I was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 17 and since then I've been taking Lamictal for 8 months. I started on a low dose of 200mg, and whilst on that dose I had a tonic-clonic seizure which wasn't even half as bad. This suggested that the drug was helping, so my doctor has since told me to increase to 500mg. Although it isn't 100% effective with focal-partial seizures (20 second episodes of severe deja vu), it does the job just fine in controlling the proper scary stuff. You just need to give it time and if necessary, increase the dose. I am also taking another drug, Keppra, to treat my focal-partials. This drug is therefore very practical as you can take other medication alongside and is easy to use. It also lightens your mood somehow.

joeharvey95

USA

I have been treated for Bipolar disorder for 15 years.  Lamictal is the one anti-depressant that does not cause the condition to worsen ( others , like prozac actually aggravate the problem from depressions to a manic state)  and has no side affects.  I have tried eveything and this is the safest

Sharonr2244

Bacliff, TX

I started using this medication about 1 and a half years ago.  The effects of the drug were immediate.  It slowed down my thinking and allowed me to see things in ways that I never had been able to before.   Since being on this drug, I am much more able to concentrate and my mood swings are insignificant.  It has not caused weight gain al all.  In fact, I have lost weight.  It has been a lifesaver for me!

Sarah-Davis

Saint Clair, MO

I've had epilepsy for 10 years now and have been on numerous medications. I'm now only on Lamictal. I have great seizure control and the side effects are minimal for me.   I have a headache only once in a great while, and, like every other aed, it makes me tired sometimes.  It has been a great find!

jblakeney3

Fountain Inn, SC

My doctor must not know what hes doing if he put me on Lamictal. I suffer from many different ailments, and I am on many different types of medications due to my ailments, and a chronic illness, also. Well, I was prescribed this Lamictal, and my Dr. put me on 200mg, all at once. I never thought anything of it, hes the Doc. he knows what hes doing right? Wrong! I take Lamictal for seizures, it is also prescribed to patience with bipolar disorder. Anyway, a few weeks ago, I woke up and I had bruises on each leg, from my buttocks, to my ankles. I was in so much pain I could not stand it, my legs were swollen , almost like a water retention. Well, I contacted my Dr., and he told me to get into the hospital to be checked out for blood clots. Well, I went, no blood clots, but the doctors there conversed with my doctor and my doc said that he had thought that it was the Lyrica for the Fibromyalgia that was causing the bruiseing. Well, a few months went by without the Lyrica, and then the Lamictal was raised in mg's from 200mg to 500mg. It almost killed me. Literally. I had gotten this rash all over my body, had fever, headache, swollen lymph glands, severe fatigue and weakness, & severe muscle pain. Come to find out after being in the hospital for almost 2 months, trying to recover from the full body rash, among everything else, the Doc, at the hospital had requested a list of all the meds that i had been takeing. He just about flipped out. I should not be taking Lamictal with, 3 different types of medications that i am taking, that is what caused such severe reactions. The reason for the serious skin rash was due to my Doc. raising the mgs. to quickly, he was supposed to gradually work the mgs. up. Needless to say, I no longer take Lamictal, and I no longer see that Doc. anymore I found a new one. But anyway, everyone should be careful with prescription meds., having them mix with the wrong types of other meds, can cause severe problems, and sometimes death. So please, to all of you that will read my review, talk to your doctor, your pharmasist, or another medical provider, if you are unsure about mixing meds. Thanks for listing to me bablle,  

babygirl1125

Lansing, MI

Despite being on (a lot of) antidepressants, I never quite seemed stable. I topped out on medications easily and I still had erratic mood swings and other difficulties. Perhaps the worst was that, when arguing with my husband, I couldn't let things go. I had this little voice of logic in the back of my head telling me that the argument was over, that he had relented and/or we had reached a compromise of some sort. Just let it go, it pleaded. But I couldn't. I kept picking and picking until my husband was exasperated and begging me to stop -- or to at least tell him what he could say to get me to stop. And I didn't know. I just couldn't leave it alone and would rehash things over and over until I could summon up the willpower to stop. And that didn't come quickly. Those times were terrifying, along with some major freakouts over what would turn out to be nothing, because I could see myself from a third party perspective. I knew I sounded crazy. I knew I needed to drop subjects. But I felt unable to. I would just keep pushing until we were both nearly in tears. I'd also have freak outs where I thought something was a huge issue -- but it would be tiny. I'm not talking about "You forgot to buy milk." But it would be something really small, really unimportant in the grand scheme of things. These were so unimportant, I literally can't think of an example. I remember arguing in the grocery store with him about something... maybe I felt he'd been dismissive of me. And he probably had, a little. It happens in relationships from time to time. And it's not okay. But I would blow it up to epic proportions to the point where I was seething and raging and (if we weren't in public) screaming at the top of my lungs. And it would seem SO important and SO vital to the survival of our relationship. He'd try to tell me I was blowing it out of proportion (I have tried, so many times, to explain what a terrible idea that is) which would just make it worse.  But an hour, two hours later, I would be so mortified. I would see what he was saying -- how it was a small blip on the radar -- and I wouldn't be able to understand how or why I had been like that. It had just seemed so freakishly important and huge at the time. I'd go to him and apologize and cry and try to explain what it was like to not be able to trust my own feelings of what is and isn't a big deal. It was pretty awful. Finally, I started seeing a mental health ARNP again to help stop this cycle before things got any worse, though I believe it was actual suicidal thoughts that propelled me in, finally.  She listened to the symptoms, as relayed by me and my husband, and suggested a mood stabilizer, Lamictil. We said we were willing to try anything, frankly.  At first, I didn't see much change. I did feel a little calmer, a little more even. But once we'd increased the dose a couple of times (you have to start out very low) I found that things had really changed.  That voice of logic was a lot louder and more convincing. I could bite back unproductive, hurtful things that before I would struggle with (and lose). I could finally exert enough willpower to let an argument finish on its own and not keep hammering away at things we'd already dealt with. It was such a relief... I can't begin to describe it. And, as long as I don't miss a dose or two, I am able to stay pretty even-keeled. I rarely blow things out of proportion the way I used to. A small thing may get me down or make me want to hide under the covers until it all blows over, but I get upset about things that are actually important now, instead of... well... just about everything. Later, I was diagnosed as Bipolar II, a rapid cycling form of Bipolar Disorder. Fewer to no highs and plenty of lows. I'm still getting used to the idea, but in the end what matters is that I found something that works. if you feel out of control, if you feel like you're constantly at the mercy of a cycle of moods, go talk to someone about this medication. If it does help you, you'll be grateful beyond words. Trust me.

humptydumpty78

Phoenix, AZ

   I have been on lamictal for almost a year now. It has helped me out to the full extent. I am bipolar, and have realized that it does help me from going to far up or to far down. I didnt want to take it seeing as I liked the way I felt when I was up. It made me feel high almost, and like I could do anything. With this pill it helps keep me sane, and down to earth.The last thing I need is to be called on it and lose everything i have.

Amandademanda

Molalla, OR

I have been taking *Lamictal* for about three years now. I have had my ups and downs with the medicine, but overall, the benifits have outweighs the side effects. I have Bipolar Disorder, and *Lamictal* helps keep my mood swings in control. I'm not normally on a mood stabilizer for longer than one and a half years because they gradually stop working. My mood swings are still present, but I can still go about my everyday life as long as I keep track of them. I have had side effects before. I had my dose raised from 250 mg to 300 mg. I started having itchy eyes, that started to burn after a week. I wasn't producing enough tears to keep my eyes moist, and was constantly blinking. My eyes got swollen, and after I talked to my doctor about the symptoms, she told me that there are rare cases of eye problems with this medication. I went back to my previous dose of 250 mg, and my eyes felt normal within a few days.

Cleverkitty4

Bozeman, MT

I think that Lamictal is a great mood stablizer. It helps to make sure that your moods stay level and not go up and down. It is one of the better medications that I have ever taken. It helps with the depression and it helps with bipoloar disorder.

dragonfly76

Sayre, PA

I've been on Lamictal for several years now. I have to take an antidepressant with it, because I'm so depressed, but my mood rarely dips too low, and I never have manic episodes anymore. I'm on the maximum dose (even more when I'm on birth control, because it negates the effects). I don't like the taste of it, which makes it hard to swallow, but I just make sure to have food nearby to chase it down. I know someone else who takes Lamictal, and he got a rash at the beginning, had to stop taking it, and restart again at a lower dose. The only side effects I ever experienced were a slightly decrease in my appetite and some mild acne problems (but I found a facial regime that cleared it all up!) A benefit of Lamictal that might not come up very often is the excuse - I don't want people to know I have bipolar disorder, so if they see I have Lamictal, I can tell them I'm epileptic! Overall, I'd definitely recommend this medicine.

maddona

Fairfield, IA