What should I expect taking Lamictal?

23 Jan 2007

tennlady: my boyfriend and i both have bi-polar but he is much more severe than i and he started on the lamictol and it has changed his life. he says he feels just great for the first time he can remember. and he is doing really good, no more mood swings, lots of energy. he says it is really awsome stuff. i am going to ask my dr. about it also.

24 Jan 2007

Hi Tenn,
I do know a little about the drug "Lamictal", my mother is currently on this medicine and has been for a few yrs now. She is also being treated for bi-polar. I do know that as far as weight gain goes, you are still going to have weight gain issues with this medicine. She has gained like 50-60 pounds! I have also read that almost any bi-polar meds will make you gain weight, usually in the 100 pound area, maybe its the disease that makes you have weight gain also. I have read a few forums on bi-polar to try and understand fully what kind of disease my mother is dealing with because she is not the same person that she used to be. Boy have we had a time with her. I wish yout the best.

5 Jul 2007

Unfortunately Lamictal made me worse, I had lots of major side effects from it also. I had horrid hand tremors, severe word finding problems, constant unquenchable thrist, my hair thinned just a tad, and it made me down right mean. It takes forever to titrate up to a therapeutic dose. The one good thing about Lamictal is it's very weight neutral.

10 Jul 2007

Hi,
You had questions about Lamictal.I am bi-polar.I take Cymbalta and Lamictal.The Cymbalta is for the bi-polar.The Lamictal,which was originally prescribed as an anti-seizure medicine.But doctors found it can be a long-term treatment that may help keep your mood episodes from coming back for an extended period of time.It helps with agitation,irritability,and body pain.These are caused, for me, from the bi-polar.I am not saying this is what you have, but Lamictal works great for me.I use to get so agitated with everyone and everything.Now, when I feel anger coming up my throat and I feel like shredding someone to pieces, I am able to stop and think are they really worth it.