anyone taking "lamotrigine" aka lamictal?

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MaeDae

MaeDae

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is anyone taking lamotrigine?
did you have any problems?
did it work well for you?
is there anything about this med you wanna share with me?
thanks in advance
 
just curious

will start taking it tomorrow or sunday? it's has a starter kit? you know, take one 2x's a day, for 4 days, then 2-2x's and day for 4 days, ect.....
 
I tried the medication in April 2011. Within a few days, I started feeling terriable. Turned out after being on it for two weeks, I went to my dr to confirm I was having a allergic reaction to it. My glands in my neck were really swollen and hurt very badly, and I had what I thought was really bad acne, around my chin and mouth area.. but then they got so bad that when i washed my face, they would crack open and bleed. Very painful. Once I was told what was going on, I was told to get off the medication ASAP, contact my neurologist, and within days of stopping the medication, I was all better. I felt back to normal again. But it did take sometime to get the sores to heal up.

Im not trying to scare you, Just wanted to give you my experience with the medication. But just because this happened to me, doesnt mean it will happen to you. there are alot of people here at CWE that take it, and it works great for them! You could be one of those people too! :)
 
I took Lamictal from 2004 - 2006. When I was 1st put on Lamictal I was already on Tegretol & my Neurologist was going to replace the Tegretol with the Lamictal. I had to reduce the Tegretol as I increased the Lamictal & within approx 2 weeks I had a tonic clonic but I am sure that was more because the Neurologist was weaning me of the Tegrteol to fast. In the end he kept me on both meds, I didn't have any side effects from that combination but it didn't help to completely control the partial seizures.
 
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I am currently on 550mg of Lamotrigine. Got up to 1200mg at one point. My only current side effect to my knowledge is some tiredness during the day. It is a truly truly difficult drug to get off of though. When I went from 600mg to 550mg, I went crazy and partially suicidal for over 2 weeks. Other than the fact that it is extreamly difficult to get off of, it is a medication that works (for me anyways) According to Neurologists in Stanford, they seem to happily rely on this drug and are very sure about it. Just my experiance.
 
Hi there. My daughter is currently being titrated on to this, her first epilepsy med. She has just moved up to 100mg on her way to 150 and I can't say we've had any problems. She is sometimes a little tired but has always been that way because she isn't good at getting to bed when she should, so I'm not sure if it's a side effect or not. She also hasn't had any seizure activity since about the first week. I know everyone is different but I'm feeling very positive about it. Good luck!
 
Hi there. I originally took Epilim and felt like a complete zombie. It did nothing to reduce my seizures and I hated it. I started on Lamictal with my new doctor and worked my way up to 400mg per day, although for a while 200mg p/d was working. At first it made my hair oily and kept me awake if I took my nighttime dose any later than 4pm but that's about it. I have my suspicions its making me tired lately but it doesn't really make sense given I've been on 400mg for over 6 months now. I've reduced my dose very slightly and felt a little better so maybe my epilepsy has calmed down and I can maintain control on 375mg daily. My tips would be to always eat something substantial when you take it (I find I need 2 pieces of toast or equivalent) and keep up your calcium levels, 30min a day sun exposure and weight bearing exercises to prevent osteoporosis. Best of luck, I hear its one of the better tolerated drugs.
 
I know this is probably a strange thing to post, but is it against the law to mail someone meds? If it's not I have 3 unopened bottles of Lamictal XR 100mg, each with 30 pills in them. They expire in Oct 2013 and I really don't want them to go to waste.

My husband tried Lamictal about a year and a half ago (the last time he had insurance) and the doctor ordered his 90 day supply before he finished with the starter packs. By the time he was up to 75mg a day he was having severe chest pains and had to get off of the medicine. We had to pay for it because they won't take meds back even if they aren't opened and the safety seal is still in place.

So all in all...do any of yall that are on it in need of some more pills?
 
I took Lamictal back in the mid-90's, something like 200 mgs. in the am; 200 mgs. in the pm; along with other AED. It didn't do a thing for my seizures, although it did improve my moods, as it is also used as a mood stabilizer.
 
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TheMRSFulbright said:
I know this is probably a strange thing to post, but is it against the law to mail someone meds? If it's not I have 3 unopened bottles of Lamictal XR 100mg, each with 30 pills in them. They expire in Oct 2013 and I really don't want them to go to waste.

My husband tried Lamictal about a year and a half ago (the last time he had insurance) and the doctor ordered his 90 day supply before he finished with the starter packs. By the time he was up to 75mg a day he was having severe chest pains and had to get off of the medicine. We had to pay for it because they won't take meds back even if they aren't opened and the safety seal is still in place.

So all in all...do any of yall that are on it in need of some more pills?
Click to expand...

Check this out for prescription drug take back:

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html
 
I take Lamictal.. and it does zippo for me other than high anxiety especially at a higher dose...
 
I take lamictal and im very prone to allergic reactions.but lamictal just get dizzy from time to time things with my eyes the other side effects of lamictal haven't had in yrs and never severe.been on it for 12yrs
 
I believe the take-back program is a safe way to destroy drugs without polluting our water system and therefore our lakes, streams, and oceans. It also keeps them out of the hands of people who would abuse them. It doesn't redistribute them.

Cint said:
Check this out for prescription drug take back:

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html
Click to expand...

It is illegal under federal law to share prescription drugs with an individual person. (scroll half way down the web page)
http://www.ehow.com/prescription-drug-law/

In some states it's legal to donate prescription drugs to charities. Legitimate organizations have a pharmacist on staff to ensure the drugs are what they say they are and are properly labeled. It looks like that's required in the law linked to below. Don't know if your state has a law about charity donations. This link should say.
http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/state-prescription-drug-return-reuse-and-recycling.aspx
 
endless, with all due respect i don't think patients should be sharing drugs but if someone is in need and i know how much lamictal cost they took my mg i would help with a few pills been in the situation and helped my sis out and been on the other side had nobody and almost died from not having my healthcare in time. but it is against the law u can return to neurologists that's what i do if my sister isnt taking same med and mg.
 
Thanks for sharing that. I read the side effects and of course it talked about SJS and other "fatal" skin conditions. But it failed to mention the odds, it didnt say for instance "1 in 100 ect. So that made me very apprehensive. Did they have to treat you at all, ie antibiotics?

thanks again for sharing and sorry you had an unpleasant experience with that drug. I still haven't taken it yet. I had a lot to do this weekend and I want to discuss this med with my dr before taking it.
 
Zippo!

ShannonD said:
I take Lamictal.. and it does zippo for me other than high anxiety especially at a higher dose...
Click to expand...

Shannon have you told your dr's that it's not working for you? And are you saying that it has increased or decreased you levels of anxiety? Im already anxious if anyone cant already tell it.
 
momof3boys said:
I tried the medication in April 2011. Within a few days, I started feeling terriable. Turned out after being on it for two weeks, I went to my dr to confirm I was having a allergic reaction to it. My glands in my neck were really swollen and hurt very badly, and I had what I thought was really bad acne, around my chin and mouth area.. but then they got so bad that when i washed my face, they would crack open and bleed. Very painful. Once I was told what was going on, I was told to get off the medication ASAP, contact my neurologist, and within days of stopping the medication, I was all better. I felt back to normal again. But it did take sometime to get the sores to heal up.

Im not trying to scare you, Just wanted to give you my experience with the medication. But just because this happened to me, doesnt mean it will happen to you. there are alot of people here at CWE that take it, and it works great for them! You could be one of those people too! :)
Click to expand...

Momof3boys, I replied to your post. I was asking you if they'd given you treatment for the irritation. I also wanted to ask if they thought it was SJS or one of the other 2 skin irritations? thanks for your response.
 
Thanks Everyone

I've heard some very positive things about this drug and I thank each of you for taking time to share with me. But, trust me when I say I am not basing my decision to take this med based on your feedback. I just needed to hear that someone else took it I guess and how others felt knowing the "Possible", side effects. I do want to get better and I don't know if I will unless I try something. When I read that it also helps with mood swings and depression and even bi-polar, I thought this just may be what I need. My pyschiatrist thinks I suffer from anxiety and perhaps PTSD. I did some research on my own and found out that most stroke/aneurysm survivors suffer from PTSD and anxiety, they even mentioned some have seizures and or develop seizure activity, but they failed to mention the percentage. Although, EEG says no, dr's think possible. They explained that they can do EEG's for ever and never catch one episode of seizure activity. I think now they believe me when i tell them what I am experiencing. It's me now that don't believe it (denile). I'm trying to "will" it away, I try to think it's just stress. I try to think anything other than what it may be. So, there's where my apprehension for taking seizure meds come from. I think, what if Im wrong? what if they're wrong? OMG, what if?
Conclusion: I'm going to try it and see. I wan't my life back, and I want it NOW!!!
 
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