Lamictal and don't know what I am going to do!

[TexasTravel]

Oh, and as far as keeping notes, my wife is like a recorder. She remembers the vaaast majority of things and that does not really matter because she writes EVERYTHING down. We have so many notebooks around here, filled with notes, that it is almost funny. So, if doctors, or anyone, ever disputes my situation(s), like the insurance company, SSD, my doctors, etc., etc., they will be in for a major, major surprise. She has every note ever taken, including every word, written or spoken, that they have ever communicated to us. Ever.

[walksalot]

Lamictal 200 mg will be going generic in 2009. Hurray! Finally. It was nearly $500 a month at my pharmacy here and I can get it for $4.00 in January. I take 200 mg in the morning and 500 at night. It's written as one prescription. That's 135 pills for $4.00! That would have cost me nearly $500 without Walmart's $4.00 generic program.

[Cinnabar]

Now, my Lamictal is covered. My medicare coverage comes and goes. Now, I'm not having a problem...It's great to know it's going generic 2009 should I have a problem again. You're the only one I know of who takes 100mg more than I! Friends are always saying I'm taking too much Lamictical. What do they know about my medical needs! Of all the drugs I take, Lamictal is the strongest and probably for good reason. I have both Bi-Polar and temporal lobe epilepsy. Lamictal serves both disorders. A double duty drug! Are you on any medicines besides Lamictal. If so how do they effect your physical balance? Somedays, I walk a straight line, other days I have the wobblies. For me this could also be due to my having DID as well. I react physiologically to things I ingest.

[walksalot]

I don't have any problem with Lamictal. I took it as an investigational drug at the beginning dose and it was increased from then on. This dose I'm on now is the one I've taken for about 18 months and has worked well for me. I take it with 200 mg of Topamax twice a day. I'm really loaded up, but it works (kind of). Once I was taking Tegretol and got up to 1800 mg a day and was do drunk I could hardly walk. After that I went to Depakote that almost made me go bald, then I went to Tegretol and Lamictal together. They played around with the conbilation for years until they hit on this combination andI think that was pure luck. Having epilepsy is a real roller coaster ride and nobody understands except another epileptic.

[Junebug]

Lamictal 200 mg will be going generic in 2009. Hurray! Finally. It was nearly $500 a month at my pharmacy here and I can get it for $4.00 in January. I take 200 mg in the morning and 500 at night. It's written as one prescription. That's 135 pills for $4.00! That would have cost me nearly $500 without Walmart's $4.00 generic program.

I take the 200mg Lamictal and it has been generic since July I think?
I've been on the gen. since then and I don't like it so I am going to switch back even though it will cost about $150 a month. I have seen an increase in my seizure activity and if it costs more $ to control my seiz. better then so be it.
I'm also on Topamax and both meds together put a hole in my pocket, but I'm sure you all know the feeling.

[Cinnabar]

Depakote rang a bell. The best drug. I never felt such clarity but like you I was going bald. Strands of long hair everywhere, getting caught up in my computer keys and eveything. I actually cried when I had to go off it. Since, I've never experienced such "clarity'. I've been on so many medication cocktails. Now, the mix is dexadrine in the am. I can't tolerate any anti-depressants so this is the next thing to bringing me up. We all know Wellbutrin is out of the question for us...on Clonopin,"Lamictal", Geodon and Ambien. For now this works well but sometimes one or another loose their efficacy. That has been my experience - a dreaded one. Epilepsy is a real roller coaster ride and a three circus side show!

[walksalot]

Hi Junebug. My doctor told me that Lamictal wouldn't be generic (the 200 mg pill until Janury 2009. He said the 20 mg was, but he couldn't prescribe enough for me to get the 200 mg in generic form this year. Can you imagine 1350 pills a month? I don 't think the pharmacy could stock enough. The drug lamotrigne is the generic form of Lamictal, but most insurance plans won't cover it and a lot of doctors won't prescribe it. I took it when it was an investigational drug. It was super for me and I couldn't wait for it to become generic. That was 17 years ago. It's been a long wait. You can buy Lamictal in the brand name from Canada, though. Go figure.

[Cinnabar]

Being on Medicade, I'm at their mercey. One month it may be covered, the other not. I so understand your frustration. This Lamictal is sooo expensive. I cannot manage it without assistance. I have little savings and had to a good portion of it up for the drug. I didn't want to seize as I'm sure you can understand. I did'nt know generics were sooo ineffective. The whole insurance system is ineffective. I know we're not to discuss politics here, but all I have to say is maybe this new administration will change things.
Vent anytime. People with Epilepsy have every right to kick and scream!

[walksalot]

You have a great wife! It's nice you brag about her.

[Eyes_herself]

I haven't had any problems with the generic as of yet. *crosses fingers*
My insurance made me take the generic instead of reg. lamictal. I was quite alright with that. Instead of paying a shitton of money. I only pay like 20 bucks. Thank goodness.