If You Got Acne From Lamictal, Please Post

[salty]

Hi. I wanted to also post on the depression board because I am on Lamictal to boost my Lexapro which stopped working as well as it used to. I know I can't post on both boards.

I am getting bad acne and I think it is from Lamictal, but I am not sure. I have left msgs with my dr., but I haven't heard back yet.

It seems like when I got to a higher dose in the starter pack, that is when the acne started. I have been on 100 mg for 2 months now.

I really don't want to go off it.

Maybe it's my dosage...are others of you on a smaller dose? I could cut the pills in half if people do well on 50 mg.

I also posted today about Wellbutrin XL, but I was on that before and acne was not a problem.

I've read past posts and have seen that some people have gotten acne from it.

Could I please hear from people who have/had this problem more recently and if it goes away over time or what they did about it?

Thank you very much!

Salty

[rhcpaji]

I've been on Lamictal for a month now and I've definitely noticed that my skin is breaking out more. This is sad because I am about to turn 26 and I am tired of dealing with acne.

I have to say that I've never had great skin but it's not awful either. I just break out a lot more often than most women my age. Anyway, my doctor had switched my birth control to Zovia (generic form of Demulen) a little over a year ago to help with my skin, and it worked pretty well.

Or it did until I started taking the Lamictal, that is. Acne is listed as a rare side effect of lamotrigine in a book I have (The Pill Book, 11th edition), and I've found a few other references to its existence as a side effect.

However, all the literature seems to state that hormonal/oral contraceptives lower the amount of Lamictal in your body. I asked my psychiatrist about this because I am unwilling to take anything that will lessen the effectiveness of my birth control (I don't want children; terrible cramps before I was on the pill; acne; etcetera) and he swore it wouldn't be affected.

But now I wonder if maybe it is being affected and what I'm noticing is due to the interaction of the two drugs or if it's honestly just the Lamictal.

This is the first mood stabilizer I've tried. He tried to give me lithium about three years ago but I said no way. He gave me the Lamictal in 2004 before I moved across the country but I never took it. I just want a freakin' anti-depressant but no doctors will give me one as they suspect I am Bipolar II. So, I'm giving it a chance since that's the only way anyone will seem to let me try Wellbutrin. Ugh.

I just took my last dose of 50mg/day. I start the 100mg dose tomorrow. I honestly don't know if I'll stay on it if the acne gets much worse.

[salty]

rhcpaji, I had to go off lamictal because of the acne and the hormonal effects. I got terrible menstrual cramps and my period was not regular as it usually is.

Have you tried the mood stablizers that are anti-seizure meds (such as Topamax)?

I couldn't take them, but maybe your body is different. Everyone reacts differently.

Don't be scared of lithium...for some people it's great. Lithonate capsules are easy on the stomach and if you take it with milk or soda, you won't be nauseous.

The only thing that's a nuisance with lithium is you have to get blood tests about every 6 months.

I have found that if something is making me feel worse---then it's just not right for my body. I usually wait too long and regret not going off of the med when it first started making me sick or causing really bad side effects.

There are lots of other "mood stabilizers" you can try. Ask your dr. about them.

Good luck!

Salty

Originally Posted by rhcpaji

I've been on Lamictal for a month now and I've definitely noticed that my skin is breaking out more. This is sad because I am about to turn 26 and I am tired of dealing with acne.

I have to say that I've never had great skin but it's not awful either. I just break out a lot more often than most women my age. Anyway, my doctor had switched my birth control to Zovia (generic form of Demulen) a little over a year ago to help with my skin, and it worked pretty well.

Or it did until I started taking the Lamictal, that is. Acne is listed as a rare side effect of lamotrigine in a book I have (The Pill Book, 11th edition), and I've found a few other references to its existence as a side effect.

However, all the literature seems to state that hormonal/oral contraceptives lower the amount of Lamictal in your body. I asked my psychiatrist about this because I am unwilling to take anything that will lessen the effectiveness of my birth control (I don't want children; terrible cramps before I was on the pill; acne; etcetera) and he swore it wouldn't be affected.

But now I wonder if maybe it is being affected and what I'm noticing is due to the interaction of the two drugs or if it's honestly just the Lamictal.

This is the first mood stabilizer I've tried. He tried to give me lithium about three years ago but I said no way. He gave me the Lamictal in 2004 before I moved across the country but I never took it. I just want a freakin' anti-depressant but no doctors will give me one as they suspect I am Bipolar II. So, I'm giving it a chance since that's the only way anyone will seem to let me try Wellbutrin. Ugh.

I just took my last dose of 50mg/day. I start the 100mg dose tomorrow. I honestly don't know if I'll stay on it if the acne gets much worse.

[Paige1989]

I don't know much about the acne side of things, but Lamictal usually isn't at a therapeutic dose until around 100mg. so my advice is to go back to your pdoc and see if you can get on a different mood stabiliser...There are a TON out there and I've tried a good amount of them...Zyprexa, Lamictal (which I'm on now), Seroquel (also on now), Abilify, Geodon, and some others that I can't remember (I've been fighting to find the right combination for three years now) in addition to two anxiety meds (Klonopin and Ativan) and an attempt at a sleep aid (*****n CR), but that just made me manic. My mom's also BP and she's on Depekote(sp), Topomax, Lamictal, and an antidepressant; she's also been on 101 meds it seems like!!!

~~Paige