I was diagnosed with bi-polar I five years ago and I have been on Depakote since. Plus various other rx when the need arose. A month ago, I was also dx with MS. Talking to my neurologist, he suggested Lamictal rather than Depakote as he feels that it is better for women. Also, he said that Lamictal is safe to get pregnant on (in case that happens). Are there any women out there who have any thoughts on Lamictal, because I'm pretty sure my Psych. never mentioned it before and I would like to bring it up.
-Thanks
I'm on 100 mg of Lamictal for Asperger's, but I'm not bipolar. It really has helped me a lot; it's like day and night... I don't know how helpful it is for bipolar disorder, but if Depakote isn't working, it might be worth it to give a try, despite Depakote being much more common in the treatment of bipolar disorder. For me, the little things that would bother and irritate me, causing me to lash out at everyone, barely rouse me now. I love what Lamictal has done for me. Good luck, God bless, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
-GatsbyLuvr1920-
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"Not everything that steps out of line, and thus 'abnormal,' must necessarily be 'inferior.'"
-Hans Asperger
Thanks Gatsby.
I am curious, though, because I was taking geodon and zyprexa (at different times) for a while and both made me feel like a zombie - I didn't respond to anything. Do you find that the lamictal keeps you from feeling emotions, or just balances you out to a more normal state?
HI, I used to come on here a lot but really dont anymore....i just happened upon your post and thought i might be of some assistance.
I have been on Lamictal for about 2 years now. It was a godsend. I was diagnosed with bpII, although in retrospect i think that unipolar depression would be more accurate. at any rate, ssri's made me "manic", so they tried stuff like zyprexa (=zombie) and a whole bunch of others. finally we tried lamictal, and it has been awesome. its supposed to work good for bpI as well. i still have emotions, but i find if i miss a dose, especially two days in a row, i get either super worked up and angry, or super despressed. so be careful not to miss a dose. over all i feel "normal"
about the pregnancy thing, they actually do not know if it is safe during pregnancy. there has not been enough data in humans to say one way or the other.....
caterpillargirl- The Lamictal makes me have a balanced mood; it doesn't make me feel like a zombie whatsoever. I used to have ups-and-downs, irritability, and breakdowns due to sensory overload almost every day. The Lamictal has almost completely eliminated this, but I still feel strong emotions at times.
-GatsbyLuvr1920-
__________________
"Not everything that steps out of line, and thus 'abnormal,' must necessarily be 'inferior.'"
-Hans Asperger
I've been on 250mg lamictal for 1.5 years. It helps me a lot with the mood swings, but does not alleviated totally. The only side effect for me is a bad short term memory. I've been told, that unless you become real stable with the lamictal you could have a problem with your short term memory, I found this to be true, one day is good, the next bad. I also became weepy each time my dose was increased. But, by no means does the lamictal zone me out. I would recommend this drug to anyone struggling with mood swings or just depression.
Lamictal is a Category C drug for pregnancy. I was on it and my psychiatrist recommended going off before even trying to concieve. I remained on Wellbutrin and Prozac....not doing well AT ALL. I would continue on Lamictal through your pregnancy, if your OB and psychiatrist support you.
Hi, I am new to this so please bear with me. I have been diagnosed with bp#2. It was three years ago on my b-day! Ha Ha Happy Birthday! I have been taking Lamictal for three years and it has been a godsend for me I can really see a difference in myself and so can my family. It keeps me at an even keel most of the time I take two in the morning and one at bedtime. If you have any other ?'s feel free to ask.
Did you know that Lymes Disease can mimic MS; it can even show up on a MRI as brain scars. I think it mimic MS when it gets into your central nervous system. Have you had this checked out. There are some good people who could educate you more on this subject, on the Lymes Message Board. My husband had it in his CNS for over a year, he was so sick but refused to see a doctor until he actually had symptoms of Parkinson’s. One blood test showed lymes and after intravenous antibiotics he's as good as new.
I'm taking 250mg lamictal, and 5mg of abilify was just added two weeks ago; working very well and with the added abilify my sleep has been wonderful. And sleep, as we all know, is very very important to mood swingers, especially for those who tend to swing up before going down. Hope all works out well with. k.
I would be careful taking any meds while trying to get pregnant. Any drug has the potential to be dangerous during pregnancy.
I took Lamictal for a month and I hated it. I became very depressed and suicidal. It was not the right med for me. I'm on county health care and I know that some times the doctors don't fully realize what they are prescribing. I would advise you that whatever meds your pdoc puts you on you should know everything about it. What you can and can't take with it, what vitamins/minirals interact, that kind of thing. Just educate yourself as much as you can on your conditions and be fully involved and informed about your health managment. Good Luck!
Re: lamictal? 
I am new to this so please bear with me. I have been diagnosed with bp#2. It was three years ago on my b-day! Ha Ha Happy Birthday! 
I have been taking Lamictal for three years and it has been a godsend for me 
