Lamotrigine and Dizziness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Bel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 29, 2018

For Depression "Started the medication August 20th. I’m sensitive to medications, so I took half of 25 mg for a week, then 25 mg the next three weeks. Then, a month later, I moved up to 50 mg. Now I am trying to get to 75 mg, then to a therapeutic level of 100 mg. I have had lightheadedness, dizziness, stomach cramps, and sore muscles. I believe everyone should get to a therapeutic level and wait at least two months before they give up, unless you get the rash or really depressed or anything else that can be life-threatening. All these medicines take time to work. You won’t feel it working in a week or sooner, that’s just the placebo effect if you feel it working. So, so far I’m doing good, just need to get up at least to 100 mg, and I should feel a good effect."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2018

Lamotrigine for Bipolar Disorder "I spent a lot of time getting to a 'therapeutic' dose of this medicine, and it never helped me. I felt flat. I was always dizzy to the point I couldn't drive or walk even sometimes. I was never diagnosed as bipolar. Anxiety and depression, but the doctor said this could help me. It was definitely a waste of time and took weeks to come off also."

• Gma...
• September 22, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I've developed some more rare side effects - a hand tremor that sometimes interferes with my daily life. When it is bad, I take propranolol, which quiets the tremor and takes the edge off anxiety. I've also had a couple of episodes of vertigo and double vision at 300 mg, which were scary, so I'm dropping my dose 50 mg at a time until that stops happening. I'm so grateful that this works for me, the side effects are minimal for how much it helps. At 250 mg every night, I've finally become more or less a functional human. It took a psychotic episode to get me into treatment, but I hadn't been functional for a long time before that (manic and drunk 24/7 or depressed and in bed 24/7). My depression has lifted and I haven't been manic, although I think I've still had some mixed states and some outbursts. I'm learning to take better care of myself to avoid those. Getting sober helped. Side effects got worse once I quit drinking, so I think maybe it affected how I metabolize it/how much I need."

• Shd...
• April 8, 2017

For Epilepsy "I was diagnosed with simple partial epilepsy 14 months ago, and I have been on Lamictal ever since. It stopped my seizures. However, it is making my life a living hell. I go through these weird déjà vu episodes. I have headaches. I get dizzy. I forget things-everyday things and very important things. I have trouble concentrating. It is a living hell. I would rather have seizures."

• Yel...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 4, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking this medication for 4 years, and in my experience, I've found that the 200 mg dosage is the most effective for me. It helps me keep a clear mind and my mood stable (type II bipolar). I take it at bedtime, and it's worked a lot better for me than taking it at breakfast. Pros: • cheap (usually a few dollars depending on the pharmacy) • little side effects • really effective at mood regulation. Cons: • building up to 200 mg takes a while • not eating before = dizziness • missing a dose = feeling 'off' for the day."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 21, 2022

For Seizure Prevention "Medicine side effects were horrible for me, from major weight gain, nausea, dizziness, loss of coordination, double vision, and sensitivity to light. It was supposed to help me stop having seizures, but it only felt like it was making me have them."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 21, 2022

For Seizure Prevention "Medicine side effects were horrible for me, from major weight gain, nausea, dizziness, loss of coordination, double vision, and sensitivity to light. It was supposed to help me stop having seizures, but it only felt like it was making me have them."

• ZZZ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2022

For Seizure Prevention "I suffer from nocturnal seizures and was only having 1-2 a year prior to meds. Since I've been on Lamictal, I haven't had seizures (taking it 2x/day), but man... I'm struggling with the myriad of side effects. I'm only 30, and ever since I introduced prescription meds into my life, I have SO many 'health' problems. Other than my seizures, I had zero physical problems prior to being on meds. Now I have insomnia, my vision is blurry, muscle spasms/vertigo in the mornings, my coordination sucks, I'm always lethargic, and I get tongue-tied and slur all the time. I also got a severe rash on my face and neck the first week I was on Lamictal. But the worst part? I can't remember ANYTHING, can't concentrate, and I'm zoned out all the time. The cognitive impact is negatively impacting me at work and is causing frustration within my relationships. It feels like I just can't win with anticonvulsants. Is all of this really worth it? I don't know anymore..."

• mis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2023

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I suffer from emetophobia and get nausea or vomiting from this medication. If you can, try to get ondansetron or another antiemetic or even Pepto to help. If you can make it from the initial dose of 25 mg to 50 mg, then you are off to a great start. Going from 50 mg to 100 mg was scary for me, and I was going to go to 75 mg instead, so I followed the doctor's orders and took the 100 mg. It caused only dizziness and insomnia. I am about 3-4 weeks on 100 mg and feel pretty good. I still react poorly to triggers, but I have less anxiety overall and can face more things. I've also been cutting out buspirone at the same time, and this time with lamotrigine, I don't have withdrawals as I did previously when I tapered buspirone. I am looking forward to moving up in dose. Again, if you are afraid of the nausea or potential vomiting, try it anyway and see if it works for you because I feel great now."

• Squ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 5, 2019

For Epilepsy "I began taking lamotrigine on February 23, 2017, and it stopped my seizures, but I had to suffer poor balance and my dizziness, which was terrible and did not fully go away. Since late January 2018, I have been having increased myoclonic jerks and several seizures that I have never experienced before. I have been put on lacosamide, which I will be fully transitioning to in the next 6 months."

• Squ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 5, 2019

For Epilepsy "I began taking lamotrigine on February 23, 2017, and it stopped my seizures, but I had to suffer poor balance and my dizziness, which was terrible and did not fully go away. Since late January 2018, I have been having increased myoclonic jerks and several seizures that I have never experienced before. I have been put on lacosamide, which I will be fully transitioning to in the next 6 months."

• Nwi...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 23, 2016

For Seizure Prevention "I have had seizures since taking. One year I had 3. My trigger is alcohol and late nights. I was on 300 mg pd, and I moved to Spain for 9 months. I decreased my meds to 200 as I was getting dizzy spells. The doctor there said because my lifestyle was more relaxed that it was my body's way of saying I didn't need as much. When I moved back and into my hectic recruitment job, I didn't increase it back. Ha, a fit 2 months later! I had been seizure-free for 18 months. But I'd had a drink and not enough sleep. Went back up to 300 mg (but lost my license again, worst thing ever!). Was nearly 20 months recently, and I missed a dose the other morning as I ran out and had 1 the next morning! Gutted. Also started the aloe gel stuff and think it had an effect?!"

• Kir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Just started this medicine. I read the packet it came with, and was SHOCKED to see all the crazy warnings. I've never seen a medicine that said it could outright freakin' kill me if I take it. But I thought, that I'm being slowly titrated up for safety reasons. I took it this morning at 8 AM, and it's 1 PM. I'm dizzy, and my sense of space is just gone, but that's absolutely nothing I can't handle, lol. I feel like my brain has a blanket on it, lol, it's very comfy. I feel like this dizzy feeling will most definitely fade as soon as my body gets used to it. For those just starting lamotrigine, feel safe if you're starting 25 mg and slowly going up. You'll be alright! Just be aware of yourself."

• Kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Has anyone experienced dizzy spells from this medication? I started at 25 mg last week and now I'm at 50 mg. I have read nothing but wonderful reviews on Lamictal. I'm waiting for my doctor to call me back."

• asd...
• June 13, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I am diagnosed with bipolar II. I've been taking this for 3 years now. I increased the dosage up to 400 mg at one point and became very dizzy and nauseated. Although, for the majority of the time, I took 150 mg twice a day, the effectiveness is wearing down now. I give this medicine a 7 because it definitely helped stabilize my moods and I became less irritable. I'm discontinuing my use this week to try lithium. I hear great things about lithium and am tired of the inconsistency I've been getting with lamotrigine as of late. (Also, the possibility of developing Stevens-Johnson syndrome is totally not worth it, and long-term use of lamotrigine doesn't make you immune to it, of course!)"

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

Lamotrigine "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."

• JSD...
• September 29, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I was super nervous about taking this medication, but I decided to go for it. Glad I did. It’s helped me a lot, and I only had minimal side effects (a little mania, dry mouth, coordination issues), but they went away totally within 2 weeks of every dose increase. I’ve been on it two years now and have no side effects any longer. Give it a try."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 5, 2014

Lamotrigine for Bipolar Disorder "Saved my life after trying various antidepressants with no results. Felt dizzy and nauseous the first weeks, but noticed improvements in mood within days."

• set...
• June 2, 2009

Lamotrigine for Bipolar Disorder "Lamictal completely changed my life from the roller coaster high dosage of Depakote to a much more stable, controllable life with just a little dizziness and drowsiness, which has since gone away."

• Ady...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 16, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "This drug helps raise my mood slightly in the mornings. However, it also has side effects of dizziness and headaches. This is especially true two to six hours after you miss a dose."