Anyone on Lamictal? Can you tell me the side effects, if any?!


Question: Thanking you all in advance.


Answers: Thanking you all in advance.

the person who said it only lsts 20 hours....hah guess they don't even sleep!!! but don't be like that person and never sleep...if you have issues with sleeping [mania does that to you] then talk to your doc about Trazodone. it's a sleep aid...i take it, and it's very very good....i've been on meds for bipolar disorder type I for a year now...the first part i took trazodone, but didn't need it till a few weeks ago. but lamictal...jesus christ it has SAVED my life.

i am very proud to say i have been stable for the 9 months out of 12 i have been on lamictal. i actually, just had my dose upped to 150mg because of anxiety attacks [i'm only 18...so docs tend to not prescribe Xanax to younger people. some idiots like to abuse it.] but it has worked amazingly...

i wasn't very drowsy when i started, hopefully that person didn't automatically start on 100mg..if your doctor wants to put you on that, make sure you ask for the sample packet. the first two weeks is 25mg, the next two weeks would be at 50mg then the 5th week is 100mg. i'm not sure if they give the pack to everybody...but i was lucky to get it.

uhmm...the biggest side effect would be a body rash, but if you get that...stop taking it immediately. it doesn't happen to many people though. i haven't really noticed side effects to be honest with you...i mean, sometimes i'd have issues with lasting way too long, if ya know what i mean. sometimes headaches and an upset stomach...but i think it's because i have a food allergy [i also have ADHD, people with this tend to have food allergies, so yeah.]

other than that...i'm good. i mean listen....it's better than nothing at all. all meds have side effects. but i've heard that many many people on lithium get pretty sick or feel like zombies.

but lamictal doesn't do that.....there's barely any side effects... most of the time you don't think "oh well it's because of my happy pills" ya know? the best thing about this medicine is the no weight gain thing. when i was developing BP i gained about 40 pounds...i guess since i also take adderall and am a happy kid now, i've lost all of that weight. it's for long time use, many don't have to up their dose for a long time. i mean...i was on the lowest dose for my 'severe mania' issue...till like three weeks ago, i could easily go back down to 100mg if i wanted to deal with anxiety attacks...

it's a very good medicine, i think it's probably the only mood stabilizer no one complains about.

so trust the docs, take it! you won't regret it!

and listen..it's a very good thing to have many loved ones know you have bipolar disorder...they'd gladly be of help.

my girlfriend and her mom were very supportive of me [and along wih most of my family..] i don't think i'd know what i woulda done if my guardian angel wasn't with me through it all. i was really surprised she has stayed with me for almost two years now after all the crap i put her through...

so trust me...it's very important to have people you really are close to around you during recovery.

maybe you should enroll in some yoga or boxing classes...
or just get a punching bag when you get mad you can punch the hell out of it! writing out your feelings when you are getting all anxious to enter an episode would cure it...seriously...i get pretty impulsive easily cause of BP and ADHD combined....but when i write or play my guitar...it makes my mood change and i'm happy again.

so just...have a new hobby, something non stressful. maybe go to the craft store and get a canvas and paint..or maybe clay to mess around with. yoga can definitely help when you're sinking into the lows.

The first side effect I had was extreme drowsiness. I would take it in the morning and fall asleep in the afternoon. Then I developed a twitching in my eye which kept going throughout the day. Both effects went away after about 3 months.

It's different for other people. The full list of common side effects is: dizziness, headache, blurred/double vision, nasal congestion, lack of coordination, shaking (tremor), muscle weakness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, painful menstrual cramps, difficulty sleeping, and lower stomach/abdominal discomfort.

For me, this drug only lasts about 20 hours, for the last four hours I'll get withdrawal symptoms, which are nasty. They're hard to describe, it's like I get a strange tingly feeling all over my body. I take it in the morning so I wake up with these symptoms. All I have to do is take the tablets and they're gone very quickly.

goto this link lot of info on this

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/lamotr...





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