Lamictal - How long to kick in and what dose ?

It’s standard to increase slowly. I started out on the same low dose, gradually increasing to 200 mg 2x/day for 15 years. I’ve been taking 250 mg 2x/day for the last two years. This is for bipolar 2 disorder with major depressive disorder.
I know it’s difficult to be patient when your brain is unsettled, but for me this has the fewest side effects and best results. Getting to your target dose may just take more time than it did for your friend.

Hi, Jack!
It all depends on your response to the drug and that can vary greatly from one person to the next.
The usual initial dose is 25mg which is increased over several weeks (5-6) to the standard maintenance dose of 225 to 375mg/day.
Some people will respond sooner but for others it may take a bit longer to reach the therapeutic dose that's effective for you.
In contrast to your friend who seems to be very sensitive to the medication I had to titer up over several weeks to my current 300mg/day to feel the effects.
Try to be patient and hang in there. You're still very early on in your treatment but give it a little more time.