[Joyless]

How long does this drug take to kick in, I am in the start of the 3rd week, and I am really not doing any better. Maybe worse!

[LuLu80]

Your doctor probably started you on a very small dose. Because of the chance of a fatal rash, doctors will work you up slowly to the optimal dosage. Until you're at 100 or 200 mg don't lose hope b/c change is coming. I've taken dozens of meds, and Lamictal is absolutely the best. I take 200mg with a Lexapro and Klonopin combo. Good luck!

[DePressMe]

lamictal takes forever to titrate up to a beneficial dose. It took me about 6 or 7 weeks before I started feeling better. I think the wait was worth it--it has really helped me. If you have only been taking it for 3 weeks, you are probably not up to a therapeutic dose yet. Your pdoc should have explained that to you...Have you been slowly increasing the dose?

[Peacemaker]

I talked the pdoc into rxing me Lamictal because I wanted to try it because I had researched it and thought it seemed like a good drug to try.

I wasn't able to stay on it long enough for it to reach therapeutic levels. It gave me a terrible case of diahrea (sp)?. After 3 days of numerous accidents (had no warning of impending doom), I stopped taking it and my surprises stopped immediately.

I hope it works for you. Seems like others find it to be a great drug. Good Luck!!!

Peacemaker

[justpassingby]

I took Lamictal for about one year or so and everything was fine. I titrated up to 200 mg per day with no side effects. However, about 2 months ago, a treatment facility decreased the does and changed all my meds, which turned out to be the worse thing. When I returned home, my pdoc was angry and put me back on most of the meds including Lamictal, but had to start from scratch again and give me small doses. About the same time I started the med again, this time I developed bumps, which itched real bad. However I continued on the titrating till it was up to 75 mg per day. At the point I called my pdoc again and said the "rash" was still there as was the itching. So he decided to be safe and stop the med in case this rash was the one you are not safe to have. so now I just take Trileptal and Invega, but the itching is still there just not as bad. I don't know if the Lamictal was the problem or not, I'm still not sure. I see my pdoc on Friday and will discuss these side effects with him. As a result of getting off Lamictal my hypomania returned pretty bad and so he had to increase my other two meds to level it off. It sure sucks not knowing what is causing this rash and itching. They say that sometimes when you stop a med and then try to go back on it, you can have different reactions and they don't always work the same as before. Just what I don't need. Good luck on your medication, hope it helps you.

Been on Lamictal 6 yrs. Took some time to get up to a therapeutic dose as the others said but it has helped me tremendously.--suzy

[animals_mom]

My son still isn't on the optimum dose of Lamitcal (since May) (long story - no pdoc to manage meds for 3months. original pdoc said he didn't deal with bipolar patients so we were out of luck)
His pdoc has him on Seroquel until the Lamitcal is up to the proper dose. She'll then remove seroquel from his daily meds.