What to feel on Lamictal? - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

princess72 · 06-02-2005, 05:53 AM

I've been on Lamictal for about 2 1/2 months. I'm on 200mg. Recently i have found a SLIGHT change. My question......does this med help more with the depression and compulsion part of bipolar? Or, with the mood as well? This is what im experiencing........slight change in mood (and i mean slight) also in my depression.....this is almost like, my head is trying to get negative with me, and something stops it. Also, i feel spaced out all the time!!! I'll go through anything to just feel better! I know there isnt a "miracle" drug.....but.....i still can get out of control pretty easily. Maybe i can say, i just feel A LITTLE BIT more happy! I feel absolutely nowhere that i want to be yet.......maybe i need to try some other med's as well. I was told this one takes a looooong time to feel the effects. I think i have....but if this is it, then i know i have to try something else!!!!

mudhound · 06-03-2005, 05:32 AM

I've known folks that have taken this med. However, the wife has somehow missed this one. Sorry, maybe some others will reply.

RadRacho · 06-03-2005, 10:35 AM

I was actually on lamictal for a couple of months. Honestly, I didn't notice any difference. I had less depressing thoughts, but it didn't do as much as the psych. said it would. I actually got a rare drug reaction from it. It's called Steven Johnson Syndrome. Basically your skin burns from the inside out... pretty scary. I do not recomend lamictal for bi-polar people. It was made for people who get seisures (sp?).

Welbutrin or Topamax would be better for you.

princess72 · 06-03-2005, 11:18 AM

I am on Wellbutrin as well. I've been on almost everything out there, not for bipolar (recently diagnosed) but for depression! I am soooo frusterated! I feel a slight difference in depressing thoughts, but that's about it. It's kinda like something stops me from thinking that way! I did hear about the awful rash you can get from Lamictal, also i heard it is used for epilepic seizure's. Recently i guess they have tried this drug with bipolar patients. Sometimes i think that no matter what doc you see, they dont know what exactly to put you on! I feel like getting a brain scan! This has been going on my entire life.....and im 33! Im wondering if this will ever get better...and when i will ever feel "normal". Even though i dont know what that is.....

*music23* · 06-03-2005, 04:42 PM

I know, I've been on Lamictal for years, and I guess it's done relatively well with my manias (my depressions are usually much more common and severe, although technically I'm BP1), but I feel like, on Lamictal, I have 2 possible states: 1) depressed, and 2) absolutely emotionless. But I'm stable enough to not bother to switch to yet another mood stabilizer.

Wow Rad you got the Stevens-Johnson Syndrome side effect while you were on it? That's really scary. Very rare. Recently we got a scare when I suddenly developed a rash because I have no known allergies, but I guess I do have an allergy... still trying to figure out to what. We went cold turkey off the Lamictal when this happened, but now we're back on it.

Kristina