Lamictal and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Ano...
• December 30, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking Lamictal for 4 years (400 mg). I had severe mania for 3 years before that. Went through 13 different medicines. They all seemed to make things worse and became very destructive not only to my life, but I also became dangerous to others. If it were not for Lamictal, I would most surely be dead. I sometimes still go through depression and have added antidepressants, but there are too many side effects. I have insomnia, so I also take Ambien CR and Xanax. It's not a healthy combination, but it all works for the most part. I'm sad for those of you that had to stop taking Lamictal for some reason or another. It's a great thing not to be sick anymore."

• Mad...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 24, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I have rapid cycling mood disorder, and I've been taking 75 mg of Lamictal for over a year, and it has drastically changed my life for the best! I still have rage episodes (really bad, might I add), but they are less frequent, less intense, and the duration is shorter. I can still feel the full range of emotions, just in a more manageable way. Everything is a bit dulled, which helps with my food/drug addictions. Nothing tastes or feels as good, but they still feel good! Just not overwhelmingly good, which works out great for me. Some side effects are it harder to climax, lower sex drive, frequent UTIs, and insomnia. Definitely worth the side effects for me."

• 31 ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 10, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I am on the autistic spectrum, so I'm used to the ups and downs. However, for the last 10 years, I have experienced severe lows where I neglect myself, the house ends up an absolute mess, my spending is really irresponsible, and I skip rent without thinking of the consequences. I *know* better than to do this, but my mind just crashes. I don't recognize myself as I'm usually a very tidy person. My GP put me on lamotrigine (Lamictal), and it's helped a LOT. I feel like I'm more myself, I am showering, eating actual food instead of crap, and I am tidying, working out, etc. The difference is significant, and I slowly manage my weight better too. Friends can tell when I've skipped meds because I am so different off them. The downside is I became prone to insomnia, but if I am strict with a sleep pattern/good sleep hygiene, I'm fine. I get a little nauseous too, but it's worth it for the positives, personally."

• Mar...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 21, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I had tried many depression meds, none seemed to work. I was given this one, which I stayed on for 8 years. I felt like it was not working well after that long. I was up to 200 mg at the time. This was good medication, it made me feel like getting things done, getting out of bed. A great medication for bipolar. I had no bad side effects, except insomnia is a bad one. But the good outweighs the bad. This one is one of the good ones."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 10, 2021

For Epilepsy "I won't talk about my experience of how it controlled epilepsy because I don't know. When I was on Keppra, I was a terrible person when I was taking it alone, feeling angry and depressed all the time. After another violent seizure, I was prescribed Lamictal on top of Keppra. I tried to refuse to take it but ended up taking it anyway (along with Keppra). Once I reached 100 mg bd, all of the Keppra side effects were gone, and I felt like a different person. But like any anti-epilepsy medicine, there are side effects, and I had two: 1- I couldn't sleep more than 5 hours at night, I never used an alarm to wake up (you wish to need it once you reach this level). 2- Dry mouth, nostrils, and eyes, dry to the point I can't open my eyes when I wake up, and I needed an eye drop to open my eyes. My mouth was dry despite not being thirsty, my eyes and mouth literally felt like sandpaper."

• Are...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 12, 2017

For Seizure Prevention "I've been taking Lamotrigine for close to a year now, as an alternate for my previous seizure medicine. I am able to continue using Depo birth control, and although there's a small chance I get slight insomnia, it works quite well for me. Two a day, 100 mg each."

• PNW...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 12, 2023

"In August, I hit my lowest low. I had a huge emotional breakdown (out of nowhere) and felt out of control. My emotions were all over the place. After meeting with various doctors about my depression and feeling of helplessness, one suggested we try a mood stabilizer to see how that would help in addition to the Prozac and Adderall I have been on for years. I was surprised how quickly it helped! My crying bouts decreased, and I started to do things I had known I should do but hadn't wanted to do in a long time (brushing my teeth, showering, getting dressed). The only negative side effect was, unlike many, it made it very difficult for me to go to sleep. I just increased my dose from 50 to 100 yesterday and didn't have trouble falling asleep but woke up early, super dizzy (unstable on my feet) and with a headache. I am hopeful that after two weeks at this level, I stabilize and these symptoms subside. It was so nice to not be a pile of emotions with highs and lows - I hope this works out."

• Don...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 24, 2023

"I have had insomnia, daily migraines, nightmares, and muffled ears. Worst medicine I’ve ever taken, at least for me."