How long does Lamictal take to work, I'm increasing my dose and not feeling any effects?

As you know my friend,
Having walked in her shoes myself, gives one a special bond, kismet, karma ... whatever. Hope is a wonderful thing. And I'm telling the truth. I've said the same thing before and will again I'm sure.
Thank you for your kindness and never ending support.
The Hipster in her Nighty...

You make me so hopeful that this will have a good outcome. Thanks so much for your understanding and your prayers.

Hang I'm there Kate, better days are on there way
Fear can add to your depression. Lamictal has mood stabilizing effects, anti-depressant effects and anti-anxiety effects. Try yo go outside and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and pick a sweet smelling flower, you'll feel better.
Peace oh gentle one.
Laura

I know it does and that happens to a lot of us. You just feel that "click" and then comes the outpouring of information and lots of passion filled communications. It is a wonderful thing... knowing you have helped someone who was/is truly struggling for the answers.

Mary

Kate - you are going to be okay... be gentle with yourself... the change happens slowly but when you yourself stop thinking about when is it going to work... means it is actually working. When you feel like getting up in the morning and doing stuff... you know it is working. When you stop thinking "what for" and start thinking, "why not"? You will know it is working... give yourself some breathing room and allow yourself to just be... do what you feel like doing and even mild to moderate exercise can help in the meantime. So can yoga or meditation... We are here for you and I am glad you have connected with Laura. She is a great resource and a very kind person, too.

Mary

Please please reassure me this can happens, I am on 50 and tried many meds and no help. I am desperate and also have dealt with this for over 40 years. I got through life but it has come full throttle and I can't fake it anymore! I am supposed to start 75 mg in 3 days but she said hold off because I feel agitated and mean and depressed. Help!

I am in same situation! Exactly. I feel hopeless and fearing another med won't work. I so feel better hearing similar stories. I am so depressed and scared nothing will improve and there will be no med for me! I am on 50 and supposed to go to 75 but feel agitated and racing heart so doc said wait to increase. Omg I feel I will never feel better. Anyone..I am new here..and doing anything to feel better about this!

Please please reassure me this can happens, I am on 50 and tried many meds and no help. I am desperate and also have dealt with this for over 40 years. I got through life but it has come full throttle and I can't fake it anymore! I am supposed to start 75 mg in 3 days but she said hold off because I feel agitated and mean and depressed. Help!

I am 28 years old and have just been diagnosed with type 2 bipolar. I have been misdiagnosed for the past 6 years with Borderline Personality Disorder and ADHD. My Dr. prescribed me to start at 25mg of Lamictal. I am extremely depressed right now and read that Lamictal can make it worse?? Yikes... That would not be good for me. How bad did your depression get before you felt a change?? I'm so scared by this diagnosis in general and the medications don't make me any more comfortable about it. I'd love advice that anyone may have for me...

I want to update everyone, and especially to encourage those of you that are in the beginning stages with lamictal. In the beginning I was depressed, agitated, angry... just terrible really. When I got to 100mg I found I was suddenly feeling good, even stable. After years of long, deep depressions, I was finally in a really good place, so hang in there. Over the months I've gone from 100mg, to 200 and finally to 300mg. This is where I feel the best, and have very little trouble with depression or anxiety. I may have a day or 2 of mild to moderate depression, and not very often.

I love lamictal, and appreciate all of the support and encouragement from everyone here. I hope this helps someone else who is where I was a few months ago.

I am now at 75 mg feeling depressed -- hoping that at 100 mg I will feel the difference -- please someone tell me I will -- with my Bipolar I am more depressed than anything. I started at 5 mg and then have titrated to 75 mg and next week will go to 100 mg

I recognize myself in your situation. I'm 50 years old and have started taking Lamictal for the first time 12 days ago. I'm looking forward to increasing my dosage in 2 days. I'm still on 25 mg but pretty much right from the start I felt a hundred times better. Almost no suicidal thoughts and life looks better and hopeful. I've been depressed, most likely bipolar like I've finally been diagnosed now, as long as I can remember.

Hello, I am new here at drugs.com. I hope you can answer my question as well. Like you, I am hoping for the best also since I was going through depression. My motivation was lost and my interests that I had before was completely off. Not only that but I gained weight and that is one of my biggest concerns that I complained about to my doctor. Did you have that problem as well?

I was on lomictal 200 mg in the am and 200 mg in the pm but my doctor reported that the top dose is 200mg a day. I was just taken off of lithium three weeks ago after being on it since 1990. I was ok at first but now i can't stop the crying or the depression. Any suggestions?

This is old posting, but I went to Google with the question and found this. Thanks. I too have started this medication after being treated for long time for depression, unipolar, with limited success. Recent determination is that I am bipolar 2. Tough for me to accept that at age 59. But does make overall sense in study of symptoms. Went on 25 mg, now at 50 mg, and to 100 mg in 3 days. Ain't doing much. Doctor says hold on... it works. Hard to believe now, but great to read multiple testimony that confirms doctors claims. Right now ... life not so much fun.

Thought I would share on my success with lamictal. I was on lithium for over 25yrs until it started working against me... they started me on lamictal at 100 mg.. I am at 200 mg today. I don't notice alot while taking my required dose but if I'm off of the medicine I definitely feel the difference... maybe your the same way, feel the affects when dosage is off?

Lamictal is a JOKE! All these good reviews MUST be from pharmaceutical reps. I had high hopes for this medication, but what a let down. What a JOKE of a med. it did absolutely NOTHING for me. I think it made me worse!

I love to hear news like that.. I’m so
Happy for you.. very inspiring

Nuthatch is great news for you and very encouraging for the rest of us .. thank you for the post

I feel the same way and I am on 100mg. I am trying to be patient but ugh!!!

Yep, being patient is not meant to sound or be easy, it takes digging deeper than we realize we can, but we can, we do, and we will. Plus, isn't it great to have this community as part of the effort?

I'm on 200 and have been on it for about 5-6 weeks and feel nothing. I read that it takes several weeks, and my shrink told me this is the effective dose. But I'm getting impatient with it.

2-3 weeks. That's high.

i felt better on the 25 mg first two weeks. now on 50 which i am not liking.i get agitated. supposed to go up next week to 75. why are they going to raise it for me if i felt better on 25?

I too am only 4 days in to the increase from 25 mg to 50. I'm very agitated and anxious. Yesterday was so bad that I too Xanax and slept most of the dY and I'm on vacation to clear my head and get to a better place. So I've read that splitting the dose to taking 25 mg twice a day will help and I'm going to start that today. I felt AMAZING the 2 weeks on the 25 and yes, it started to fade. I was hoping the increase would just be more of the same but it's not. Trying to be patient and deal w side effects until I get to the ideal dose. I'm just so sensitive to meds. Good luck to the rest of you, this is so tough. I can't imagine having to go through this AND work. Thankfully I'm not currently working, well, I can't.

Thank you for telling me this I make myself anxious going up and down in mood

Not true - this bed is a JOKE. I’ve been in 200mg for 6 months- I think I’m worse- but DEFINITELY not better. A JOKE of a MED

Look when she posted. Possible it didn't have a generic at that time.

Oops, they said the generic was expensive. I got mine at Publix for like 7 or 8 bucks.

I know this post was from a long time ago but now if you keep your receipts from your medications over $5 you can get money back on it!! (Just found out today from my mom.)

yes, Costco has amazing prices. When I was off insurance for a couple months I was able to get 6 months worth of 200mg for about 50%. Costco is a little secret not many people know about. You don't even have to have a membership to use the pharmacy! It just shows how much pharmacutical companies are making off us and insurance companies.

Good Rx, there are many alternatives to not having insurance I know! good luck