Lamictal - Advice needed

Recently I started seeing a new doctor and she has a new diagnosis: Bipolar II. I would be more cautious to accept this but increasing evidence is stacking up, and she recommended a few websites to read through which were frighteningly accurate. So I'm coming to terms with it and getting comfortable and then she says she would like to prescribe me Lamictal. I never take anything without researching it so that there are no surprises, and my doctor told me to look into it for a week before deciding. That alone peaked my curiosity, but once I started reading things I quickly became worried and then afraid.

I understand that Lamictal is the most effective drug on the market for treatment of bipolar II, and that the scary side-effects mostly appear in children, but I can't stop worrying none the less. I think that after failing 10 SSRI's either I have the most resistant depression and generalized anxiety disorder ever or ta-da they got it wrong and for the last decade I have been through hell because it was really bipolar II, which could be a miracle breakthrough.

A week ago I agreed to start taking Lamictal and filled a prescription, and I still haven't taken the first dose. I don't know how to reassure myself anymore than I already have other than asking for others to tell me how they handled taking Lamictal and what they noticed the most - both positive and negative. I'm only 22 - last year Effexor landed me a standard five day psychiatric stay, and ever since its been harder than ever before to cope with depression and anxiety. I can't read books anymore (no concentration), my memory is defunct, and in the last three months my anxiety attacks have increased to one a day from three a week. This could be the answer to those and so many other problems but I'm afraid to try it because of its notable side-effects and because the last major medicine I took put me in the statistics category.

Anything helps, thank you for your time =)

I can understand your reticence given your prev experience. But I think this is a time to trust your Dr. Lamotrigine can work wonders and could make you feel a lot better. You and your Dr could work closely to monitor side effects so if ny happen they can be caught quickly.

Good luck and keep posting to let us know how you are

Cracked

Thank you Cracked! I'll try to post a few updates =) I found some testimonials of people who have taken Lamictal and its helping to a degree, but I literally feel physically repulsed every time I pick up the starter kit. I try to be objective: my behavior is ridiculous, take the damn pill. Logic isn't working too well though My doctor is great from what I can tell, and I do trust her...I talked with my boyfriend about possible side-effects to look for and what I am most afraid of (I am not an aggressive person but in the past two weeks I have become terribly irritable, snapping at people and then profusely apologizing) including getting angry and pretty much everything I can remember about Effexor's side-effects. Part of what my doctor told me was that I might act strangely and/or not feel like myself while I am getting onto Lamictal. Did that happen to anyone here? I already feel a little alienated from myself if that makes any sense

Everyone is different. The main thing I noticed when I started lamotrigine, and still get, is increased tremor (I am on lithium as well). It sounds like you are unwell and I think that starting it would be good but that is up to you. I am thinking of you and any questions please feel free to ask.

Cracked

Hi whitenoise!
I have been on lamictal since February and I find it to be my most favorite med out of them all. I'm taking 4 different meds because they work in tandem with each other. It's important to tell you, however, that I am diagnosed with cyclothymia. It's a milder form of bipolar II with similar symptoms, but with a difference in degree of severity of symptoms. The forum for cyclothymics is, unfortunately, a ghost town, so I've found incredibly supportive and caring people here. I take a mood stabilizer called lithium carbonate which counteracts the SSRI called Wellbutrin so I'm not in a constant hypomanic state. I also take Xanax for my anxiety which makes you tired at first until your body gets used to it. First night I made the mistake of taking a full pill, rather than half, and my face practically landed in the stew in my dinner plate! I took these three meds from July through February. Then my pdoc added the cherry on my med cocktail... lamotrigine/lamictal. Even at a small dosage which you start off at, I noticed a positive difference. I also noticed peculiar nasal drip and accompanied headaches, but nothing that some tylenol and pressure point touch couldn't relieve. These symtoms would taper off after a week. Once the symptoms were gone, she would up my dosage to 100 mg. Again the same symptoms would recur but just like the first time, they dissipated then disappeared once my body adjusted. I take 200mg daily and I feel great. Don't let the extreme symptoms freak you out! Be mindful of them, but don't let all those possibilities bring about anxiety and panic attacks. The most serious one to worry about is the rash, and I believe this is a rare symptom, but if you notice it, call your pdoc immediately and get to the hospital... treated early enough, you'll be fine! Some people experience other combinations of symptoms like the jitters, shakey hands... but then your body adjusts and the symptoms subside. That's my personal experience with lamictal. Hope it helps. Let us know how it goes.

Hi! So. I take lamictil and it works pretty good. I was on it two years ago and was overmedicated. I am now in control of my dosing and it works fabulous. Once you take the plunge to feel better, it really foes just do that. I describe myself as doing okay. I am okay with being okay. It's been so long that I have felt like crap that now I am a-ok I hope you can get the courage to take that first pill. It could change your life. I wish you well and you are always safe to say what you need to here. No matter How crazy it sounds, someone can always relate. It's fabulous.

I took lamictal for over two years. I never had any problems but was petrified of the rash warnings. I did obsess a little bit. It really helped with my depression, but after a while it stopped working. Now I am no longer on it.

You can't deny the beauty that all of us are
traveling this road together. It's really eye opening for me that crazy monkey felt its' benefits then needed
to change. I'm curious, what are you taking in place of lamictal and is it working for you? The articles say that lamictal
Is supposed to help one lose weight,
but I began ballooning out like an oomp lumpa with lamictal though
Is hailed as a weight decreasing drug. I was stable at 143 til I took lamictal and setera(a birth control pill), a pill, which I believe the combination blimped me out!!

Fireandrain, smflottemesch, thank you sooo much! I keep reading and hearing good things from doctors (even had a heart to heart with my pharmacist) and the web but I had yet to actually hear an account from someone who had taken it. Tentatively I am going to try to take the first dose tonight. I've been having this impossible time logicing myself into taking it, but today I set a goal of six weeks for myself. My doctor wants to see me after only four weeks, and hopefully by then it won't be as big of an issue, but with a six week goal at least I'm over shooting the adjustment period by a little bit and can hopefully see what a sustained dosage feels like.

On a side note, if anyone would feel comfortable sharing with me: do you have an eating disorder, and if so, how did the lamictal effect it? It is no where near as big a concern as my primary curiosity about the general experience and anything notable, but I have struggled with eating enough for a long time and am currently not being treated - which is how I want it to remain if possible, though I have lost more in the past three months than I think is healthy. It would be nice if the lamictal had a bonus secondary effect It would help make all this worry feel worth it

Good luck with the lamotrigine. I have bulimia and coming to think of it since my dose was upped to 200mg it has been a lot better. Had not thought it was down to that but something to think about, thanks.

Cracked