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anyone take lamictal for bi polar and deppression? Is so, how has it worked for you? I take lamictal 300mg and would like some feedback from other users of this med. thanks

Thank you for your responce. I was increased from Lamictal 50mg up to 300mg. I did not get a rash from this med, I did however gain weight and got some bad headaches. Im now down to 100mg and seeing how this helps. Thank you again for your info.

I have been taking Lamictal for a while now. My doctor says I have a "mood disorder" but has never specified one of my
conditions as being "bi-polar". I was taking 200 mg each evening, but now I am taking 300 mg each evening. Since I take several other medications, I am not sure if my weight gain is due to the Lamictal or other circumstances. I am doing fine on the 300 mg dose. Good Luck on your lower dose. Keep in touch and tell us how you are doing. Lynda Lu.

Hello, I too was taking 300mg of Lamictal for what the doctor thinks is maybe bi-polar. I did however develope bad headaches and I did put on 10lbs. Once I tapered down to lower doses and eventually to only 50mg's now my weight has gone down to normal. So its possible that you gained weight from the Lamictal.

It sounds like your doctor can't pinpoint your diagnoses for your mood as neither can mine. The most bothersome part of my mood is the deppression that gets really bad also I have some anxiety tied into it.

So whats your mood touble like?

Thank you for your reply

johnny: It is now 2012 and I am sending another post !
I have been on several psyche meds for 5 years, so it is hard to tell what my mood is ! Ha Ha.

Anyway, I started to gradually lower my lamictal ( I take the generic form ) for the past two
months. I was taking 300 mg per evening, two 150 mg pills. Then I went down to 1 1/2 pills
per evening. Now I am going to start taking 150 mg ( one pill ) each evening. I have not
seen any noticable side affects at this time, but I have been very gradually reducing the dose.

Lynda

Hello, good to hear from you.
I actually have been off lamictal since summer of 2011.
I was having all kinds of uncomfortable body symptoms and thought it may be related to the lamictal.
After being off the lamictal the body symptoms contiued.
after a bunch of tests it turns out that i have fibromyalgia.

Im not on any meds now and really dont want any as they seem to be more trouble than they are worth for me.
Lamictal did seem to make much differece and i got nasty headaches from it.
Ive taking it day by day week by week. ive been relying mainly on diet and excercise also stress management to help with my mood.
some days can be hard but i just ride it through and know that the next could be better.
So far so good.
hope your doing well and wish you the best with you medication journey.
keep in touch.

johnny: I am so glad to hear that you are doing well being off of the lamictal.
I am lowering my dose to 1/2 a pill next week, that is 75 mg.
I keep wondering what it will be like to be drug free . . . . will I freak out
or will I use the skills I am learning to combat the anxiety and fears.

I am starting on Session Six on the program, my second time around.
I have read the book FROM PANIC TO POWER. And I have ordered that
Sam Obitz book to see what that book is all about. Trying to keep busy
with the program and reading all that I can to try to feel better.

Sorry to hear about your fibromyaligia. I think that fibromyalgia has been around
for years and people are just now getting the proper diagnosis.
Having the right diet and exercise should really help you out.

Keep in touch and thank you so much for responding.
Lynda

I used to take 300 mg of Lamictal each evening. I have been weaning myself off of the medication since January.
I have been taking 1/2 a pill, or 75 mg for a short while now. I noticed just recently that I started having some
feelings that I have not felt for a long time now, that spacey / tired feeling. My mom looked at me on Thursday
and said "you look tired". I do not know if this feeling is returning because of lowering the doses of all of my
psychiatric medications during the past four months, or if other circumstances are causing it. The good thing
about this feeling of bewilderment is that it did not scare me. I was a bit concerned, but I did not panic when I
first started feeling it. When I got real sick a few years ago I had wierd feelings and suffered terribly from panic
attacks. It scared me back then because I had no idea what the name was for what I was feeling. Now the great
thing is that I know what it is that I am experiencing and I can just experience it and let it go.


I also could be having these feelings because of a poor diet. I am fine when I am at home
in my own apartment as far as my food intake. I gave up sugar and caffeine. When I am away from my home
environment and spending the weekend over at my mom's condo, I just eat all of the wrong things. She has
food in her home that I would not normally eat. I am so weak when I am over at her place and I eat the wrong
things. I do not feel well after eating sugary foods and drinking caffeine. I can really feel the difference in how
my body feels after consuming these sugary foods and caffeinated beverages and chocolate. I never thought that
what I ate would affect how I feel.

I USED TO drink coffee every day and sugar was one of my favorite food groups .

Has anyone gone off of their Lamictal and what side effects have they had ?

Lynda

Hello, thats good that your weaning off the Lamictal. I had the same fear you do. I thought what would happen to me if i stop the Lamictal? Will I lose it??!! Do i really need this stuff??

As time went on I realised that the Lamictal really wasnt doing anything for me and the Dr.kept highering the dose.
As far as my mood, i do have my downs and mild ups but have survived with out meds. i also keep a mood journal to track my progress. overall im doing good. So I know that I can go with out lamictal. Its kinda like letting of your crutches after you heal from a brokken leg. You become dependent on them in time you realize you can walk without them.

This skills in this program me help talk myself through my depression and i know ill be better.
when i came off the lamictal i did feel some side effects that were a little scarey but they did go ahway.

Hopefully youll do well without meds, everyone is different but the more you learn about yourself the easier it will be to decide if you need meds or not. Let me know how this works out.
take care and thanks for your response.