lamictal how it works

Lamictal is a first line FDA approved mood stabilizer. It works on both mania and depression. There are sometimes concerns at higher dosages with it potentially worsening mania but take it slow and speak to your psychiatrist as things progress. I tolerated well for many years and it was quite helpful.

My son is on it - and it was a Godsend for him!! It can really help bipolars - he felt a huge difference within a day to a day and a half of being on it - but he was on it for a different reason than you are. It can be a very effective mood stabilizer. Yes there is the potential for a rash possibly leading to a serious skin side effect - Stevens-Johnson syndrome - but it is reputedly rare and, from what I have read, is more likely in younger patients.

As medication works for a specific half life (with Lamictal it depends, I when I was on it I took it once a day, other people I knew had to take it twice a day) when it runs out it can cause a flare up of the symptoms it is treating as can adjusting the dose. Keep track of it and speak to your psychiatrist as well. If that doesn't work out you can just take it the same way you did before. But that might be one issue occuring.

Has anyone used it ? And if you have how did it work for you.. and what were some of the side affects, i just want to know because i got put on it today and i want to know other peoples opinions about it.

I take Lamictal, Seroquel, Zoloft and Wellbutrin. Lamictal works VERY well. I'm really pleased with the medication. Lamictal is a rashy drug - so don't be concerned if you get a rash. Chances that its the toxic rash are VERY VERY low. Only be concerned if you get a rash and a fever together. CrazyMeds website explains this all pretty well. The only side effect I get from Lamictal is the stupid "Lamictal Headache." Which can be a bother.

t have epilepsy to understand how it can effect you from time to time! However my question to others is... Does epilepsy as you get older slowly get worse? As I know each seizure kills more brain cells?

Hi. This really isn't a question, but I wanted to pass this on to you...You might already be aware, I'm not sure....but I just called my pharmacy to refill my lamictal. I do the mail order thing and get a 3 month's supply. Lamictal didn't always have a generic....not that I'm aware of...anyway...it was costing me a whopping co-pay of nearly 180 bucks. Well, there IS a generic....I know most people don't like the generics, but they have always worked for me.

It took probably 6-8 weeks to get me at a therapeudic level, but dang it works so well. I am also on 300 mgs of Lithium and requesting to go up to 600mgs because I still have drops that I don't like, but the combination works well. I was told to get blood tests every 3-6months, and it should be done. Weird, I would check with your GP, I'm sure your GP will do it for you, especially since you are concerned. You are your best advocate.

I believe coming off any psychiatric med too quickly would run that risk of seizure, the meds attached to your brain cells right? . I would get massive anxiety attacks like what you've described and i do at times get restless legs when I'm going to sleep, but not all the time. I've been on Lamictal for 7 months now. What I'd like to know, how slowly were you put on the med? It has to be titrated extremely slowly at about 25mgs every 10 or so days.

Amy, Other than the side effect mentioned how has it changed you!? For good or bad? I myself have just started Lamictal and am curious to feedback.

I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and bi polar nos.. the psych gave me lamictal and celexa but I was having alot of medical problems and I thought it was the lamictal so i quit taking it. But it wasn't. And was just taking the celexa but I was gaining alot of weight , and I allready have issues with weight. I always think I can go off pills and that I don't need them, and then someone can say something that irritates me, and I get so pissed.

one day, I remember I tried to think hard which combo is perfect for BP and came with the conclusion that lamictal+seroquel is best. I thought because lamictal works upwards (i.e. good for depression, plus little side effects like weight gain and rashes rare) while seroquel works downwards (strong antimanic) also one is AC while the 2nd an AP so a flower from every garden and they must equalize each other.

Abilify can be helpful for many people but for me it was very activating and I had to change back to another antipsychotic. See if it works. If it doesn't there's an antipsychotic that just got FDA approved (that works in the same manner as all the other conventional atypical antipsychotics, the next generation ones I post about are years off) called Saphris so there continues to be an expanding number of choices and its good to keep up to date.

Long story short - it does help my depression by stablizing me - hopefully it will help you, too. Will you let us know how it goes so we can see if the Lamictal is effective as a mood stabilizer (as in bipolar), as well as, depression? On another note, you should talk to yoru pdoc about the diagnosis to alleviate any worries. And if you do happen to be bipolar - don't worry, it's not SO bad! Hope it works out for you!

It will take a few months to build up to a full dose of Lamictal and if you have angry outbursts that get physical your psychiatrist might want you to take Risperdal and then as the Lamictal builds up to a full dose see if you can do without it so that you have full stability in the meantime as Risperdal unlike Lamictal works right away. Risperdal of course has a good mood stabilization effect. They can coordinate about this as well.

However, Lamictal is FDA approved as a first line mood stabilizer and has somewhat of an antipsychotic effect as well. See how it works out.

I take 600 mg Lamictal per day. A ton. Thats about it besides sleeping stuff (1.5 mg klonopin, and seroquel--50 mg). I am egn8598 and posted just above you if your interested. I don't have any side effects from Lamictal that I am aware. I do have tremor a bit but I believe that is from the antipsychotic. I think Lamictal is great--I have been on it for about 5 years? Its good to start on a low dose and increas, rather start too high.

I use lamotrigine (generic Lamictal) and it works quite well for me and I don't have any side effects anymore. A bit of sleepiness at first if I remember correctly. Depakote and lamictal react with each other (I can't remember if it increases or decreases effectiveness of Depakote) so be careful with that. It isn't 100 percent effective for me though. I have had some breakthrough episodes but they were caused by adding Wellbutrin to the mix.

There is no miracle pill yet but there are a lot of medications that really make this easier for a little while but in my experience there is no medicine that works consistently. Right now I am on Seroquel which works great for me and I am about to get back on Lamictal. I hope you find one that works for you.

My psych has had me on it for years, and works in colaboration with my neuro so that I get double work out of it as it also works as a migraine medication. I take 150mg tabs 2x/day. Any time we try to drop back on my dose, I immediately get more unstable and we have to quickly up the dose again. I've found that anticonvulsants in general have *many* uses outside of the siezure prevention/control.

I have been on Lamictal for 10 years and take 400 mg a day. 200 in am and 200 in pm. I really notice if I don't take it. It has worked great for me. If I am hyper it calms me down. A friend of mine can't take it. So, everyone is different. If you feel worse with it than without it talk with your Doc. There are other mood stabilizers out there that may work better for YOU.

thanks for the comments -- I will see how the higher dosage goes, but it seems to me that if I am feeling OK with 50mg or 100mg, why is it necessary to raise it to 200? I have a doc's appt. in a few weeks so will discuss with him. Thanks for your continuing support. None of us can go this alone -- we all need each other's help.

The first time I was on Lamictal I took it in conjunction with Topamax. I believe it was the Topamax that was responsible for some weight loss, but it could have been Lamictal, too. I remember being specifically told that if I had winter carbohydrate craving they would probably go away from one or the other. Unfortunately, they were not effective for my bipolar. I have not taken an SSRI in years after bad experiences with Zoloft and Paxil so I can't advise you about the Prozac.

Has anyone ever been on Lithium and Lamictal at the same time? If so how did it work out? Yes I know everyone reacts differently. I am currently on -1350mg Lithium Carb ER -Klonpin 1mg X up 6 per day -Adderall 20mg X 2 per day I was on Celxa 40mg for about 4 months and was not good for me. Made me mad, no patinces, irrtable, ect. I would like to try Lamictal for BiPolar Depression?

We are on Lamictal, Lithium and Abilify and are thinking of going Lamictal alone also. How is Lamictal monotherapy going for your, and were you able to wean off Abilify from 10 to 0?

Lamictal how it works

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