Lamotrigine for Depression User Reviews (Page 5)

• Mac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2021

"I recently started Lamictal about 4 days ago, 100 mg a day. So far, it's done nothing but heightened my anger and made me cry. I need a miracle here. I'm also on Paxil 20 mg, Cymbalta 120 mg, Abilify 5 mg, and clonazepam. I also suffer from partial onset seizures. If anyone can offer advice. I was told and have read that this is a great medicine and begged my doctor to put me on it. My anxiety is so horrible I still have extreme suicidal thoughts and feel empty. I've had so many different diagnoses. I honestly don't know what I have. Please advise?"

• Kyl...
• July 25, 2016

"I've tried roughly a dozen different medications for depression with little to no effect. Some have actually made me feel much worse. Lamotrigine's effect is relatively minor, but more significant than any other medication I've tried. It makes me feel more talkative and enables me to actually enjoy things. My mood still fluctuates quite a bit, and on a bad day, it has little effect, but the improvement it adds to my good days is very noticeable versus without it. It also helps my social anxiety. Important to note though that it's next to useless for me when used alone. Its improvements only apply when taken with a serotonergic medication. (I take it with venlafaxine and mirtazapine.)"

• Wit...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 13, 2021

"Have depression and anxiety along with ADHD. Tried so many meds, all crap, make you crazy or fat, etc. Started a super low-carb, no-sugar diet in March 2019, lost 50 lb. Specifically asked my new doctor for Wellbutrin during that time. Doctor eventually put me on Abilify in May 2020. Started gaining weight back like crazy. Couldn’t get my doctor to switch me off it until May 2021, and she switched me to Lamictal. Still been gaining weight like crazy. No motivation in life. Feeling so indifferent towards everything. Worst thing I’ve ever been put on. Been a zombie living my life for the past 7 months and began tapering off my 100 mg per day dose a week and a half ago. Did 50 mg for a week, on day 3 of 25 mg, and let me tell you, it’s miserable! Do your research before starting this poison! I’ve never felt worse. Extreme dizziness and nausea! Lightheaded and can’t even stand up. Bad."

• Jle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2019

"My doctor took me off Celexa and put me on lamotrigine, and I will tell you this: worst drug in the world. I could only sleep for about 4 hours at a time, whereas before I slept through the night. Before, I was happy and outgoing, now I'm always crying and worrying. I had no appetite on this. I started out on 25 mg, my anxiety was through the roof, so she took me off it and said, let's see what we can put you on. I said, let's go back on the Celexa because it’s an SSRI, so I am back to 20 mg of the Celexa and starting to feel better. Do your research before taking this drug!!"

• Cam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2022

"I don’t know where to start with this one. Tried this mood stabilizer to balance my hormones after having a baby. My body and mind usually react well to new meds, but this was the complete opposite. From day one of taking it, I began having intrusive thoughts from my past popping up in my head. Each day, they got worse and worse and more intense. I was a whole different person on this med. This drug almost cost me my marriage and my family. I can’t even describe the doom it brought to my mind. Felt like an out-of-body experience. It also made my OCD ten times worse. I have not had a big problem with it until I started this. I literally could not control my thoughts or actions. The only good thing it did was give back my libido (I’m on Zoloft). This works for some people, but did not work for me. I knew I had to leave a review because my experience was so, so bad. I immediately threw them away after stopping because I didn’t want to look at them anymore."

• Han...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 28, 2025

"I am 50 and have been on antidepressants constantly since age 14 without remission. I was diagnosed with major depression many times, dysthymia, borderline personality disorder, and ASD, level 1. I was started on tricyclics and Thorazine 35 years ago and old antipsychotic - no effect. Then fluoxetine for years, paroxetine, escitalopram, venlafaxine, carbamazepine, sertraline, and lithium and cannabis and vortioxetine. Everything worked a little bit for about 2 weeks, but I was never in real remission and spent my entire life pretty hopeless. I lost faith in psychiatry and mankind. Nothing worked except smoking weed and drinking, but that had its own adverse effects. I think I only was not depressed for about 4 days in my life - when I got married and for 3 days after I had my kids. Now, with a mixture of Lamictal and sertraline, I feel good and hope I can quit sertraline and just stay on this. Not manic, but not depressed and terrified like I have always been. It has worked for me."

• Kat...
• May 15, 2016

"I was off medication for about one year while seeing a therapist when I decided to seek out a psychiatrist and try again. I explained to my psychiatrist that I feel as though my depression is secondary to my mood instability and the problems it continues to cause in my personal life. I said I didn't feel comfortable trying another antidepressant due to prior bad experiences (self-harm, suicidal thoughts, etc.). He suggested a mood stabilizer (Lamictal/lamotrigine). I started out at 50 mg, then 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg. Honestly, it did nothing for me. If anything, I feel like it increased my symptoms. Long story short, I ended up in the ER two days ago due to a self-induced overdose. Would never try it again, but just my personal experience."

• DJ_...
• April 26, 2017

"I have been seeing a counselor regarding some personal issues going on. She thought I was mildly autistic or had some sort of social disorder because she couldn't read my body language. I am in my mid-40s and work in PR. Nobody has ever brought it up. She said to go to a behavioral specialist anyway to see what they say. The specialist diagnosed me with cyclothymia, which seems to be bipolar light, or rather just moody. Certainly, the latter is true. I'm not a fan of meds, but this has really changed me, for the better I believe. If I forget to take it, boy can I tell. Not sure if it's withdrawals or how I used to feel. If I lose my insurance, I can keep taking it. It's cheap, thank goodness."

• Cas...
• August 8, 2017

"After falling ill with major depression this past spring, my doctor prescribed Lamectil. I noticed a positive change at 50 mg, and am now up to 75 mg. I'm looking forward to titration up to 100 and hope that will be the most effective dose, as with fibromyalgia, I am very sensitive to meds. This med has also changed my life as I became nonfunctional prior to taking it. I pray the positive effects last, as I was in a very dark place without it. I take my dose in the morning, as I was having difficulty sleeping at night (and take melatonin and benzos) for that. My appetite has also not yet gotten back to normal, but I am taking in enough calories to maintain the weight I lost during the depression."

• Apa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 8, 2021

"The first 3 days of taking this medication, I felt awesome on just a 25 mg dose, but then I started to feel worse (really dark and suicidal), so I chose to wean myself off, and I need to find an alternative for my bipolar/depression. This really bums me out because I had such high hopes to finally get some relief from always feeling like rubbish, but I’m going to continue to search for something better."

• Lea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 7, 2020

"My son has depression and anxiety. Started low and went up to 175. I do NOT see a difference, in fact, I feel it's the same or worse. I know the Rx and brain are a science to figure which works with who. But for us, it seems to make the depression 10x worse!"

• gg_...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2022

"After battling with my 2nd serious major depression and anxiety with Pure O for 4 months—having suicidal thoughts, becoming unable to work, etc.—my psychiatrist prescribed me Lamolep (the Hungarian brand of Lamotrigine) as an adjunct to Sertraline (SSRI). It had to be titrated, so it was 50 mg for 2 weeks, then we stepped up to 100 mg. The results were marvelous: the day after changing to 100 mg, my mood and cognitive functions started to improve rapidly, and within a week, I felt like my old self. After another 2 weeks, we changed the dosage to 200 mg every morning, and ~95% of the symptoms went away. Now, 5 weeks after the change to 100 mg, I’m happy, productive, active, etc., just like before the beginning of the negative spiral. The only side effect I experienced is occasional sleepiness, but it’s absolutely worth it compared to its miraculous effect. This pill was a lifesaver without any exaggeration, if you can, give it a shot."

• Rba...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 13, 2019

"SSRIs stopped working and gave me fibromyalgia. My stomach lining was burning, but that might have been the Remeron or the combination. Lamotrigine reduced my depression 50-100%. Not sure why some days are better than others. My fear/anxiety is much, much worse. I can barely eat. My memory is terrible, so I can't remember my memory prior to lamotrigine! I suspect these symptoms are caused by it, but I can't be sure. I've lost my appetite twice prior to taking it, but never this bad. Night terrors, but I can't remember if I had them prior."

• Jor...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 27, 2017

"I've been on 100 mg Lamotrigine for 9 years now. I started it after a major depressive episode. No side effects that I can tell, which is a huge boon compared to SSRIs (weight gain, feeling hungry all the time, and no libido), and Wellbutrin made me feel like I was on speed. It is a mood stabilizer, not so much an AD. I went from having anxious and depressed episodes every few weeks to having them rarely. After a few years, I tried upping my dosage to 200 mg, but I felt too 'flat' emotionally and went back to 100. I still feel some depression, but the cycling is greatly reduced. Really a miracle drug for me. I recommend titrating up (and down) very slowly, to avoid getting the rash. It takes a while, but it was so worth it for me."

• Bob...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 13, 2021

"After being diagnosed with MDD, I was hospitalized for three weeks and begun on a series of ECT treatments that got me well enough to be out on the street. I then spent 2-1/2 years in outpatient therapy that was a total waste of my time. A psych APRN at the VA put me on Lamotrigine. It, along with some excellent therapy, got me feeling better and stopped the suicidal thoughts that had filled my brain for almost three years. I started on 200 mg/day in 2015 and have stayed on the same dose since then. I would rate it 10 out of 10 for effectiveness, with the results beginning a week after starting it."

• ify...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2017

"Made my depression and anxiety worse, which I wasn't expecting as this drug seems so well-tolerated by others. My maximum dose was 50 mg bd (50 mg twice daily). I just wanted to make people aware that this can happen. On the plus side, it did get rid of my visual migraines."

• Roa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 20, 2019

"I have found Lamictal to cause insomnia and restless legs when taken in the evening. I was prescribed Lamictal for treatment-resistant depression. I can't be certain whether it's helping or not, but it does cause a noticeable restlessness when I take it in the evening as prescribed. I am going to start taking it in the morning instead."

• Sma...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 14, 2022

"I have dysthymia, and I’ve been on lamotrigine (100 mg) and venlafaxine XR (150 mg) for one month, and I’m much better. I can’t tell exactly which symptoms got better with this drug, but my feelings of frustration, anxiety, apathy, and fatigue are mostly gone. I don’t go to sleep wondering if the next day I’m going to be fine or not. My mood is calm, and I don’t feel like a robot anymore. My clonazepam/alprazolam abuse is improving. I feel more control of myself. No side effects. I tried escitalopram, paroxetine, and bupropion, and they did nothing-only emotional flatness and fatigue. Don’t give up, it’s not always easy to find the correct medication."

• Rmp...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 8, 2022

"This drug is the worst. Long story short… back in December, I developed anxiety and panic attacks that were situational. I was put on Lexapro and had adverse effects. Put on Zoloft, adverse effects. Put on lamotrigine, and I was seriously suicidal. I have never been suicidal or had depression or anxiety in the past, like I said, my situation was acute. This medication had the absolute worst side effects: suicidal ideations, excessive crying, severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression (that I really didn’t have to begin with), hair loss, itching, labile mood, a rash that did go away, abnormal thinking. And I was only on this for five weeks. I am tapering off this as we speak. I know for some it helps, but honestly, this is poison to me. I want others to know if you experience these side effects and you’re on this medication, it’s not you!!! I have three weeks left until I’m off of this stuff, and I cannot wait. I’d give it a zero if I could…"

• Cor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 24, 2018

"I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar II since my teenage years, but I only have mania when on antidepressants. My mood swings are between depression, normal, and periods of high anxiety. I’ve been alternating Depakote, Lamictal, or a combo for many years. Now I’m on 200 mg Lamictal and have been for over a year, I take 100 mg in the AM and 100 mg before bed. If I miss a dose or two, I get a very buzzy feeling in my body and mind, so don’t miss a pill. Otherwise, no side effects, and I’ve lost the Depakote weight. In the past, I felt like it gave me anxiety, but it’s working pretty well now. This is the first time I’ve tried the morning and night thing, and I think it keeps my levels more consistent. I’ve been more happy, and I don’t use that word lightly, and I’ve had success at work, so it’s keeping me stable. Give it a try for depression and bipolar depression. No sexual side effects either."

• peb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2018

"I was on Celexa and Buspar for about 15 years - no highs, no lows, but felt after that long I should try something new. I started with Lamictal @ 25 mg while I was lowering my Celexa and Buspar. The first two weeks were almost euphoric. Then I stepped up to 50 mg (again while decreasing my other meds), and I started seeing things. I googled this and found others were experiencing the same issue. Then I stepped up to 75 mg, and my world fell apart. Dizziness, hostility, itching, 'buzzing', sleep issues, nausea, and uncontrollable sobbing. I'm stepping down now, but it has been a 6-week process. Now I've been prescribed meds to calm the dizziness and nausea, and I'm still stepping down while going back on Celexa. Great when it works...a complete nightmare when it doesn't."

• Los...
• January 30, 2016

"I titrated up to 75 and stayed there for about 5 weeks. My depression lightened a bit, but it was not effective during my menstrual cycle. Eventually, I started experiencing blurry vision, and I read that was a common side effect, so I weaned off of it."

• Ren...
• May 24, 2017

"The medicine seemed to work okay. However, after two weeks of 25 mg, I increased to 50 mg, and after 6 days of 50 mg, I was admitted to the hospital with aseptic meningitis. I didn't know at the time it was from medication. I came home, restarted medication, and then started with a rash, so I stopped medication. When I called my psych to tell him about the rash and about the recent hospital stay, he told me Lamictal causes meningitis. I was told to stop medication immediately."

• sle...
• May 17, 2017

"It only took 4 doses of the 25 mg starter pack to cause major issues for me. I experienced sleep disturbances that exacerbated my depression and anxiety. It's been a few days since my last dose, and I'm still struggling with insomnia, panic, and frequent tearfulness."

• Mil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 12, 2018

"I have been on Lamotrigine for 6 weeks and up to a dose of 100 mg and have felt no change at all. I am on it for depression and PTSD and anxiety. I suffer badly from panic disorder as well. Unfortunately, there has been no change while on this, and I have tried all SSRIs and none worked, and I am on Cymbalta also. So far, Klonopin is the only thing that has helped me function. Also, I feel the Lamotrigine made me more panicky, tired, and sad :-(. I was so hopeful for this to work and am so disappointed that yet another medication has failed me. I am currently weaning, I went from 100 mg to 50 mg and will be on 50 mg for 2 weeks before I go to 25 mg. After 2 days, I already feel a tad dizzy and off! Ugh, please tell me this will go away :-("