you will!
I will give you this link before checking his vids. If you want to!
Legal Pub: Dr. Mark Viner a.k.a.. "Doctor of Mind" Should Not Be Condemned For Using A Different Approach ~by Legal Pub
The ones below are about Lamictal and one or two of Wellbutrin






For everyone


BTW-sorry for my lack of typing skills!

Forgot, always keep an open relationship concerning meds with your doc or pdoc. That is most crucial for the road you take!