Lamotrigine

So I've been on lamotrigine (50 mg per day) for a week now. Two days since I started taking it, I started experiencing wild mood swings, very intense on both ends. I don't have much of a memory of what I do when I'm extremely high/low, all I find are broken bits of things I apparently intentionally destroy. Has anybody experienced anything similar? I'm supposed to increase my dosage in about two days; I was on summer break, but have to go back to school soon, in a different country and I'm freaked out.

I haven't taken Lamatrogine before. My doctor was talking about it as a possibility and from what I understand it is better for bipolar depression than mania, although you will have to check with your doctor about that.

Regardless, it does sound like you need your meds reviewed at the moment and it is unfortunate you have the upheaval of travel, a new country and starting school.

If it was me I would defer anything until my medications were right. Because if you end up starting school very unwell it could wreck everything for you. Better late than never.

In travelling I have found it is critical to keep a sleep schedule. I was once tempted to travel without an ideal travel schedule so I could be home for Christmas. Well, I was home for Christmas and then I was in the hospital again. Always plan ahead for the best flying hours and the least stopover time. If you are going a long way book a hotel halfway. Above all minimize disruption to your sleep, and give yourself time to adjust when you get there.

See your doctor and good luck.

From what I have read (I am not a professional!) when I first started taking Lamictal, it is generally great as a replacement for another medication that you were already stable on. So you taper into Lamictal, then after a while taper off that medication. (For me, that's lithium.)

I would definitely suggest you contact your pdoc. Even if they say it's normal and OK, it would be good for you to get some peace of mind. And if they say it's not supposed to happen and take you off the medication, then the sooner the better.

Big hugs.

zeroesandones,

I'm sorry to hear Lamotrigine has not been working for you. I'm not sure if it makes a difference what type of of bipolar disorder but I have bipolar 2 and it has been working well for me so far. I'm on 200 mg once a day. I find that it really curbs my hypomania but doesn't reduce my depression as much as I would like. I am looking into adding an antidepressant to go along with the Lamotrigine.

I hope you find something that works for you. I would suggest giving your body time to adjust to adding, removing, or increasing any medication. I have found my body takes awhile to settle down after any changes. Good luck.

The first time I started lamictal was somewhere around 2009. And for a couple of weeks I was off the walls. And I was even snorting them.. stupid I know. But it would make me feel just really giddy and pretty reckless. After a couple weeks my mood leveled out. It takes a couple weeks to get adjusted to it.
I guess it's good for depression, though I can't tell anymore. I know when I did stop taking it for 4 days my mood dropped very low. It's also may cause some crazy dreams

Yeah I think Lamotrigine is more for Type II (which is what I have and what I'm taking for it). If you deal with a lot of mania (even just hypo), you'll need to get on more of a "downer" probably

You will soon be very busy and preoccupied with other things. I know you will want to be well. Lamictal is different for everyone. I'm sure you know that. For you it seems to cause irritability in an extreme manner. That's just my opinion. I apologize in advance if I misunderstood this. Hopefully the doctor can figure it out and fix this issue soon. I've not experienced that even with 300mg or when I first started the first dosage. I've been on it for a couple of years or so. Honestly I fail to see what good it does for me. But I do what the doctor tells me so I continue to take it. I don't want a relapse so just in case that could happen I'll continue to take it. I have a lot of depression at times. It never went away until they also added the Lithium which can be good for depression and I believe is also a mood stabilizer. Of course I also need an antipsychotic for mood swings and paranoia. I take Abilify. Good luck on this issue. Let us know how it turns out.

Within five days of taking Lamictal my depression and mixed symptoms were so bad the doctor pulled me off of it. It was the wrong drug for me. Call your doc, maybe get an urgent appointment, and see what's best for you. Good luck!

This is just my personal opinion...and it is an opinion. Anyways, these meds "geared" for bipolar should come with a clear warning label..."May trigger something!" With that said, I have blindly been fooled as some doctors and patients who believe what the meds says it does actually does not do it. It could just be me and other people may actually do well with it, but for me it does not work as an anti-depressant with mood stabilizing properties all in one package. I took it a while back bc I am more on the depressive side and I was told it would help with that and have mood stabilizing properties. And it is an overall good and tolerable med. But I am very sensitive to meds and it made me go full blown manic. (And it caused horrible acne... Which I later found out is a side effect after some research... And I happen to be the unlucky small minority it happens to). And it doesn't really help with MAJOR depression...at least not mine.

I don't know if you are taking a mood stabilizer with this med as well and how your manias are triggered...(mine are usually med related especially SSRIs) but lamictal can trigger mania. Also I don't know what is "normal" for your manias, but mania overall does have an element where you do forget some things you do. I don't know if this answers your question. Hopefully with other responses to your post you can figure out with your doctor if this is the right med for you and get that process all worked out so you won't have to go to school AND be in another country which are both BIG stressors in and of itself.

Thank you so much for all the replies, I really appreciate it.

I have bipolar II and tend to be more depressive than manic. Lamotrigine made my depression worse, so I've been taken off that and started on Depakote. I have about 3 weeks left before I leave, hopefully the new med will kick in by then.