Not trying to get on your case at all but I am not sure your tapering process was all that slow! The recommendation is 10% cut at a time and wait 2-3 weeks before the next cut. I think guys especially seem to err on the side of going too fast and also docs generally do not have a clue about this so if you got advice from a doctor it doesn't really count I'm sorry to say. You've been on stuff for a long time and 6 weeks sounds bloody fast to me for getting off something for good. I hope this doesn't come back to bite you later. Take it easy and look after yourself.

I had to abruptly discontinue lamictal a few weeks ago after breaking out in the dreaded (and rumored) "lamictal rash." I've been feeling very unfocused, and of course a bit manic due to the lack of drugs... Anyhow, I've a bit annoyed at the whole experience and feel like I'm just another lab rat for the big pharma companies....

The fatigue was an enormous problem with my removal of Seroquel, and time seemed to lose concept, days would pass and it was difficult to focus. I am no expert but believe the brain has to re-train itself so to speak to live free of a medication that had influenced it in a sense. Over the next 18 months clarity will happen.
Good luck, and I am sure Gianna's Bipolar Blast has a lot of information about the fatigue.

yes philip....fatigue insane fatigue--triggered by my lamictal withdrawal. but my withdrawal is complicated by other drugs in the mix. I went off of 200 of 400 mg of Lamictal over a 3 month period and it's been the worst withdrawal so far. Worse than zoloft and worse than Risperdal--though I still have a bit of Risperdal to go.

I only do one at a time, but sometimes I switch, which I've decided not to do anymore.

However, I'm waiting for the last 200mg of Lamictal until the end. I don't want to go through that again for a while.

good luck...eat healthy and get lots of rest and exercise if possible.

I had the same issues coming off Lamictal on a similar schedule, they were brief and did not reoccur.

Am back on them now.

Lamictal withdrawal was by far my easiest, but I did it over about 5 months and stopped after every drop in dose until I felt no ill effects. From what I recall, withdrawal symptoms took the form irritability and difficulty concentrating, but I don't remember any extreme fatigue. Withdrawal was not long-lasting compared to zyprexa or a benzo, so hopefully you're on the mend (though clearly experiences vary widely).

Hey, Philip. I just wanted to echo Gianna's advice above and stress the importance of lots of sleep, good food and regular exercise. Hang in there! (And good for you for recognizing your symptoms for what they are -- drug withdrawal. Most shrinks would claim your mental illness is returning.)

I can't recall being on Lamictal but, after a showdown with a doctor, I was cut off Seroquel, Lithium, Prozac, Risperdal and Ativan all at once. Within 24 hours I was psychotic but, by the end of the week, I had stabilized. These are all powerful drugs (Lamictal, too) and the body needs a chance to recover from them.

Hey Doll-
I don't know if you remember but I went off the same style you did in the winter of 2005. I felt fine for about a month, really did not have a lot of side effects other then the massive fatique but then I started feeling "off." I was not episodic per se but I realized I felt better while I was on the medication.

I felt like it kept my constant underlying anxiety in check and made me sleep better.

Now, I have been increasing the dose due to the current stressors in my life and feeling the med increase side effects. I haven't done a med change in a while and God it sucks. My heart goes out to anyone currently involved in a med switch or anyone who has, done or will go through one ( I guess that means everyone!)

I hope you feel better soon!!!!

I haven't been on Lamictal, but I can attest to experiencing exactly what you've described: the feeling of not being able to hold on to a thought when I was on and tapered myself off of both Lexapro and Wellbutrin.

I am really worried about my step-mother. She took herself off abruptly 100mg of Lamictal. We are not sure when, probably 3 weeks ago. We had to admit her into hospital - delusions, paranoia, hypomania, loss of inhibition, almost appearing to have multiple personalities. She was daginosed bipolar after kidney cancer surgery 3 years ago. Lamictal was the only drug she was taking. She is refusing to take medication now, we are killing her - Any thoughts?

hi guys... i guess you know it's a bad sign when you google "lamictal withdrawal" and the first page you get is not full of medhelp.org and battledepression.com, or any "medical" analysis whatsoever for that matter, but instead a long list of user horror stories and average people trying to figure out what the fuck is going on with this drug. excuse my language, but the fuck is going on with this drug?
someone please hear me out. i went on lamictal for bipolar in november. in december i decided to cheat on my boyfriend of five years and break up with him. my doctor thought i should increase my dose to solve spontaneous irrational and self destructive behavior. my mood shot up alright, then down, then up again, then down. long story short i ended up worse than i've ever been and by miracle did i graduate this spring. now i want off it and done with the business, so i started decreasing the dosages slowly. i saw a new doctor and asked for him to write a lower prescription, but he declined my offer (imagine). anyway, i felt fine for about the first month. i was at 200 and am now down to 50. this last drop of 25 mg took place about two weeks ago, and i've honestly never felt so literally suicidal in my life. i'm afraid, honestly. it's so low, i mean so so low. is this me or is this withdrawal? does anyone know of extreme depression/ scuicidal tendency as being a symptom of lamictal withdrawal? i'm on a number of other meds also, which i'm not messing with. please- advise? is this going to pass? (fyi my bf took me back so that's got nothing to do with the depression)

Stasia, cheating on your boyfriend is not a symptom of a psychiatric disorder. It's pretty much a normal human flaw. It sounds like you were a normal person until you got on these drugs. It sounds like it might be a good idea for you to find a doctor to help you get off of these drugs. They are dangerous. Of course graudating and ending a relationship, while normal experiences, are also stressful. This doesn't mean your brain is biologically defective or unbalanced. I wish you the best.

Stasia, If you are on a number of other meds too, then you could well be having new effects from them as you withdraw the Lamictal. In any case as long as you are on a cocktail of drugs most symptoms you experience are probably adverse effects of one or another drug due to dependency, withdrawal, or tolerance. The real "you" is in there somewhere but until you give yourself a chance by coming off drugs in a well considered and very careful manner you won't really know. Good Luck.

Are you are withdrawing without your doctor's knowledge then? Was this because you didn't trust your doctor to walk through the withdrawal process with you? I'm just trying to figure out what's going on.
If you want to taper or change medications you're allowed to, I've been there much, under the close watch of my psychiatrist, who believed what I told him about the effects and respected my wishes.

I guess this didn't happen for you and you're stuck feeling like crap with no doctor in your corner. But there are always options; psychologists are also mental health experts, and generally well equipped to deal with people in the kind of crises you describe.

You have to start somewhere. What is the first thing you can do?

Stasia,
Yes, I experience intense depression with a decrease in dose of lamictal. Even from 50 mg to 37.5 mg. Then from 37.5 to 25mg. It took about a week for the depression to subside. The second day of one of my decreases in dose I totalled my car. I'm only on 12.5 mg now and have just stayed on it b/c I don't want to go through the withdrawal. I had very suicidal tendencies going up in dose and decreasing in dose.

Lamictal was the medication I was taking when I was first advised to go into inpatient hospitalization b/c of suicidal thoughts increasing and that was when I was coming down from 50 mg to 37.5mg. I hadn't been on 50mg for more than a week until I noticed that I was becoming increasingly suicidal. The mixed manic state which ended me in the hospital, I now recognize as Lamictal induced.

I also experience intense irritability upon decrease in dose and any dose above 37.5 mg turns into outbursts of rage which I've only heard of from one other person.

You're not alone.
Melissa
my email is: katya15bruce@hotmail.com
email anytime.

RE; outbursts of rage during dose reduction, along with irritability, that happened to my daughter withdrawing from Zyprexa. It was so predictable that she marked it on a calendar, and noted that "Day 3 or 4" was the worst, and it helped her understand it was the med removal and not her creating the rage/etc.Charting the withdrawals helps.[with any med]

My doc was supossed to call in a refill of 100 mg of Lamictal for me last week. I was on 150 mg. It never got called in and the holiday weekend is now upon me. I've missed Friday night through tonight (Monday) and I feel like complete crap. I normally love Lamictal - without it I am unstable. I take it with Tegretol (200 mg) which works on the mania. I heard that Lamictal works from the bottom up (tackles the depression first) & Tegretol/Lithium/Depakote from the top down (tackles the mania first) so its not surprising a lot of us experience extreme depression stopping the Lamictal - especially suddenely like I did. I'm not suicidal but I came close this weekend. I absolutely loathed myself. Since going on psych meds last year I went from my perfect weight of 125 lbs to a not so perfect 165 lbs (I actually did gain some from quitting smoking - one positive, I guess). Anyhow, this weekend, I hated myself so much for gaining so much weight and now having no clothes to wear. Plus everything else in life seemed so doomed. ALSO - and this is what I mostly want to hear about is the JOINT ACHES. Has anyone gotten them??? I feel like I developed arthritis over the weekend. I have my wrists wrapped and keep putting Tiger Balm all over. My knees, back, neck, wrists, thumbs, ankles, etc. hurt like hell. I can't even play Zelda. Life sucks. I can't wait to get back to my doctor tomorrow for meds. And I'll probably have to titrate again. Sucks to be me!!!

I stopped taking Lamictal suddenly at the end of August. I was on 300mgs. Am also taking Prozac 20mgs and diazepam 2mgs twice a day,prozac once in the am. I am now feeling terrible feeling weak rapid pulse unable to go out,feeling faint. Should I start taking it again? Off sick from work. Please advice. My e-mail is lynch196@btinternet.com

I started taking Prozac 20mg for treatment of depression brought on by the beginning of Menopause 4 years ago. Prozac killed my sex drive (which my new husband was not real thrilled about), so I tried switching to Zoloft. That gave me headaches AND didn't work, so I switched to Wellbutrin 300mg which has been helping reduce the depression since January 2007. However, I've been feeling agitated for the past 5-6 months and went to see a psychiatrist to talk about options for treating my agitation. She put me on Lamictal 25mg, which I took for 12 days and then quit because of the many side effects; headaches, body aches, joint pain, burning eyes, creepy crawly skin, dry flaky skin on eyebrows (?), swollen tongue, sore & swollen gums, etc.

I called the psych to tell her that I quit taking Lamictal and she said it was good that I did because the side effects I described showed her that I was severely allergic to the drug. While researching Lamictal Side Effects on the internet (to help me identify MY side effects), I read several times that taking too high a dose of Wellbutrin can cause agitation. I asked the psych about that and she said it's true and for me to come in to talk about reducing my dosage to 150mg. I was furious! Why didn't she mention reducing my Wellbutrin before putting me on a different drug? I did not go in to talk to her, but instead decided to cut my Wellbutrin pills in half and dose myself that way for a period of time to see what would happen.

I've been on 150mg of Wellbutrin for 6 days now and I have no signs of depression. More importantly at this point - my agitation has decreased to almost nothing! I am now left with the unpleasant task of going through withdrawal from Lamictal. I still have headaches every day, muscle aches, joint pain, lethargy and dizziness - all from taking 25mg for just 12 days. From what I read, side effects from Lamictal can show up as much as 2 years after one stops taking the drug. It's inconceivable to me that Lamictal made it past clinical testing and got approved for human use.

I have been taking 150mg Lamictal for almost two years. My husband and I have decided to get pregnant so I am tapering myself off...I just moved to a new town and don't have a new psych yet but will go as soon as insurance kicks in...I dropped down to 100mg since last week and feel okay so far. There are other issues going in my life so I hope I can handle the stress of these things without Lamictal. I was put on it because I have Major Depression Disorder with moderate to severe mood swings. I have looked online about Lamictal and pregnancy and was underwhelmed with the research done thus far by the medical community. Unbelievable that more studies have not been done before putting this drug on the market. The most I found was that Lamictal may or may not cause a cleft pallete and it is better to be safe than sorry while being pregnant. I'm also on Zoloft and learned it is better to stay on it than go off it while pregnant because the depression would be worse than any possible effects to the baby. Does anyone have any comments? Thanks...

Another question....I have been ravenous since reducing my Lamictal dosage. Is this normal???

Re: Pregnancy and psych meds, and Wellbutrin.

Here is a link to Zoloft information, and this is a good site to check for details regarding Wellbutrin[causing agitation IS a listed side effect].

Rx List dot com

Hi,

I found this page through a search engine and thought I would put my two cents in concerning Lamictal withdrawal.



I have been on Lamictal for about two years, and so far, it is working pretty well for the treatment of my bi-polar disorder.



The problem I have had is, due to my economic situation, I was put in the position where I was unable to afford to refill my prescriptions on time and I would end up off my meds for up to 9-10 days, even after cutting my pills to keep at least some of the drug in my system.



I notice the symptoms about 2-3 days in, with them peaking anywhere from day 3-5. The physical symptoms didn't bother me too much, some drowsiness, feeling kind of flat, some confusion, feeling kind of muddled, and some head aches - - - it was the emotional/mental side effects that really got to me.

I would have (to put it mildly) some intense mood swings, ranging anywhere from extreme irritability to more or less a violent rage. The first time it happened (I've gone through it 3 times in the past 2 years) I just couldn't understand why I was SO angry, I wanted to hurt things, to scream, to explode. Apparently, it's not too uncommon for this to happen. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it is possible.



The GOOD NEWS is by the end of the first week, you are through the woods and shouldn't have to worry about it much.



Best wishes to everyone - Jeannie

I recenly had to go off Lamictal for a seizure study. The drug had been effective in controlling my seizures.

I was taken off suddenly. Within 1/2 day I felt just like it feels to go off Effexor: brain zaps, headaches (bad), and dizziness so bad that I couldn't sit or stand up. I was feeling a little "on edge".

After another 2 days I begged to go back on the medicine. It took a day and a half to start to feel better again.

The doc said that the Lamictal must be treating bipolar disorder. I've never had a manic episode in my life.

Anybody had this type of reaction?

To Lynn...
You might want to check out this website... there is a lot of information about antidepressants and pregnancy:

http://www.laleva.org/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=3&search=antidepressants+pregnancy.

At some point it became a sin to feel anything in this country. I'm over it. I am taking my feelings back.

More withdrawal symptoms....as I mentioned above, I am TRYING to come off of Lamictal and have decreased my dosage a little at a time. I have been taking 75mg, down from 150, then 100, for the past two weeks and tried going down to 50mg over the weekend. I became incredibly moody, impatient, and hostile towards my husband and felt completely out of control. Yesterday I popped another 25mg in the afternoon when I felt the rage building and it seemed to calm me down. Should I wait a little while before I try reducing to 50mg again or do you think this will pass in a few days? I got so depressed thinking that I can't get off this drug without turning into a bitch...we really want a baby and in order to do so, I've got to get off this medication. I'm scared and hate to think I'm really this moody without medication!

Lynne, Are you in a situation where you could try some sort of talk therapy to help deal with the withdrawal symptoms? Have you checked for support groups for this sort of thing in your area? Maybe Mothering Magazine's Bulletin Board? It seems like there would be a lot of women who are in your situation, i.e. trying to get off of psych drugs so they can get pregnant. Maybe a natural birthing center would have some suggestions. Good luck.

Sally, I'm waiting for my insurance to kick in Nov 1 and I'm going to make an appt with a local therapist. I also want to talk to an OB/GYN to discuss the necessity of getting off Zoloft. I'd like to get in a room with an OB, a psychiatrist, and a therapist so I can question all of them about what I should do! Think that'll happen? Thanks.

I had been on Lamictal for about 5 months, and I peeked at 200mg after about 1 month. I was on the medicine as a mood stabilizer, possibly from bi-polar disorder, but that hasn't been a definitive diagnosis. I asked my doctor if this is a med that I should be weaned off of, and he said that there was no need. So I was taken completely off of the medicine about 2 and a half weeks ago. About a week ago, I started to notice withdrawal symptoms that are synonymous with the symptoms that I experienced many times when coming off of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications. The depression, and anxiety have been worse, I feel the "brain buzzing" sensation in my head, restlessness, tiredness, and a will to just stay in bed. The suicidal and hopelessness thoughts have returned. I feel that this is due to the withdrawal and not because the Lamictal was helping me (it wasn't). I go see a therapist who also does energy work. It was 100% apparent that this medicine wasn't helping me, and was actually blocking energy. This wasn't the conclusion I expected, but when I was retested and retested, the same results appeared. I didn't notice any change positively or negatively while on the medicine, so my doctor and I decided that it would be best to come off of it. The withdrawal is the real problem here, and I'm just putting this out there to see if anyone has any advice. Thanks.

holy freaking crap, you guys. now i feel absolutely petrified to go off lamictal. i take 200 mg as a mood stabilizer for borderline personality disorder, but have completed a year of DBT and feel like an entirely different person. i truly, truly believe that the REAL me, not the medicated me, is stronger and capable of living a fantastic life.

being on medication has always scared me. my psychiatrist dropped off the face of the earth once he heard i wasn't seeing my therapist anymore. my regular physician told me to talk to my psychiatrist, as did my pharmacist. i was going to taper myself off...

i have two weeks' of medication yet, and from what i've read, if you cut down 50% each week, you'll be fine. do you think if i drink a LOT of water, it'll help flush it out of my system?

As a response to the above comment about someone being pregnant & on Lamictal. I was pregnant (I have a VERY healthy 5 mo. old), 2 months in I had a seizure.. I have a seizure disorder & Bi-Polar. I was on 200mg a day in the am. My neuro. upped the dose to 400mg (200 am/200pm) to compensate for my body working double time. We are just now tapering me back to my normal dose of 200 mg/day. The thing was that they didn't want me to have another seizure or have Manic swings as it would have been more dangerous to ther baby. I did see the Gyn more often than most & was also sent to a Prenatal specialist to keep tabs. Everything went very well. There is a study on Lamictal through the AED Registry online. I was on this study throughout my pregnancy and they now have permission from me to check up on my daughter through her Pediatrician. I would suggest signing up for the study online (as it could benefit all of us later) - the woman told me the study should be completed next year or so & they will keep me abreastof their findings (they also post it on the site). I had a choice to breastfeed as well because they didn''t know at the time (5 mo. ago) whether itwould be good or bad & have now found out it is not safe to breastfeed on Lamictal. I guess I made the right choice formula-feeding (just an instict & didn't want to chance it). Hoe this helps! ~ Lori

Lori - thanks for sharing. I finally have gotten down to 25mg a day and have been doing okay for the past two weeks on this dosage...well, except for the few mood swings I've had recently...which I have attributed to buying and beginning to renovate a house last week. Since I am not taking Lamictal for seizures, I think it is best for me to come off of it while I'm pregnant (hopefully soon). I am anxiously awaiting my new medical cards so I can meet with an OB/Gyn to discuss the possible effects of Zoloft and to go back to talk therapy to help me get through all this. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Phil, I'm just popping in here in the middle of everything, not having read everyone's entries except yours which was posted in July. I've been on Lamictal for several years and I swear by it. It's kept me out of the paralysis of depression. How has it been for you since you came off of it? Have you found anything better? Hope all is well, especially around this time of the year. kristen

Hi everyone. My husband Tim came down with what he thought was the Dreaded Deadly Lamictal Rash so he stopped taking it. The psych says that's OK and gave him a scrip for Abilify to take in a month after the Lamictal is out of his system. Anyone take that and have comments?
Now all he wants to do is sleep all day (he can't find work here in Wisconsin)and it's driving me up the wall. He aches and has headaches and doesn't want to take the supplements I offer him like glucosamine and chondroitin for his achy knees. It's not easy living with him like this.
elyn

elyn,
I have a question re: the diagnoses the doc is treating him for? Lamictal is an anti convulsant, and Abilify is an anti psychotic. It's also common to get benign rashes, that are not the SJS rash. I take Lamictal and had a few major hive rashes break out, and never stopped taking it. Good luck.

elyn, the reaction your husband had was an allergic reaction it is calledStevens-Johnson Syndrome.. his tongue could swell so much he can suffocate to death read up on this stuff.. he will feel down and out, please have him see a shrink that is highly recommended and support him cause it's thes damn drugs that get to us.. Ass far as Abilify your damned if you take it and damned if you do not... Good to use it then stay on it does give energy and motivation..somethin he does not have now cause of the deadly reaction he had to lamictal...

Good luck your lucky he is still alive

anyone and everyone I go to a va for memtal health meds and I was on lamictal and the doc said we don't carry that any more for bipolar so we have to change you to lithium,,,,,,he gives me blood levels.....2 mos. into treatment Im feakin' out i mean i can't talk cant think cant sleep and he tells me to increase by 600 mg 2 caps at nnite..ok.. i start amd 3 days later my husband says i can't understand a word you are saying.... well I call the doc and my husband talks to himthey tellhim to get me inthere asap well according tothem i'mfine ..according to med books if you have diaharrea you are o-ding well for 3 days nosleep, no talk, no tv, no nothing..iquit taking it.. started on lamictal now i'm afraid of it causee that steven-johnson syndrome...i want to get off and am omly on 100 mg per day...hell with the bipolar it's these drugs that drive you nuts. any tips? ,outthere???

SJS is SO obvious, it is NOT a small rash. It is bloody blister welts, and quite apparent along with fever. MANY patients get "rashy" on Lamictal, and the fact is, you do not die instantly. The fear of this rash often results in ppl. being removed too hastily from a med that was working. Elyn did not state there was a trip to the ER or confirmation of the rash being SJS.

SJS rash info and photos.

Yes, it can kill a person, but quite often ppl. panic, when it wasn't necessary.

My bipolar II depression has been semi-controlled for years on 25mg Zoloft. My constant anxiety, irritability, and aggression continued. I had a nervous breakdown one year ago. I had wanted to see what would happen if I got off Zoloft (bad idea), and on top of that, I had unexpected personal stress. It forced me to try something that would actually treat the bipolar element of my depression. I am now on Lamictal 300mg and Zoloft 50mg. I can tell these doses are too high for the long run, but for now I know I'm better than I used to be. I also have rheumatoid arthritis, and can tell you the mental illness is far worse than the most excruciating pain I ever felt with RA. There are 2 things I can't stress enough: 1)you have a baseline; think back, and always measure yourself against that, and 2) find a doctor you COMPLETELY trust. Don't ever do it alone. Have a pshchologist, psychiatrist, and support groups. tackle it from different angles. Studies show meds, talk therapy, and socialization effect different parts of the brain.

I recently started taking lamitical for what the "professionals" were guessing was bi-polar II, but not confirmed. I have had anxiety for several years, but was always controlled with talk-therapy. I completed the starter pack of lamitical and then finished my last dose of 150mg's(one month). During this time, I had the worst nervous breakdown I have ever had in my life, I have felt more peranoid, nervous, and have been over reacting on a lot of issues. Because I have never acted out this bad, I decided to stop taking the lamitical. I was suppose to be starting the 200mg dose, but haven't taken one now in 6 days. (not to mention-I have had a rash on my leg for almost three weeks(very minor, but has just started itching/flaky looking, and a little sore) I know about the sjs, but have been watching it close. Since being off the lamitical for the 6 days, I have not had any symptons of withdrawl at all, in fact I feel less snappy about issues that should bother me. Also my rash is beginning to fade, but is still a little sore. How long does it take before lamitical is totally out of your system? Will I need any thing else for the rash or will it go away with the med is out completely? Thanks for anyones help/input.

I just cut my lamictal dosage in half for a few days because I couldnt get enough while I was on vacation and I was so absent minded and down...but get thisss I actually just stepped out with two different colored shoes on!!!

I have been taking lamictal at 400mg for about six months, and I noticed recently that I was beginning to gain weight. I am a runner and have never been overweight. Ever. The extra pounds are affecting me--physically and psychologically. I recently decreased my dose to 300mg over a span of two weeks, and I plan on reducing it further. So far, I have not experienced any withdrawal symptoms. If my mood worsens severely, I can always go back on the medication, right?

Does anyone ever get migraine-like headaches from Lamictal withdrawal?

nteresting blog. i googled lamictal and swollen tonue and Viola! there you where. while i find this al very serious, i cant help laughing at the predicaments oim always finding mysylf. my finds think im the life of te party just telling :everday" sara st
ories. it makes me laught too. wellsometimes!
well after being on MANY drugs it is hrd to say what causes what
(ps im snowed in and suppose tp be in partial hosp)
i have gained a boart full of lard around my guy. i went into the hosp a roomy size 6 and after 6 weeks i im now a size 10 (tightly)!!!!now if that doesnt make you want to dcry i dont nnow what will. for 45 i was loking good.
as for the lamactal i d be very cafeful about cutiing down before speaking to your doc, it can hace some very serious side effects.plus if you talk a comnbo like me you need t o b extra carfeu just imho~~~~~nice to meet ya'll , sara

Hey - started to take Limictal about a year ago and was compl. suicidal punhcing myself etc... My Dr. then added Prozac and I got a lot better. Prozac is probably the only psych. med I have taken that works.

My sleeping - if you want to call it that - continued to be a nightmare (I never wake up rested) so recently started tappering off Lamictal. I mean what had it done in the past anyway? I was at 100mg and over the past 2 months I am down to 50mg. I think overall I am less depressed at times, but I have insomnia sometimes now and when I do sleep I remember the most intense and disturbing dreams. Even if I take a nap it's one insane dream after another and always exhausted. anyone else??

d

have been on lamictal for a few months, and it did not stabilize my bipolar II at all. still cycled into depression from hypomania. I really want to go off , as it seems to be serving no purpose, and side effects are for me weight gain and sleeping all of the time. I switched my dosage 300 mg to night time, but I sleep all day any way. I have provigil to take on the nights I have to work, but I generally sleep right through the provigal anyway. Yesterday I actually didn't bother to get out of bed at all except to go to the bathroom. I want to go back to topamax at least I know what to expect with that. Any comments would be welcome.

please read these articals. some of them pertain to me but not all of them. It's very important to me that you understand.
You need to know Eddie, that many people are antidepressents for one reason or another. Maybe having some information about the effects and withdrawl will help you to be a bit more understanding. If not for me maybe for someone else your with.

I am crying I am so happy, I love you guys for making this page. I was given lamactil for seizures, it slowed the seizures alright it also blew my head off with side affects, anxiety, tears, and "brain fog", and I swear the worst headache on the planet, the Dr said don't worry it will wear off and it didn't then became the long and downward swirl into pain killers, I used to think that what did I care seizure free was better than a headache pill,right ? then I started having all sorts of weird symptoms, not sleeping, broken alpha - waves, bowel problems, and I was miserible and was given valium for the misery. The anti depressants for that too. This month I decided I had had enough and took charge of my life, I was told to half my lamactil dose every 3 days. The shakes, shivers, and freak outs, today I woke up and for the first time my head is clear and my own. I feel very nervous and shaky, I am sleeping badly but my head no longer has that headache or the pain pills are out of my body. Never again will I let a Dr take charge of my body and let it run my life. Good Luck to you all.

The joint pain,arthritis, the fatigue, the sore jaw, loose teeth, and seizures are all Fibromyalgia. It's a terrible disease but yeah it's got its own label and drugs too.

First background: I'm a 56 yr. post menopausal woman. Last spring I went to my yearly OB-GYN check-up and indicated that I was feeling depressed and couldn't sleep. I was given the name of an APRN who I initially thought was a psych. counselor. After I mentioned that I was told that I was "probably bi-polar" she put me on a lamictal regiment (25 mg -> 100 mg) and 10 mg Ambien. After the 3rd appointment I discovered that all this lady did was prescribe drugs. She recommended another counselor to deal with the personal issues (who I still see) I continued the Lamictal/ambien and Lexapro was also added. The lexapro gave me the wicked munchies (I gained 10 lbs) and nervousness. I asked to replace the lexapro with cymbalta since I was having muscle aches and figured that the cymbalta is supposed to help with the "physical" symptoms of depression. While on the cymbalta my mood improved, but my muscle aches got so bad I could just about walk up the stairs. I started to decrease the daily dose of cymbalta to every other day and then went completely off of it with the blessing of the APRN. She said that I could try to use the lamictal alone as an antidepressant. I noticed that my weight seem to be coming down after discontinuing the cymbalta.

I decided to go off the lamictal "cold turkey" last weekend when while poking around the internet I discovered that taking the drug was the reason I went from a 36C to a 36DD bra size, and that it was likely contributing to my overall weight gain in a big way (no pun intended here) It may also explain the flu like symptoms I've been having, and severe muscle aches while I was on lamictal AND cymbalta (which CAUSED MORE PAIN than the depression ever did!) Last month when I discontinued the cymbalta I began to experience eyestrain, blurred vision and eye dryness. All these symptoms were exacerbated the first few days after quitting the lamictal, but as of this writing the eye burning/dryness seem to be diminishing (blurriness has not) I did note a deep dive in my mood--weepy, hopeless, etc. but I think that I suffer more from SADs, and just need to take charge of my own life. My mom passed away last August and her birthday was Feb. 3 so I'm sure that contributed to my meloncholy mood as well. And let's face it--in the NE February is the armpit of the year.... I thought that it was interesting that some individuals had vivid and not-so-pleasant dreams and/or sleeplessness while on lamictal. I have been taking 10mg ambien almost every night so I didn't notice this. However, when trying to wean myself off the ambien I did notice bizarre, black thoughts that had nothing to do with me (it was like a horror movie playing out in my mind)
I realize now that while on the lamictal I was physically clumsy (things would just fall out of my hand) and suffered from brain "fuzziness" and short term memory lapses. These have been more noticeable since quitting the drug, but thanks to this and other blogs and websites, I know that these are attributable to the drugs themselves and not to my psyche. This past week I had a wicked headache I attributed to the weather (I have sinus issues) and the worst bout of gas I've ever had with some mild diarrhea all week. The GOOD NEWS? I've lost 6.2 lbs without even trying....
So my question is this: has anyone else gone "cold turkey" off lamictal and how soon is it before you're back to "normal" (whatever that is...)

re: Chris, I have been on Lamictal for a year or so, and during that time I have fallen more than in my entire life. Bad falls, where the only way I can describe them, is "when I woke up I was on the parking lot, or floor". It started to make me question why didn't have a "oh I am falling" part of the fall.

Also, have pain in joints.That I never had before. Am eventually removing all Lamictal myself, I am only on 50mg currently. The stomach symptoms I had were horrific cold turkeying Seroquel,which sounds like what you are having. Good luck.

I am SO glad I saw this website. I have Bipolar I, have been on Lithium for 12 years now. Have been pretty stable on that (e.g. working fulltime for the past 8 years), however I have mild depression a lot of the time so my psychiatrist suggested Lamictal. I have been on Lamictal for 3 months now. Went up to 50mg but then had to go down to 25mg because I felt so anxious and agitated. Wasn't sure if it was the Lamictal or not so I stayed at 25mg for the past month. My mood is fairly ok at the moment, but I don't know if that is due to the Lamictal. I suspect that I would be feeling well anyway because I have had no major stresses lately. Next week I am due to go back to my psychiatrist so I googled Lamictal because I know I'll be discussing it with her. Now that I see all the side effects associated with it I am definitely going to tell her that I'm want OFF it. I only now realise that the all over joint pains I have been having recently (any never had before)must be due to the Lamictal. I thought it was just old age!! (I'm only 35).
Now I'm just hoping the withdrawal will go alright.

I've been coming back to this thread day after day now because I'm going through a horrible withdrawal, though I hesitate to say it. I hesitate only because I didn't even realize it was happening--I felt exhausted and lost and just .. gone, in many ways, and I thought I was just getting very sick until one of my friends--not even a friend I talk to often, just very aware--suggested that it might be because I am trying to wean myself off of Lamictal.

My psychiatrist didn't warn me about any withdrawal symptoms, and so this is very hard. The reason I finally say something--because I haven't seen anything on the internet so far about it--is that I have lost sexual sensation. I am a very sensitive person, and all of a sudden, I can't feel anything. I'm down to 100 from 200mg, and I just. Don't know what to do.

sorry to hear about your troubles danielle. the whole lamictal withdrawal thing is a very new phenomenon and docs are completely unaware of it. so is the fda. the company that makes the drug is no help either. if you continue to taper down, please go very very slowly although your doc should be able to give you guidance on doses and timing. i went down from 100 mgs in 25 mg increments every two weeks. it wasn't slow enough.

Hi,
I just wanted to let people know that my site has an additional thread of comments at least as long as this one on lamictal withdrawal....

Just want to share info with as many of us as possible. I'm in the middle of it too.

here is the post with the long thread of personal experiences:

http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/2007/12/20/lamictal-withdrawal-from-hell/

I've been withdrawing from Lamictal for almost a year off an on. Started at 400 mg and am down to 100 mg. It gets so rough I have to take long breaks. I do recover inbetween nightmarish symptoms though. Hang in there everyone....

I wish I'd had this information prior to trying to wean myself off Lamictal. I had been on Prozac for ove 20yrs and had to quit taking it due to severe reflux, which quit as soon as I quit the prozac. My anxiety got bad without anything, so so I went to a medical doctor [quickest to do] and she put me on Lamictal. Have had Bipolar dx years ago, never really agreed with it, more major depression and anxiety. The Lamictal helped quickly with the anxiety. I took gradually increased to 100mg a day and took that for 3 months. The bad side effect was constipation, which I put up with until it got so bad I couldn't have a bowel movement because the pain in my abdomin was too bad. I cut myself back to 50 mg and the pain went away in a day. I decided to taper off while I waited to get into see a psychiatrist since they would do that anyway to switch meds. I have been on 50 mg for nearly 4 wks. I never knew about the possible withdrawls. Unfortuneatly, it was harder than I had expected to get into see a professional, they told me as much as a month to get an appointment. My depression started getting really bad, so I called local family doctors, couldn't get in there either! My depression has never been so bad, I can barely get through the day without breaking down into tears. I don't sleep much either and have bilateral hip and low back pain at night. I finally went out of state and saw a family doctor who started me on Zoloft. He forgot to tell me how to taper off the Lamictal, in my my condition, I forgot to ask. So now I am taking 10 mg Zoloft and dropped myself down to 25 mg of Lamictal. Sounds like I need to take the 25 mg of Lamictal for a few weeks before I totally quit! I feel like I have the flu; nausea, headache, fatigue. The doctors don't give you the information you need for these drugs! Some of THEM don't know. This is not safe practice. And the difficulty getting mental health treatment in rural areas is ridiculous! Bless you all for sharing this information, it gives me hope now that I understand what is happening to me.

I have been totally off of Lamictal now for 5 and 1/2 days. I am absolutely going crazy. I am having extreme fatigue, along with some major brain fog and dizziness. I am actually scared to drive, but am still having to do it anyway. Was put on the lamictal a year or so ago to treat my bipolar, in addition to Lexapro. Last night my pulse was actually 240 bpm, at least I think it was, that was all I was able to count my heart is beating so fast. I have been having joint pain, stomach problems, and some recurring mania along with paranoia. I had to come off of the Lamictal due to financial reasons - people are telling me to go get it - I say no. Once I am through with this withdrawel hell I will never go on it again. I'm not sure what normal is, but hopefully soon I will get there.

hey everyone, i don't know if anyone can help me out w. this, buti went through a 5 month bout of severe depression w. mixed states (clearly brought on by paxil), and have had a great 3 months on 50 mgs of lamictal, and just finished weaning the paxil out 2.5 weeks ago w. no side effects (the less paxil i had in me, the more I felt like myself again, could read books, think clearly etc...) But just recently, I'm noticing intense manic effects, which in my opinion can only have been brought on by the lamictal, bc the better i feel the more im noticing this intense burning sensation (non rash related) as it's more of an energy, and my anger irritability has been going through the roof, I snap at my mom i had to leave work bc EVERYTHING bothered me..... so I called my doctor and her advice was to go up to 100mg. I never had a manic episode before being put on medication, so my opnion is i'm going to go back down to 25mg..... anyone's advice would be much appreciated... thank you!

this is classic. drug induced mania---instant bipolar diagnosis. My suggestion is get real healthy (food, diet, exercise, meditation, therapy) and stay away from the drugs. There is a domino effect that happens for a lot of people after a antidepressant is introduced and causes instability---the doctors start lathering on the drugs. There are alternatives that can keep you healthy.

Thanks Gianna for the advice, and i think you are absolutely right.... i checked out your site, definitely admire/support what you're doing.... i have an uncle (whom i'm convinced I derived these crazy manic, mental symptoms from), who's been on and off meds for years and has lived at home alone for the past 25 years bc he can't live around people as a result of his pathology which essentially grew as big as a house, so i am 100% w. you on the get healthy, u can cure yourself bit.... do u have any suggestions on the natural route, i was thinking once fully drugfree of substituting fish oil, along w. multivitamins, diet exercise etc which i've already incorporated... (fish oil right now makes me manic w. the lamictal), maybe u know something about this, best of luck in your taper...

Thanks for this great site, it makes me feel better just reading up. Somehow my prescription didn't get called in over the weekend, and I've been off for two days. Normally a 150/day. I'm back to where I was two years ago before starting lamictal, raging and confused. Weird, I woke up and my tongue was cut and is swollen! I just want to drink and crawl in to bed. And I want to drink heavily before passing out. I'm sort of writing this for myself later NEVER to get caught in this predicament again without my meds. I'm BiPolar type II and am also on wellbutrin and cymbalta. Anyone else on this weird combination? I tried stuff called Fluvoxamine a few months ago and it RUINED me; I was on the bathroom floor feeling like my brain was going to explode.

I recently just tapered down to 25 mgs, does anyone know anything about how difficult the last 25 mgs can be and how much of a difference it makes?.... thanks

Hi all, I have been on three types of anti-depressents for about 3 to 4 years. FIrst one was Lexapro, then to Cymbalta and now Lamictal. Like many other that start taking it, I started with the starter packet and went to 100mg full time once a day. I have been on it for about 3 months and it has controlled my mood swings overall. The side affects that it caused me are exactly like others who posted here. Brain fuzziness, lethergy, unmotivated, once in a while a brain zap. It feels like a short circuit happened for an instant of time. Almost like an electrical spike that happens in my skull. It can be scary.
I have retired from my job in NY and I am physically disabled due to a work injury. I guess I am mentally disabled now too. I saw a doctor in Nov who prescribed the lamictal and I have had refills up until now. I have two 100mg pills left with no refills and the doctor dropped of the face of the earth. No psychiatrist take either Aetna or Medicare. I can pay for medication with either but to get a script is my problem. I called all over within a 50 mile range and no one can help me. I am stuck and I am nervouse about stopping taking the lamictal. Especially after reading about what others have gone through, here. I started cutting my pills in half so they will last several days more but I dont know what the effects of that will be in the immediate future. I am thinking that I might have to go to the emergency room and tell them that I need help. I dont know if they will be able to verify my being prescribed it because my doctor is no longer reachable for some unknown reason. I just need to know this one thing. I never had a seizure as far as I can remember. If I was to completely stop this stuff and go holistic, will not taking lamictal actually cause seizures to happen to me. This would be tragic for me becuase I have a wife and 3 young children. I dont want them to see me in any form now that I wont have any meds to control my mood swings. I started taking St Johns wort, B complex, Multivitamins, folic acid, omega three and this SAM-e stuff my wife got for both of us. I hope to God that this will provide the stimulus I need to not go crazy or something. Does anyone know of or heard of someone starting to get seizures by coming off of lamictal completely. Also how well will a holistic approach be. I am going to also start excersizing regularly too. I am going to get one of those sittable stationary bikes. I heard that the increase in endorphins helps cut down the lack of seratoten issue? Any advice or direction to help guide me in a positive direction will be welcomed. Thanks

My wife is scaling back her meds in preparation for ECT treatments. Her psychiatrist has had her on a very high dosage; she's not had a satisfactory response to any medication in several years of treatment (hence the move to ECT). He had luck with another patient by pushing the lamictal very high; he told her to increase 50mg per week every two weeks until she started to feel fuzzy, and then back it off 50mg and hold steady. She eventually landed at 550mg.

Lamictal being an anticonvulsant, it's obviously not useful when trying to induce seizure, so she needs to reduce it to 100mg. He told us to cut it by 100mg every 3 days; we started with the odd 50mg and have since been following that schedule, which will have her down to 100mg next week in time for the ECT. Unfortunately, the withdrawal is sheer hell; she's anxious, manic. She can't do much but sleep during the day and then much of the night she spends in a panic. I've called her doctor to see if there's anything she can take to ease the withdrawal symptoms that won't interfere with the ECT, but I don't expect to hear back from him until this evening.

Has anyone found anything (be it over-the-counter medication, or some activity or technique) that helped ease the withdrawal? We're both really hoping the ECT will help her, but if she can't make it through the next week it won't matter. Thank you.

o.k. now I'm worried. I am on day 23 from withdrawls of Cymbalta. Its been pure hell. Brain zaps, blurry vision, loss of memory,anxiety & so forth & so forth. Too many symptoms to describe. I'm on 300mg. of Lamictal & decided to battle that after my bout of withdrawl from Cymbalta.I can't go thru withdraws like all of you are descibing. This past month has just worn me out. I'm on a site for people getting off of Cymbalta so I'm happy to see one here for Lamictal. I've been having joint pain for along time.Weight gain,,,, big time. I feel like the Lamictal has never worked for me but the doc. thought it would help me get off xanax. It didn't happen. I went cold turkey on Cymbalta, so do you all think I should go cold turkey on Lamcital? I just figure being in Cymbalta withdraw hell I could handle Lamcital withdraw. No I haven't told my doc. any of this. Shes really not a doc, but a counselor & has patients records audited by real doc. I just feel shes a pill pusher. I.\,ve actually have felt mentally better being off Cymbalta so I'm hoping the same for this. Oh, by the way, did I tell you one of the symptoms of coming off of Cymbalta is babbling alot!!! Be in my world,,
Thanks for any info.
Lee

Interesting to note the Cymbalta withdrawals; etc. I've been tapering the dreaded Xanax and expected awful withdrawals; instead it's not been hell like it was with Seroquel and Prozac. I also am on 50mg. of Lamictal, and have reported problems with it[increasing the med make me sick, and headaches]directly to GSK; which then goes to FDA, which goal being is to get withdrawal symptoms on the packaging as warnings.

Sheesh. It took me a while to scroll all the way down here.

"I was thinking at a particular moment washing out of my head within minutes."

Since Lamictal, my short-term memory has gone kaput. I pretty much have none. I have to write everything down or else it goes away. Hence, I feel like I had ADHD since I end up doing a variety of things at once since I forget what I was SUPPOSED to do.

In a reply to Stacey's question I've found the following link that could shed some light on what you're going through - here it is
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/lamotrigine/default.htm

Thank you for everyone posting and commenting here - as a fellow Bipolar II person who's only recently started using lamictal recently and have already decided to quit - I've found your comments helpful and encouraging. Thank you

marissa's comment just reminded me and i am not making a joke, that was one of the side effects i reported to GSK , was short term memory loss! i have to take notes on phone calls, and tape them to the kitchen cupboard like i'm writing a book to keep track of anything important.

Hey, thank you so much for your comments. I just tried to come off 50mg of lamictal suddenly. I slept all the time, felt dizzy, couldn't even drive. I went back on 25mg. I feel very depressed also. I don't know if I'll ever be back to normal. At least I know now I'm not alone. Once I get off the 25mg I'm never touching lamictal again.

I have been on Lamictal for about a year now taking 200mg's a day. Two weeks ago i decided to cut my pills in half and gradually ween myself off of Lamictal. I just took my last dose of 50mg's last night and i have had no withdrawel at all. I actually feel better being off of Lamictal than i did before taking it. My pharmasist told me that it should take two - three weeks to ween yourself completely off of Lamictal. Luckily i have had no problems going off so far. I wish all of you good luck if you are trying to go off any medications. By the way, i think i was misdiagnosed with Bipolar back in 94 and have had no mania or depression while weening off of Lamictal.

Hi everyone. I have been on 300mg/day does of lamictal for about 2 years for bipolar. It has really helped me a great deal. My dad took his own life at age 30 as a result of the disorder (we think, 25 years ago he was on the verge of being diagnosed).
My husband and I recently decided to try and have a baby, so I am tapering. My doc has me going pretty fast - I did 200 for a week, I dropped down to 100 this week, and will do 3 days at 50, and 3 days at 25 next week. So far everything has been pretty manageable. I did have a big stressor the other night which kind of sent me in to a tailspin...I had to just take a bath and crawl in bed and say goodnight.

Here are some things I have noticed since I went from 300 to 100 in the last 10 days:
small bouts of major agitation/edginess
nausea
feeling light headed
low appetite

My doc told me to expect crying spells and headaches (I haven't experienced this yet). I also take Niravam (like valium) for mania/anxiety, and she said I could take this as needed during the lamictal withdrawal. So far I haven't needed it!

I am curious to see how I will fare once the medicine is gone. Also - my doc told me have one month of being 'clean' before we start trying.
I saw one girl's post about being on lamictal while pregnant...is there anyone out there who has returned to lamictal upon giving birth?

re: pregnancy and any psych med; i'm not a doctor, but make sure the valium is gone too, and i would wait 3 months before getting pregnant and that goes for being off birth control pills as well. just advice, not medical professional advice. [but a mom of 3].

I saw that Scott reported that he woke up with cuts on his tongue. this struck me because he same thing happened to me. I have been off of Lamictal for 4 days and I woke up having chewed the heck out of my tongue. I am also walking around in a dream and feeling completely detached from myself. My brain feels as if it is stuffed with cotton. I am tired, due in part to restless sleep. I don't want to go back on meds which were originally prescribed for depression and then later to also address a partial seizure disorder.
Please tell me I'm close to feeling normal!!

I have recently been coming off of Lamictal and I had tried this before and went back on it due to the withdrawal... I wasn't sure if it was withdrawal or just the Bipolar... I am sure now that it is withdrawal and I am continuing to come off.. I was on 100 mg and went down by 25 mg each week. I think I will take this last 25 mg for a bit longer as I have had all the same symptoms posted on here. Manic episodes that just have to burn out..numb feelings, feel outside of my body and like my head is cold inside. I have had some nausea too. I have noticed that I don't sleep to great right now either. I hope the last 25 mg. goes o.k.
Leigh Ann

I am Bi-Polar and I have been taking Lamictal for over 4 years now. It has been so long, that I can hardly remember how I felt without it.

At Over a 2 to 3 month process I worked myself up to a 400 mg per day dosage. For the first year I was grateful I found a medication that worked for me. I felt a lot more stable than I had for quite some time.

I had closed myself off because of a bad relationship ending. However, years went by, and I started to feel numb to a lot of emotion. Many traumatic events did not feel as bad as they really were. For example, my brother dying.

I seem to have this semi-unrealistic belief that you will perform best under your most natural state.

If you cannot see well, maybe you shouldn't correct your vision. While you cannot clearly see in front of you; you can think harder on what you are seeing to be able to see passed it.

So maybe this is your best path to looking at the world.

However, at the same time, if I am suffering from high blood pressure. Am I supposed to not take the medicine to increase my chances of dying? Or am I supposed to stay in my natural state?

Extreme situations, i know.

So I try to apply this to Bi Polar. Am I supposed to be like this? or more importantly. Do I want to ?

It is such a hard question for me. At the beginning I a was happy to be on it. 5 years is a long a time. Anyones body/mind/outlook will change at least a little. Has mine changed enough so I don't have to rely on this medicine?

For 4 years, 400 mg a day. I have maybe missed three doses the whole time. Those three days were ridiculously hard. Like a constant ringing noise was going off in my head. Jumbled thoughts. I was on edge.

Also, If I wait an hour after i wake up on the days i take my medicine, the same feelings come creeping up quite quickly.

It is like a slow panic attack that drags out.

So currently, I stopped taking Lamictal a week ago. My refill is still in the mail and I have no other way to get the medication. I am so detached from the world it is unbelievable. I know the medicine is for epileptic patients too. Although, I haven't had any seizures. My head feels stuffed with cotton and it is hard to function. I am unbelievably tired all time. It has been so long now. I don't even know if I am going to try to get back on it. I hope the buzzing and sick feeling goes away soon. I know I am supposed to 'ween' myself off, but it was all so unexpected. And here I am.

All the best.

I have been on Lamactil (lomotrigine) for about a year, and at 200mg. My Psyc put me on it to help with depression and anxiety. Many of you have cofirmed my biggest concern as of lately; the short term memory loss and ....what I saying?...o yes, the lack of motor skills. I am going through some stressful times, yet I feel that being so scattered contributes to this stress. I just seem be going around in circles and not very productive at all lately.

Several Questions for anyone, who wants to respond.

I usually need to have about 2 glasses of wine at night to just wind down, and not sure if that is a good idea. Any comments?

Does SAM-E help? I understad that Lamactil impacts the GABBA level. Does not SAM-E do the same?

I am interested in Gianna's web site. Where do I go? I am so glad to have found this forum.

I think I am ready to try and get off Lamactil.

Thanks!

So glad I found this. I've been on 200 mg lamictal for about a year and a half. About four years ago started with celexa for depression, which worked great for a little over a year, so I stopped. Then took lexapro when the depression returned, hit a rough spell and was told I am probably bipolar II. Weaned off lexapro and onto lamictal gradually up to 200 mg. It seemed to work ok for a while, but I really don't know for sure if it was the drug or just my own ups and downs.

Anyway, have been feeling like crap lately and was considering adding wellbutrin, but I have decided instead to go drug-free. I am on day 2 of no lamictal cold turkey. Don't feel any better or any worse. I've been tired, cranky, edgy and forgetful with lamictal.

Gained 35 pounds during this four year drug trial, but in fairness, I'm also in my 40's. My new plan is to work on a regular sleep and exercise routine, eat better, and get outside as much as possible.

Looking forward to being drug free. Hasn't been "the perfect cure" for my depression, and I'm tired of looking for one.

Hello. It's been very helpful and reassuring to read all of your comments. Your reaching out has helped me reach out to you in turn. I've been on 300mg lamictal for a year and a half, which I take for depression and began noticing weight gain in the last three months. I'm also on 300mg Effexor and 300 mg Wellbutrin as well as thyroid medication. I'm not sure whether the Lamictal has actually helped my mood or not and frankly, I'm not sure why I'm on it. It has caused irritability that I never had, jaw clenching, nightly teeth grinding, increasingly blurred vision, occasional dizziness, bruising, itching, confusion, tremors, bloating, fatigue, violent and disturbing dreams, impaired memory, and most recently, weight gain. I've begun tapering down by 37.5 mgs since last week and today I'm feeling low, sad, crying easily. A bit depressed. Is that normal? does that subside when you adjust to the lowered dose?

I was on Lamictal which was stopped to determine if my eye sensation was due to that. I know it sounds crazy, but since I had been on Lamictal I started having these eye images like seeing my iris (clear) in front of me. I saw three eye doctors and nothing. I went back to Lamictal. I had been on Lexapro which was begining to not work. The second time on Lamictal after about 3 months or so, I got the rash. The doctor had also started me on Cymbalta, getting rid of the Lexapro. I thought the rash might be from Cymbalta. I had other symptoms like extreme agitation, suicidal thoughts increased, etc. So Cymbalta was stopped. That left only Lamictal. The rash got worse so then the doctor diagnosed the Lamictal rash and told me to stop it immediately. I was on the 200. This whole time I felt like I had the chills, flu, extreme fatigue. After stopped the Lamictal cold turkey, symptoms got much worse. Serious suicidal thoughts, fatigue, time perception problem, feeling faint, loss of balance, poor concentration, feeling of detachment and inability to concentrate/understand things. Serious mood swings. The time perception thing really bothers me. I can't tell if I have done something 5 min. ago, or 5 hours ago. I feel very disconnected. I didn't tell the doctor all of this because I thought it would pass and I thought I might just have the flu. I didn't know what withdrawal symptoms would be like. I got on line and found this place and bam, it hit me. All of this is related to sudden Lamictal withdrawal. There was a strong possibility of hospitalization because of suicidal thoughts and just this feeling of having no control. My emotions are all over the place. The doctor is thinking of putting me on Topomax alone now. Frankly all of this has really shook me up. The withdrawal from this drug is intense. I don't know how long it will last. The depression is so severe. It's all very scary especially when I had no clue what to expect. I predicted I would be a little depressed, but nothing like this. Surely you can get through this.

Reading these last few comments I am beginning to want to broad brush this into ALL psych meds have these withdrawal symptoms; I am currently on Lamictal; but have suffered just about every withdrawal symptom the last 2 commenters wrote while removing Seroquel; and currently Xanax.
I can assure others based on my Seroquel hell removal that I did survive it; thus my perservence with the Xanax tapering right now.
The disconnect of time is very disturbing. Seroquel was like having full blown flu. I've journaled my Seroquel withdrawals on my blog and am now writing about Xanax.
Good luck to all; I am starting to seriously believe withdrawals happen on all of these medications, which is quite alarming. I only wish I didn't have these anecdotal stories to tell; because coming off of the drugs is worse than being on them.

amy, your email address did not work. please write me directly.

I'm down to 75mg of Lamictal so far, I was on 125 like 2 weeks ago and not on it for long.

I'm just curious since I'm going down 25mg every week about the symptoms I'll have, I tried to go off Lamictal before but I couldn't, and I feel ever since I've been ON Lamictal I feel I can do LESS than I could before I was on it...

Thank you, when I said being able to do less I meant less in life, more ocd/paranoid about not being able to accomplish things in life, not exactly fatigue, I misused that term. I think we'd all we better without meds...

Yeah thank you Amy... I felt some heart palpitations yesterday and today... more tired than usual also... realizing some things about life... man... life is hard.

Maybe we should get a Lamictal withdrawal message board going or does anyone know of one that sympathizes with this medication so we can all get the help we need or at least the talking we need? Because jeez this Lamictal is making me so unmotivated and fuzzy minded I don't want to do anything...

I have been diagnosed with bipolar II. I have
anxiety but no mania. I was given lamictal.
It says on the labeling that is for bipolar I.
My questions is does it work for anxiety or is
this not the right drug or is Bipolar II the new
diagnosis of the year?

Thanks Amy. The docs say no problem. Everyone on this forum says it is. What's the real story? Why the hell is it so hard to get off these drugs. Why does every doctor say its a joke?

Doctors can only be educated by the patients who take the drugs and withdraw from them; that's stuff the drug reps don't give in their "talks".

As far as dropping .5mg of Xanax, I have just suffered nearly 3 months doing it, with horrible withdrawals. I would recommend only reducing one drug at a time.

Benzo Island is a taper forum that can help with tapering benzo ideas and also if the crazymeds boards are still open, it's a place all of these drugs are discussed in immediate forum response discussion.
Good luck.

what kind of problems did you have with the xanax. HOw long were you on it? If you don't mind me asking.

9 years on Xanax; basic withdrawal symptoms:headache,confusion, brain buzzing, suicidal thoughts,severe depression, jaw pain, facial swelling, insomnia,hand tremors,severe fatigue,short term memory loss-- just to name a few. The first .25 I reduced wasn't as bad as the last .25 (total of .5 reduction over about 3 months).I've also removed other meds, and always had withdrawals. The most alarming symptom (that has passed)was suicidal thinking; but the depression is still here/doctors might say it's "the illness" coming back--I saw a direct hit that came alongside the tapering of the Xanax. I also take 50mg. of Lamictal.I have written about 'benzo withdrawals' on my blog. The interesting thing about Lamictal as we read here, is that more and more people seem to be having severe withdrawal symptoms when removing it, and considering it is a fairly benign and easy to take drug without a lot of side effects, I think it has taken people off-guard when tapering and having withdrawals.

i agree about the lamictal. Its been my worst nightmare asitkilled my cognition in medical school and i can'tget off it. At one point i was on 500! i had a6 month headache and every doc said it couldn't be withdrawal so they put me on xanax for "anxiety" headadches. So terrible. 3 months ago i was on 100 lamictal and 1 mg xanax. I cut the xanax .25 over a few weeks. NO withdrawal at all. But then I cut the lamictal to 90 recently. 2 week headache. The thing is then a few nights ago i couldn't sleep. Probably lamictal withdrawal. I had big exams so i had to induce a sleep. Only chocie was xanax. I went to 1 mg for the last few days. Is it safe to come back to .75 right away? I've been taking it only 6 months

6 months counts. (remember this is anecdotal, my experience) when my pdoc suggested to increase mine to 75mg (jan08)it made me sick, i felt sick and i fell a lot. i told pdoc it was a no go. ive left it at the 50mg. since then. this might sound far to simple, but i have been taking 50mg of Benadryl for sleep that has equated to the same effect i had for sleep w Seroquel. i am not a doctor, or want/need to influence anyone, just sharing my personal story, benadryl helped the insomnia, and surprised me when it did. good luck.-stephany

I'm on Lamictal for epilepsy since 1997. I;m having many problems coming off it ! Any ideas ?

nb: I, too, got a "lamictal rash" from 200mg tablets, later learned it was an allergy to the drug dye, went on 25mg tablets(white)(15 per day) got no rash - - stayed on it for 11 yrs.

Helen

Man this Lamictal stuff is so confusing... I've been struggling to get off Lamictal for about 5 months, but I'm actually very close to being off it... because I feel that is what is making me feel so bad, since I can't concentrate, read good anymore, have bad memory issues, and with the WITHDRAWAL especially have had some bad thoughts that I usually don't have, not to mention more OCD... the withdrawal could be worse though, unfortunately I'm still stuck on Xanax 3mg a day, but that's what I need to get through this terrible time of Lamictal.I noticed there are not many LAMICTAL SUCCESS STORIES such as people going off it then they feel great... has anyone ever felt any RELIEF going off any of these medications???

I am currently going off of Lamictal and it has been HELL. If I had known what this would feel like I would NEVER had taken it. I was on 200 mg . While I was on it I noticed that I was very slowly starting to have bizarre side effects. My hair started falling out, I was having horrible cravings, I couldnt write very well it was like my brain and hand wouldnt connect, I cried ALOT. My dr decided a couple of weeks ago that I should go off of it. Since trying to taper off my anxiety has been off the charts, my head is foggy like I am detached, etc etc. I would recommend not taking this med . The effects are horrible and has not been worth it, but I am not going back on it I have gone this far and I am not going back.

Johnalene--exactly my experience. Good luck to you.

Hi

I have Bipolar (so they say...) and ADHD, and I'm currently taking 125mg Lamictal and 18mg Concerta. I've been taking Lamictal for 4 years, and I think it has done more damage than good in the long run.

I think it has affected my body in a negative way. Here are my side effects:

Higher levels of creatinine in the blood,
more prone to the flu,
generally more prone to feeling sick,
increased ADHD symptoms,
a rash in the face,
rash on my upper body (the doc said it was fungus),
muscle pains,
joint pains,
anxiety,
alcohol intolerance (almost like an allergic reaction),
headaches,
can't remember the last time I slept without having to take meds like Zopiclone and Melatonin.
It's almost like my body struggles to fight infections etc.

I was 16 when I was diagnosed with Bipolar, and got this medication. When I started taking them I threw up every day for a week. My body doesn't like them. To put things in perspective;

If I increase the dose with 12,5mg (split 25mg) I end up with neusea, headache and a swollen throat. Seriously, the last time I tried to increase the dose I felt really really sick for 36 hours.

I was diagnosed adult ADHD a year ago, and the stimulants have proved themselves much more effective for me compared to the other meds I've tried. Along the way I have tried pretty much everything, and I always have to give in to the side effects. I'm obviously hyper sensitive. My doc won't listen to me...

I'm a bit confused, because I can't find anything on the internet that can help me. I'm grateful for this thread though, since I'm going to quit the Lamictal.

Have any of you guys experienced the same side effects from lamictal as me? I'm sorry if my post is a bit off-topic, but I'm kinda desperate. I will post an update on my withdrawals later. I just took my sleeping aids, and I skipped the 25mg's I usually take at night. It's a bit scary.

Thanks for a great forum, and you guys seem like great people!

I'm so happy to have found this site, but the comments have freaked me out as well since I also was never told about the possible side effects of withdrawal. I decided to take myself off of 200mg of Lamictal after 2 years since I wasn't convinced it was doing anything. I'm not bi-polar, but have OCD, and I must admit it has helped reduce my anxiety. However, I got these killer headaches after reducing it by 25 mgs (my Dr. advised doing this every 2 weeks). I now know I need to go slower but am so scared of getting the headaches again. I'm wondering if there is something I can take to relieve the headaches during my withdrawal, but WILL never take Xanax or any other kind of possible addicting drug. Suggestions? I would also NOT recommend doing this cold turkey. Those lightheaded feelings are dangerous. Definitely take it slow.

The side effected I recently posted wasn't from withdrawals, it was from using Lamictal.

Anyway, I'm going to reduce my dosage slowly, 25mg every two or three weeks until I'm done.

I expect headaches, but it's far better then the alternative.

I'm having a little headache now, but it's most likely from stress. Hope it's gone in the morning.

Chris

Hi,
Wow, it is so nice to come across this site. THank you for all the comments. I was on 200mg of Lamictal for a year and I have been trying to get off of L. for about a month now. I am on 100mg currently and will stay on it for the next couple of weeks before shifting to 50mg.

The problem: I am so completely depressed, it is frightening. It seems that my depression is worse than it has been in a while. Is this just withdrawal or is it a worst case of depression coming back?

I cannot focus or do any work. I cannot care less abotu anything, but i am also very anxious and agitated. I cannot sleep and then I sleep for 14 hours. It is hell on my work schedule.

I feel really scared. Maybe i should go back on Lamictal? L. worked great for me, but I had servere acne, headaches, horrivle nightmares, and I could not do any work b/c my brain was mush for almost a year.

AH! I am so tired of all this.

Ok, Question...I am currently on 500mg a day of Lamictal. I have been on this for, geez, I don't even know how long...a couple of years. My dose was just increased from 450 to 500 in October. I have a Video EEG scheduled for next week (June 2-6) and am really scared since I am suppose to stop my Lamictal that Sunday night (June 1). When I am late taking a dose, I know it...I get a feeling of heaviness on my chest, my arms and hands get this weird tingly feeling in them, etc., and that is just if I am a half hour or hour "late" taking a dose. Usually it is with my nighttime dose. What can I expect to happen when I have to stop the full 500mg abruptly? This scares the crap out of me more so than the Testing. Any input would be helpful!

If I can add anything here or maybe help someone, I've learned that the key with Lamictal is SLOW titration, whether up or down. I have been on Lamictal since 2004 and am currently in a love/hate relationship with it. When it works, it is magical. I am very sensitive to medication, plus I am a woman who deals with severe monthly hormonal flucuation, so I am very intimate with Lamictal's benefits and side effects. For example, I usually need to bump up the dosage a little the week before my period and back it off the next week or so.

I relate completely to your post, Hi. Earlier this year I tried to go off Lamictal. It was so miserable I had to start taking it again after a week of many of the same side effects you describe. I was at a dosage of 400mg at the beginning of this year. After the week of withdrawal, I started again on 50mg. (I have 200mg tablets and they are really hard to split into any smaller than 50mg, and since they are shield-shaped, splitting them 200mg into quarters still isn't exact.)

What is my game plan? I need to get 25mg prescribed so that I can do very slight tweaks. If I decide to go off again, then I can titrate very slowly, which is what I recommend to anyone who is trying to quit Lamictal.

Ask your psychiatrist for free samples for the tapering. I get all of my Lamictal that way. (thanks to pharma reps!yes, I take advantage of them showing up in that regard) You can get entire packages of 25.mg tabs. It's just a thought, especially with tapering, and cost effective too.

ME AGAIN! Very odd for me but the Lamictal was much easier to go off this time compared to the last time in March... so I'm posting the first success story regarding withdrawal from this awful medication... so, yay? Johnalene I hope your scene improves, we really need a forum for this medication so we can all talk or something, someone give it some serious consideration or contact me at PaulostheSpy@AIM.COM so we can not all be alone. Also I've been OFF Lamictal for 10 whole days... felt very light good things but mostly bad, I wonder if it will improve at all or anything. OH WELL.

What are the steps one must take to get even with GLAXO for this horrible drug?

Ray. Buy an electronic scale that measures grams. That's what I did. Then equate the weight of the tablet with the dosage. That's the most precise way to do it.

Hi, just found this thread and am in my eigth day of hellish withdrawal of paxil but am on my eighth day of starting Lamictal using the starter kit - meaning I've taken Lamictal 25mg for eight days now. Since I'm experiencing misery with withdrawal from paxil, I've decided that I will not continue with Lamictal either.

My question is, will I have withdrawals off Lamictal 25 mg after using it for eight days? My horror is the thought of more withdrawal symptoms on top of the worst withdrawal off paxil I've ever experienced. Please, if you have an idea or guess, please let me know. Thanks.

I was wondering if anyone knows about this site and what it offers:

http://www.labelmesane.com/home.html

I've had similar problems as everyone only involving amitriptyline (Elavil), one of the older tricyclic antidepressants. It's been very effective for me the times I've used it over the years, but coming off it seems to get worse the older I get (or the more times I use it?).

cairn,
Lucky you!
Where did you find a physician that prescribes amitriptyline?
This site you've mentioned is not serious.
Can't you see they only want to sell their stuffs?
Now I'm sure you're new on the block!

Lamictal = worse experience of my life.
I have been off lamictal for 5 weeks and I am still battling the rash! Does not seem possible but according to family pract, not uncommon.

Plus, I have now been taking prednisone for the past four weeks to combat rash. I continue to gain massive weight due to the prednisone but without, the rash is very painful. Plus, I am not suppose to be in the sun, due to the rash, and I surf almost daily. Surfing has become much more difficult w/ extra 25lbs and increased sensitivity to the sun.
Vitamins, yoga, surfing, diet, exercise. I will never take another pysch med nor trust a physiatrist. All b.s. I spent the year on seven different meds, all for not.
How much money do drug lobbyist spend in Washington? More than an other private sector. They are the evil side of a capitalistic gov't and unfortunately bye the docs either through spiffs or misinformation.

i've been on lamictal for bipolar II for 9 months and i've had no major problems. i got headaches with the change in dosage on the ramp up, but they were by no means debilitating. just a month or so ago i finally got to the point where it was apparent to me how much time i spend mentally disconnected before medication. once in a blue moon i start to drift but i can always bring myself back. i'm more productive and happier. my relationships are better. i'm less self-centered.
one benefit i found by accident after forgetting to take it before bed: if i take it first thing in morning i am very motivated to clean and organize (a great thing since normally i'm kinda messy). i would like to just take it in the mornings on the weekends but changing the time i take it back and forth so often would be a bad idea. i am on no other medications for any mental disorders. i was on prozac for about a year or so back in high school and it was horrible. that's all i have to compare it to.

the only other side effect i've had that my dr mentioned might happen is trouble with depth perception. this only bothers me if i take in the morning + i have to drive. i just remember to brake earlier than it looks like i should and i'm fine.

i like lamtical. i have no reason to come off of it right now. my only concern would be when i decide to have kids (in the next 5 years or so). i am not going to take it then, but i will be tapering SLOW and BY MY DR'S INSTRUCTIONS.

after being in the medical community and after taking several medications that you cannot simply quit (for example, prednisone), i think it's a pretty fucking stupid idea to just stop, or to stop without your doctor's help. you're just asking for trouble then.

Ive been on lamictal for 6months, loved it but i have exzema on my face and my front teeth have internally turned grey, permenantly so i haft to stop. Its very hard im at 100mg and i am experiencing alot of anxiety. I dont want to be on anything. Im going to see my doc tomarrow to see if that is an option. Has anyone heard of lamictal affecting your teeth color or facial redness? My muscles are tense!
Thank you

As far as I know Label Me Sane is a legit business. I know a lot of people who have successfully used their products...the secret though is you can get all of the same products for a lot cheaper elsewhere---you gotta look at the ingredients because they give them fancy names that have nothing to do with what's in it...what they do offer though that you can't get if you get the products elsewhere is telephone support for your withdrawal. They're nice people.

It's not a bad system for some people. I've seen it work.

Now I am scared. I have been on lamictal for only 22 days now (50 mg) and working my way up to 100 mg. The only thing I noticed at my 2 week check-up (25 mg) was insomnia and dreaming. I have
A LOT of energy whereas I did not before starting this drug (I slept alot before). The doc put me on Geodon(Ziprasidone HCI) for the insomnia. I am on my 8th day with the 50 mg and taking the Geodon at night for sleep. I have begun to notice short term memory loss, I am very talkative and will cry at the drop of a dime, but still very energetic. I like that I have energy again and actually getting things accomplished. I am afraid to go to 100 mg after reading this page. I am feeling pretty good as of right now, should I tell my doc to stop at 50 mg? And, does anyone know what this Geodon HCI is? Also, the lamictal has done nothing for my anxiety. Is it supposed to help anxiety?

Rhonda, I take 50mg.of Lamictal. I'm over-sensitive to drugs and smaller doses of them work for me. My doc goes by the premise of increase until you feel better and leave it at that, rather than the standard literature guidelines. I've been on 50mg. for 18 months. Not sure if the Lamictal would address anxiety, it helps with the depression (usually). Geodon is an antipsychotic, same as Abilify,Zyprexa,Seroquel etc. If recommended for sleep, I'd personally try 50mg. Benadryl before that, based on my experience with Seroquel (that I am now off of). All of this is my personal experience. I do have a family member who does well on 125mg. of Lamictal, went off of Geodon due to not needing an antipsychotic and it gave too many side effects (crying, double vision),and uses Seroquel for mania once in a while for a 2-3 day period of time.

Thank you for responding so quickly. I am also sensitive to drugs and always worry about taking different kinds or too many. I have an appointment with the counselor (not the phsychiatrist) tomorrow and will ask about all of this. I do not like the Geodon. I felt better w/o it, except the not sleeping which was only now and then. So may ask for something natural for the sleep. What would you recommend for anxiety? and can I just take anxiety pill as needed and not everyday?

I'm certainly no expert or professional but I would advise taking anxiety meds PRN (as needed) and not every day, because most are benzos (for example Xanax, Klonopin)and I have been on Xanax (alprazolam)for 9 years, and truly feel it did nothing for anxiety and should have been left for PRN. I'm currently reducing it, (had withdrawals like a junkie)and feel less anxiety.
I have not tried Melatonin(sp?)but have heard it works for some people for sleep. For me, so does Chamomile tea and toast! Good luck.

@Hi at May 25, 2008 10:53 PM

I hope you are still coming by here. I am weaning myself off of Lamictal after being on it for a year. I am also currently at 100mg, and have been experiencing depression, fatigue, lack of ability to focus or think. I have been on 100mg for about a month now and will stay on it for another two weeks before I go down to 75mg. The withdrawal is really horrible. I am astonished at how intense the withdrawal symptoms are--unlike anything I have ever been on.

How are you doing, since you and i seem to have similar experiences. I too am going off of Lamictal b/c of acne, headaches, nightmares, and a brain that just doesn't work. I have been unable to focus or think for a year now.

--

ALSO, I have experienced what I can only call mini-seizures of some kind. My head does strange jolts. I read that seizures can happen to people coming off of Lamictal, especially when it is done abruptly. I am not going off of Lamictal abruptly, so I am confused about all this.

"hey",
it could be that you are coming off it too quickly, and need to slow the tapering down.

I normally take 150mg Lamictal for Bipolar Disorder. I recently ran out and could not afford my refill. I tried requesting samples from my doctor but that was a no go. The withdrawal symptoms are sooooo bad....I swear it gets worse every day. I have been without the Lamictal for about two weeks now. At first it felt like my brain was back firing...I don't know how else to describe it. It was like little electrical zaps shooting through my head. I have a headache that won't stop. It starts off bearable in the mornings, but by lunch it's like...off with my head...please. I am tired and my whole body feels like I have the flu. And then there are those bursts of extreme anger. My doctor gave me a prescription for a starter pack so I can start again, but I can't afford that either. I just got back on the meds in February and had just started getting stable. Before that I ended up on disability for 6 months. It is all pretty scary. I don't want to go back to that insane person that was me before the meds. I just don't know what to do anymore.

My doctor is taking away my cocktail of anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications I have been on ranging from 3-6 years due to blood work showing high liver enzyme levels. My ALT level is around 120 (4 times higher than norm range). I have been tested multiple times this week and the belief by all is that my liver problems are drug induced.
So, I have been abruptly taken off Lamictal four days ago and yesterday had my Effexor XR reduced in half. I've gotten headaches (can't take ibuprogen or Tylenol for it due to liver problems) and extreme fatigue. I've taken Effexor for 6 years and Lamictal for three. If anyone can shed light on what I should expect with coming off both these together very abruptly it may help with preparing myself. Has anyone come off these without terrible withdrawals?

I am told that coming off my final drug Paxil (low dose) will start in the next week too. I am wondering, would I be better going in a rehab? What dangers are there for coming off these so fast? What enviornment would be the best for this time? ANy hints to reduce the withdrawals? It sound like hell for withdrawal off Effexor and Paxil, so why prolong the process since me liver is effected? Does it make sense to just get all the terrible withdrawals over at once. I want to be over the withdrawals before college starts back after Labor Day. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. I am only 21 and scared with all these medical problems.

Also, a weird thing is my cholestoral level (bad one) is around 200. Anyone experience liver of cholestoral problems while on Lamictal, Effexor or Paxil? I don't know which drug(s) is responsible for the liver problems (yes Hepatitis has come back negative).

This info about lamictal withdrawal is so surprising and important to me right now. I'm taking a total of 300mg lamictal daily but, due to several unusual factors, ran out Thursday night and wasn't able to get a refill until Monday, today. I felt as if I had been taking massive amounts of downers and my brain wouldn't function at all because of the severe fatigue. I couldn't think, couldn't hold a thought, couldn't do anything without it being a major chore. And nightmares! They stared as I began to fell asleep, including such things as seeing jolts of electricity shooting through my body or body parts being ripped off. (I tend to have vivid nightmares anyway.) My dogs woke me up several times each night because I was screaming in my sleep. I got the refill this morning and took my evening dose immediately. After a couple of hours I started feeling better and think I can go to work tomorrow. I'm a psychotherapist and, even though this was a horrible experience, I'm glad to know since the knowledge might come in handy in the future.

wow, I really am sick of Lamictal. I am on 300mg right now, but am starting to take 1 3/4 of that for 2-3 weeks, and to go slooowwwly from there. But... I just have to say that if I am a couple of hours late in taking it, I feel like I'm going to pass out, my lips go slightly numb, and I am a total klutz. I get really sleepy and it really scares me.

I used to take it in the morning, but eventually realized that my dizzy and anxiety spells were a result of taking it too early in the morning before my digestive system has had a chance to wake up. I take it in the afternoon now and feel better. Has anyone had this problem-- when taking it too early on in the morning?

I think I was one of those people that was going through a tough time and my doctor was over-eager to diagnose me and prescribe me this medication-- a medication that she claimed was new but well-researched. Then I got spacey and forgetful. So she diagnosed me with ADHD. She said many people have both at the same time. My entire family was shocked that I was diagnosed with it. I started to take meds for the ADHD and it made me an insane overproductive workaholic perfectionist that freaked everyone around me out.

What is the deal with treating symptoms only with medication? and treating side-effects with more medication? It is absurd. Maybe some people really do have both. I know I don't- and thank you for your comments because it confirms that the spaciness is a common phenomenon.

I changed my life and self-care habits, and am feeling really great. Perhaps Lamictal helped me out of my depression so that I could change my circumstances and habits more easily. But I don't want it anymore-- I see how it is affecting me and I really really hate the idea that my body is so dependent on it.

I get forgetful and sometimes don't take it in the afternoon, and then I get sick within a couple of hours. So now I have an emergency supply on me at all times. Ugh!

I was traveling in a foreign country and was thinking... if I were to ever get kidnapped or have my stuff stolen--- I would be SCREWED. That kind of dependency scares me, if it is not necessary.

I have to say reading this site has been so helpful-- but I am quite worried about reducing my dose now. I had no idea it could be so awful! I know I'm physically very dependant on it because as soon as I stop taking it at the same time everyday, I get sort of screwy. I hate it! It's not me!! Get it out of me! I will try to taper over several months just to play it safe.

However, does it make a difference to do it slowly or should I just try to do it within a few weeks? Are the withdrawal symptoms similar irregardless of how much time you take?

Sarah,

Withdrawal symptoms are varied. I know I was in a rush to get off lamictal, and I titrated down too fast - very ugly. Seroquel was almost as bad considering I was only on a low dose for a short period of time (nasty stuff, imho). You may not feel better on any given day, but look back a week or two instead. You might still feel like crap, but at least you're on a lower dose.

I think you have a special challenge in managing coming off old drugs whilst managing side effects of new ones. It might be difficult to tease out which drugs are causing which effects.

It's really important to remember that withdrawal can be a long and sometime tortuous process, but not to fixate on that negative aspect. What I found useful was the following (I may have posted this elsewhere here):

1. Try to do some fun stuff outside the home (movie, dining, window shopping, day trips, etc...) just get out of your home frequently.
2. Physical exercise: hikes, swim, biking, walks - always better when you do this with someone else from time to time.
3. Vitamin support - mine was omega 3s, C, D, calcium and magnesium (bad bones), and a multi - YMMV.
4. Nutrition: simple, whole foods. I ate smaller meals several times a day. Don't forget to treat yourself though - I usually did this after exercising (go for ice cream or such).
5. Have a very simple written plan and daily schedule. This will help keep you focused, but not straitjacketed to a tight regimen. You need to have some free time to just vegetate.

Be patient and don't beat yourself up. You are accomplishing something that is not easy or quick.

Thank God I came across this site. I really thought I was going nuts. I'll try and make this as short as possible.
I'm a 53 year old female, and have been on every drug out there for Bipolar II for the past 17 years. I feel like I've been a guinea pig for the psychiatric community all these years!
They should have been paying me instead of vice versa.
Some drugs have helped short term but not without all the side effects and withdrawals that go along with them.
My BIGGEST MISTAKE was taking Lamictal!!!!!!
I would have been better off on a street drug.
After two years on this drug my psych.doc (my 8th doc.)and I decided that it was doing more harm than good. I started out at 50mg and gradually ended up at 250mg.
At that point my doctor changed my prescription from 100mg. tabs to 200mg. tabs so I would only have to take a 200mg. tab. plus my 50mg. tab once a day.
I took the Lamictal as prescribed but noticed I was falling down a lot, was confused, could not read, was dizzy etc.etc.etc.
I was so confused that I forgot I had 200mg. tabs instead of 100mg. tabs and started taking two of the 200mg tabs plus my 50mg. tabs.
So as you can see I went from 250mg. per day up to 450mg. per day.
I didn't know what was wrong with me.
After taking the wrong dosage for a day or so I got really screwed up. I had to yell for my daughter the next morning after overdosing as I was shaking and trembling so badly that I thought I was going to flip out!!!! I should have gone to the hospital!
I had no idea that I was taking the wrong dosage...this went on for about a week until I ran out of Lamictal and had to pick up another script.
When I read the directions on the new bottle I was horrifed to find out that I had made such a bad mistake on my dosage...this could have been fatal for me.
When I told my doctor about this mistake because
I was so confused all the time he told me I was lucky to still be alive.
Anyway, I went back to 250mg., what a horror show!! I've been weaning myself off this awful med. ever since.
My doctor told me to drop 50mg. every 5 days until I got to 50mg. and then to just stop.
Well all I've got to say is that this has been the worst NIGHTMARE that I've ever been through!!
I think it would be easier to come off any kind of street drug out there.
I finally went to see my doctor this morning and he told me that he had never heard of anyone having a problem coming off from Lamictal.
I know he didn't think that I was having withdrawals from Lamictal...when I mentioned about what I'd read on the internet about withdrawals from this drug he just shrugged it all off...basically saying what I had read was a bunch of bullshit.
I love how these shrinks put you on all these meds., and then don't tell you the hell your going to go through when you try and get off from them.
I've done research on every drug I've had to take to find out what side effects to expect, but I never thought to look for drug withdrawal problems.
Of course your doctor is never going to tell you that all these drugs have withdrawal symptoms, because then how is he going to push them and stay in business?
As far as I'm concerned most of these shrinks are just legal drug pushers!
I know this lamictal works for some people, but my advice to anyone considering taking this drug is to research it throughly, and then take it only after careful consideration.
Please read all the comments posted here.
I am having every withdrawal posted here and then some!
This is not a drug to take lightly, (no pun intended).
I am planning on staying on 50mg. of Lamictal until my symptoms calm down.
I am very concerned about how I feel, as I have some very stressful events coming up in the next couple of months therefore I can't afford any downtime.
My other main concern is this: when I'm off this drug what next? What if I can't be without drugs?
I have nothing left to try.
I also agree that we all should be very careful about eating right, getting enough exercise, (although I haven't been able to move for the past few days) meditating, yoga, omega 3's, vitamins and other alternative methods that are available to us today.
One more thing, I was told by a bipolar specialist to take 1 to 2 grams of omega 3's per day.
I found out that this made me a little hypomanic... therefore I had to cut back on my dosage... so be careful with the omega's.
I'm sorry this turned out to be way longer than I had thought but once I got going I felt as though I should tell my whole story.
Thanks for listening.
Leslie

I got a new pdoc who decided to cut my wellbutrin in half and prescribe lamictal despite the fact that I was doing fine before she messed with my meds. I decided to do a google search on Lamictal and out of the hundreds of posts I have read on this drug, only four of them had anything good to say about Lamictal. I took one pill and was miserable the rest of the day with an intense migraine and sick to stomach. I was going to try to push myself through it to see if the headaches and upset stomach goes away, but I don't think I want to mess around with this drug at all.

For what it is worth, as a psychiatrist, and was not part of this posting when it was published last year (one hell of a thread going, eh?), the tricks to getting off of any medication that was titrated up in the beginning are the following:

1. A basic formula (not absolute, but as a general direction): for every 3 months on a med, expect at least two to three weeks to get off of it via tapering by NO MORE than 25% of the dose on at the time. So, for example with Lamictal, if on 150mg(avg dose)for 2 years(24 months), you would decrease to 125 for 7-10 days, then to 100mg for same pd, then to 75, to 60, then 50, to 40, 25, then 12.5, and be done, which would take about 12 to 16 weeks, depending on response with each dose decrease.

2. You really shouldn't consider decreasing or discontinuing meds in the middle, or anticipating of pending stressor(s) as the stress of worry of going off meds only increases the concern with the accompanying stress at hand. One reason why I would recommend being in therapy at the time of going off meds, just as an adjunctive measure to decrease the angst of stopping meds.

3. When on a fairly high dose of a medication, and a responsible doc should tell you it's a high dose, you should look to decrease it when life is at "cruise control" for you so when you would consider a future plan to decrease to discontinue, you are already at a lower amount at that point.

4. If you have concerns or questions about the meds or number of meds, ASK why they are being prescribed ongoing. Decreasing your discomfort or misgivings can only have a greater likelihood of the meds helping.

5. Lastly, and if this is taken as a cliche or trivializing, then I am sorry, but since I heard this last year, I like it and offer it to any and all who feel it is worthwhile:

if you want to get better, then take a pill, but if you want to get it right, fact the truth.

A lot of mental health seems to apply to this formula; not that meds are not needed, but they are not the primary intervention for most.

Hope this helps.

My doctor ran out of samples of Lamictal, and I went off of it without knowing about withdrawal symptoms. I had been on it for unexplained seizures for about two years.

The first symptom was insomnia. I would lie awake in bed and felt as if I were about to literally crawl out of my skin. The urge to move my legs was so intense, I furiously clawed at them. To stop, I had to keep getting out of bed and walk around. These feelings were accompanied by extreme anxiety. I felt as if I were trapped inside someone else's body trying to get out.

As time progressed, I began having the worst headaches of my life. I also had unusual headaches-Felt as if my head was floating. I couldn't possibly describe it if I tried.

I then experienced the following symptoms, not necessarily in the same order: dizziness, confusion, clumsiness, occasional passing suicidal thoughts with depression, pressure behind my eyes, extremely tired, sweaty palms, mania, tremors, muscle spasms, and irritability.

If you experience withdrawal symptoms, do not bother to research the symptoms yourself; you will find this the best site for that. Instead, speak to your doctor IMMEDIATELY. My doctor put me back on the medication, gradually increasing the dose. I still have a way to go-I am hoping the symptoms will go away altogether once I am up to my 200mg once again. She told me to stay on it, and "never" discontinue it. Discouraging, but I think I will take her word for it considering what discontinuing the medicine did to me.

Good luck.

son has been taking lamictal for 4 years 300 mg twice a day for seizures. He is a normal 19 year old boy who doesn't want to be dependand on medication. Problem is he takes his doses for a few days then skips a few takes and then skips again. He complaines of being tired, dizzy, irratable and very scatterbrained. He says its from taking the lamictal not from withdrawl when he skips his doses. If he misses for too long he has his seizures. How do we know if it from the meds or from skipping the meds???

I started a week ago to get off Lamictal. I was up to 400 a day. I wanted to stop because every morning was hell at that level-- brain zaps of painful memories or crazy thoughts and irrational fears. I was sick of that every damn morning. I cut it down to 200. To fast I know. Three days of hell. I am staying at 200 for quite a while then go down by 25% as recommended above. It will take a long time to get off. I may stay at on but at a much reduced level. Doctors seem so casual at putting you on and of course you are the one to pay the piper. Once I am off that will be it for me. Handle things as they come-- medication is a mine field. No thanks.

Hello all, remember me? I was on Lamictal 100mg... not a high dosage I know but it's semi high. I've been off it for 47 days, that's right I've actually been off this terrible medication... yet I haven't felt any relief or anything... still fuzzy minded, can't concentrate, ocding about everything and so on... anyone else here been able to get OFF their Lamictal for a while and have gotten any better/worse or stayed the same?... thanks...

has anyone lost excessive amounts of hair on Lamictal?

Yesterday was my first day without Lamictal.
I did a fairly slow taper staying at 25mg. for about two weeks.
You can read my story under the name Leslie for June 30th.
I'm feeling pretty crappy right now, depressed, anxious, very jumpy, irratable, and totally out of sorts.
I don't feel like doing anything but cannot sit still due to agitation.
I'm not sure what to do next. Should I wait until this passes?
Should I try going back on another med.?
How much worse am I going to get?
Will I ever get better?
How am I going to be able to make it without some kind of medication?
These are questions I keep asking myself.
I just don't know what to do at this point.
I want to try and tough it out for a couple of months and see what happens.
I know that when you have Bipolar disorder you're not supposed to go without meds. but I haven't had much luck with most of them therefore I'm very reluctant to try anything else.
Also trying a new med. is such a scary thing as you just don't know what's going to happen to you.
I was told I could try Geodon next which is an atypical anti-psychotic. YIKES!
I have Bipolar II, why would anyone take a drug like that for Bipolar II?
I did some research o