What are the effects of smoking Marijuana while taking these medications whether bad, good or none?
What are the effects of using Marijuana with Lamotrigine (Lamictal) and Clonazepam?
Question posted by LostinMiami on 12 Aug 2009
Last updated on 29 June 2022 by Jarhead1990
13 Answers
Official Answer
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 22, 2020.
Marijuana is a CNS depressant (central nervous system depressant) and potential exists for these effects to be additive when taken with other medications including Clonazepam and Lamotrigine. The combination can cause increased sleepiness, perceptual alterations, impaired co-ordination & reaction times and euphoria etc.
It is also worth noting if you are taking the Lamictal for a behavioural disorder Marijuana can make your psychosis worse.
LostinMiami
17 Aug 2009
I dont take it for psychosis i take it to relax my nerves
heydidyoufluff
16 June 2012
There are 3 types of Marijuana strains which all affect people differently. Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid. Sativa is not a depressant, it is an energizer. ALL Bi-Polars should avoid this. This strain can send you into a spiraling mania. Indica calms, soothes anxieties, small mania moments (it's best when used WITH a medication for mood swings) and Insomnia (which comes with this disorder). Hybrid is the combination of the two. I avoid these EXCEPT if the CBD count is high. This is good for pain. Sativa is also used for pain. BUT as mentioned is not advisable for Bi-polar patients. I'm writing of my experience trying to find something natural to work. I have many side affects and can't use the majority of any pharmaceutical.
I suggest talking to your Budtista in private, let them know you are bi-polar and you should avoid sativas. Your Medical Marijuana Doctor should be able to guide you and help you through this maze. Mine was invaluable as my regular doctor dropped me like a top as soon as I said the dreaded word and left me with no medications... not good.
trinity96091
14 Sep 2012
I take Lamictal and Wellbutrin for rapid cycling cyclothymia not Bipolar 1, and I prefer really zippy sativas, especially when I'm in a depressed state. They can really pull me out of the extreme melancholia I feel in a quick and effective way. I think it has something to do with diminishing memory. I momentarily 'forget' about being depressed. After a few minutes of constantly 'forgetting', my sadness seems to lift and I feel quite a bit better. My favorite strain is Apollo 13 as it is mentally uplifting and stimulating and it doesn't make me lethargic or hungry. I've never experienced any ill effects from the combination and my Doctor recommended it after I told him about the effect. I've met other people with cyclothymia that have found that speedy sativas work well for them too.
Jarhead1990
29 June 2022
My lamictal dose is 100mg daily, If it is Marijuana alone in a small amount I'm fine. However if I mix alcohol say 3-5 drinks then smoke even 2-3 hits my world ends with sweats, nausea to the point of intense vomiting, and I have no balance. I will also have brain fog for 3-4 days afterwards. The 1st time this happened I didn't make the connection, the next time months later cemented this in stone for me. From my experience, please be careful.
WndrMegzLnd
28 June 2022
Marijuana is not good for bipolar in any strain, that is a lie. Any small amount of research will lead you to clinical trials which clearly state people suffering from bipolar should avoid marijuana ad it increases the frequency of cycling. The internet will validate anything you want it to if you ask the right questions. Try searching for actual clinical trials to get information from experts not from companies selling marijuana. The fact that it is being sold as an aid for bipolar is terrible. Do proper research don't just validate what you want to be true by reading comments.
WildcatVet
13 March 2020
Hi, Lost!
There is a moderate risk when taking these medications together.
These are the results from the Drugs.com Interaction Checker:
https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=1430-848,703-357,2758-0
masso
13 March 2020
Josephine3
13 March 2020
I'm an advocate for smoking marijuana. And I wish that I knew more. I'm
Blueeyednative
13 March 2020
Hi guys! I'm currently taking lamotrigine for my epilepsy. I've have my medical marijuana card for over a year. I have noticed for me not smoking a sativa while taking this medicine makes me feel sluggish. Like I can't start anything but Im still alert. I started having problems sleeping at night (I take a hybrid for this) and as soon as I started using my medical marijuana again the side effects went away. Now I'm seizure and headache free and havent had any anxiety. I think it's all on the person but my doctor is also open to marijuana and has told me just try a little bit make sure I'm with someone I trust and try it. :) Hope this helps
Epileptadria
19 Sep 2019
I'm epileptic since 4 brain surgeries 5 years ago. Left side of my brain's wiring is off now. I have severe clonic-tonic seizures and partial complex (all the dang time!). I also suffer a lot of memory loss of the last 5 years (but i remember incredibly much from before then) and have short term memory loss too (at the worst times i can't finish a sentence cuz i can't remember what i began to say). I am on Keppra-2000mg/2x day (worst med ever, induces fits of rage), phenytoin-300mg/2x day and Lamictal-350mg/2x day. In the beginning, before Lamictal, marijuana made me feel much more calm and basically a whole lot better, but it pushed my meds out quickly (even with small regulated dosages) and led to unpredictable severe clonic-tonic seizures whether i had THC recently or not. Whether smoking, eating or tinctures. Any THC at all didn't help in the long term.
Got me afraid to even try CBD (was not available when this began) even though it's not psycho activite.
I am on my way off of the phenytoin and keppra since beginning the lamictal. I'm wondering if marijuana will be safe when I'm on the Lamictal alone. Does anyone know if it pushes out lamictal like it does the others? Last time i tried THC (Indica only) I got super anxious, high BP, sweating profusely and had both audio and visual hallucinations. I miss THC, I miss the Terps(!) i miss being calm and laid back like it used to do before brain surgeries :'/
Can anyone give me some feedback on Lamictal and THC, no other meds included?? Thanks y'all! ✌
ZDRussell
25 Dec 2018
I'm on a s*** ton of Lamictal (900 mg/day) for epilepsy, and have recently started having some severe anxiety and insomnia issues. I've been on it, and at pretty much the same dose ( For the first 9 years I was at 800mg/day) for 11 years. I have some pretty severe memory issues, but that could easily be attributed to the 4 years of uncontrolled seizures. Anyway, I'm considering getting a medical marijuana card, to see if it would help with the anxiety. I'm wondering if anyone else is on a comparable dose who has tried it already.
epilyse
2 March 2019
I am on 550 mg/day of lamotrigine (generic Lamictal) for epilepsy and my side -effects are very similar to yours. My insomnia has gotten worse with lamotrigine and my memory is so bad I had to take an early retirement (I am in the process of getting SSDI). I still have break-through seizures but they are usually preceded by a very long prodromal period. I did some research and found a highly rated dispensary where, coincidently, a clerk has epilepsy. She recommended a very low does of THC (chewable) for the prodromal and pure CBD for insomnia. The THC worked perfectly in ending the prodromal - and thus, its progression to a seizure - by calming me down (while keeping me alert). The CBD, so far, has not worked. (I think my insomnia is as intractable as my seizures!) I intend to return to the dispensary to speak with the clerk again to see if she has another recommendation.
But my point in this lengthly email is to advise you to do as I did - find a dispensary that has someone with epilepsy working there. He or she just may have the solution for you. And if find something good for the insomnia, please let me know!
Wehaveahardlife
15 Aug 2019
I am on lamictal, zarontin, topiramate, depakote and lithium the lamictal i take 400 mg twice daily zarontin i take 500mg 2 times daily topiramate 400 at night 900 mg of lithium for yrs it controlled my siezures i have them in all 4 parts of brain i got my card in 2010 by 2018 i started getting double vision so bad i couldnt function for yrs i thought it was the depakote mixed with thc levels but on e i stoped taking lithium it stopped i feel 100% better and free
Wehaveahardlife
15 Aug 2019
I am on lamictal, zarontin, topiramate, depakote and lithium the lamictal i take 400 mg twice daily zarontin i take 500mg 2 times daily topiramate 400 at night 900 mg of lithium for yrs it controlled my siezures i have them in all 4 parts of brain i got my card in 2010 by 2018 i started getting double vision so bad i couldnt function for yrs i thought it was the depakote mixed with thc levels but on e i stoped taking lithium it stopped i feel 100% better and free
AnnGR10
17 Oct 2018
Short answer: increased drowsiness, increased pain reduction and decreased anxiety. Apart from that, there are no negative side effects.
For me personally, Sativa can produce an energetic nature that can seem similar to mania, but if I just take a breather and take my medication, it’ll help to eliminate the risk of mania or psychosis and you’ll be able to enjoy yourself. I have bipolar 1, 23 years old, 5”2 and 120lbs and also taking hydroxyzine.
Help-im-manic
17 April 2018
I started a low lose of lamotrigine alongside my Wellbutrin. I've never noticed any side effects from marijuana use with Wellbutrin [which i've been on for over a year] but now that i've moved up to 50mg of lamotrigine, i'm starting to have manic episodes. Real bad. I'm wondering if its the marijuana reacting with the mood stabilizer, i've smoked marijuana for 15 years without issue. Now it seems like any time I smoke marijuana I get anxious and angry. Sucks. I'm terrified to smoke. It seems like I need to find an Indica strain according to the comments. Hopefully that helps me.
dockeryz
3 June 2014
It's incredibly amazing to me that such a thread exists. I had just finished smoking, and started to feel twitchy, yet suppressed at the same time; I almost felt claustrophobic, and the idea that I might have a seizure did indeed cross my mind.
I do a google search for lamictal and marijuana and here I am. After reading several comments, here and elsewhere (other google results), I feel more at ease with the anxiety and paranoia that I was feeling.
I just started taking Lamictal exactly 2 weeks ago, today I moved from 25mg / day to 50. This is a very frightening medicine, especially after reading some of the side effects on other sites. Side effects such as going crazy and being put into a mental institution for a short while, like 2 weeks, scares me greatly.
That small rash that has appeared on both of my arms is a bit scary as well. I've done my research and called my doctor and both sources say that it is not a serious rash, though I should keep an eye on it. The rash has yet to go away, and it does itch a little, but I'm slightly convinced that it will go away. The drug's brochure says 10-14 days though!
I have been taking Clonazepam since 2008. It has been a real miracle for me. I had such a great reaction to it that I was able to quit taking Zonegran very rapidly; and they said you shouldn't stop taking it at once or you would have a horrible seizure.. I was taking 600mg / day!
I will admit though, I did have a few seizures in that 6 years of time, but they were very far apart. Some of them happened after nights of heaving drinking, and moonshine no less, to which I am not surprised by the seizure. I deserved it I suppose. Still, I managed to go a year an a half or more without a seizure. I thought I was "cured".. I even quit partying so much. I finally graduated with my Bachelor's degree, I started a full-time job, I started gaining stress, I guess, and ultimately, my siezure-free time ended. This led me to take advantage of this cheap Obamacare and get some help. Their prognosis? Put me on Lamictal.
Fabz0307
17 Aug 2014
I am taking Lamictal 200mg (2 tablets twice a day) when I first started I got a major rash on my back I was taking cold showers three to four times a day to cool down since my doctor advised for me not to scratch but take Benadryl and wait for it to go away on its own which it did just let it run its course.
I am also surprised on this thread since I want to start taking medical marijuana also. I have seizures and I have read it helps with seizures (mine are petimo seizures) and I am tired of taking so many meds. Ive been on Depakote, Keppra (I just got off of it) and Topamax all which have given me side effects I do not agree with. So it's nice to see others having same questions as me.
al marie
3 Oct 2017
So i actually read this comment and never related to anything more ! I take lamictal and lexapro and i begin twitching as well. But for your rash my doctor told me it was rare called johnson's rash and only 1% of people get it but you should make sure that isn't what you have
nassver
22 July 2018
Listen I try marijuana hybrid type: Edible as cake AVOID EATING if you are in this medication the reaction is very very bad one of the first thing is I feel that I was about to start a panic attack my anxiety level has skyrocketed and I was feeling that my memory was speeding in an inhumane way to later start feeling a speed cold sensation all over me i was thinking on call 911 gladly my sister was there to help me and she brings some water and later she put me to sleep the other day was insane but was much better I went to take a shower I didn't feel the water if it was hot or cold.
PLEASE ***AVOID*** MARIJUANA BIPOLAR PEOPLE, MOOD DISORDER, AND PEOPLE TAKING LAMICTAL SERIOUS INTERACTION COULD HAPPEN MY VISION GO BLACK THAT DAY.
reelwater
5 March 2010
I am on Lamictal & Clonazepam & I have my med. marijuana card. I have no negative side effects whatsoever. However; take note that if you do smoke marijauna make sure it has Indica, not Sativa in the pot. I had to learn the hard way. Indica relaxes you & Sativa makes you more hyper or nervous so to speak.
Related topics
lamictal, bipolar disorder, smoking, anxiety, panic disorder, clonazepam, lamotrigine, marijuana
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