Lamotrigine

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aboizd1

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I just saw my neurologist today and due to my current med (topomax) giving me side effects, she decided that maybe it wasn't working to it's full potential and maybe not the right drug, so she's adding Lamotrigine to my daily routine.

So for the next few months I will be on both topamax and Lamotrigine.

I am alergic to Tegretol (skin rash/cough) and Topamax gives me labored breathing (and when dose hits 150 severe leg cramps!) -I'm nervous to experiment with another drug...

I looked up Lamotrigine, and I'm extremely nervous about the vivid dreams- does anyone have anything on this drug??????????????????????
 
I've never been on Lamotrigine but here's what I found on it.

Remember that even if you do get some side-effects, it may just take a little while for them to subside (as what often happens with me).

http://www.drugs.com/search.php?searchterm=Lamotrigine&is_main_search=1

http://www.rxlist.com/lamictal-drug.htm

http://www.drugdigest.org/wps/portal/!ut/p/c1/dY1bcoJAFETXkgWk7kXQ4CcBIxPmjo5gRH6mSGKsAZ2xfPBafXQBdv-dqj4NBdxrykbvy6u2pjxADsVEuThHnIdsjR_MRebH5PNgdacObB6LicInCRBEbI872ELx9tTjj-DL2PPx8dfoXQsZ5OiptMIT8YuhYbpYZqHhGPz2qBL-YzY8HYuesEGGtyQ9iPd9HY49kc3sLSXvM9ED71Ct9V8nOp9FNKXWv0SOXFL_vXWymI1Sel2E0ro6JzmovK2q3F671UxGZ0ZJDafatK0MXv4BFkJllg!!/dl2/d1/L0lDU0dLYVlvS1VRb0tVUW9LVVEhL29Gb2dBRUlZSWdHRVFKUWlBWVFnaklVQXpndUNsaEFNSTRyU3RTVWF4clNNLzRBMGFjVVhKTW00b2VTWkx4UjhreWZpZ0VBISEvN18zMEcwMEdDSVUwRkkzMEk4SE04TEFSMzA4Mi9WSUVXX0RWSC9zZWxlY3RlZENvbnRlbnROYW1lL0xhbW90cmlnaW5lIFRhYmxldHMvc2VsZWN0ZWRDb250ZW50LzM3MC9zdWJhY3Rpb25Qcm94eS9TRUFSQ0hfU1RSX0RWSA!!/
 
I'm on it

and had some vivid dreams at the beginning, but that was it. Mind you, I was on it once before, so it may have been easier for me. There are others on the forum who are using it who can chime in, too......... :)
 
For the first month or so my sleep was very restless, and I had vivid dreams, but after that my body adjusted, and it's not all an issue now. (I've been on Lamictal for a little over a year).
 
My dreams were a little strange when I started on it... but that subsided quickly. I've been on it for six years now.
 
I have always had vivid dreams *when I could fall asleep fully!* so that wqasnt too different. what was different after I added melatonin to the mix was that the melatonin helped me to reach a fuller sleep, and the lamotrigine added vivid AND lucid dreaming. where your dreaming, and you know that you are. very neat experiance.

I got the shortness/laboured breathing on lamotrigine too. but that could just be a small asthma attack or a side effect or an allergy. its gone away for the most part. still a little there. so I guess we wont know for sure.
 
I just started taking Lamotrigine myself and I now take it with Keppra XR 3000mg and Tegretol XR 600mg and will be getting rid of the Tegretol XR soon! YAY! I have been wanting to get off of Tegretol for a while now- makes me too sleepy.

I don't worry about the side effect- i only want to know the serious ones just in case something bad happens- but everything else- i just want and see what happens. I am able to go to the ER if I need any time- so if somethin gdoes happen I'm able to get help right away.


My friend who lives with me takes it as well and she doesn't seem to have too many side-effects of Lamictal exept being dizzy if she doesn't eat before taking it. She also take Keppra XR as I do.

Take care-
Crystal
 
I'm on Lamictal and have some disturbing side effects, but one that I actually like is the dreams. In the past I didn't dream much, and the dreams I'm having now have been fun for me -vivid, yes, but not scary or anything like that. I know it's not like that for everyone, but wait and see - it might not be too bad.
 
"disturbing" refers to a side effect I have that isn't listed as a lamictal side effect - it's called sticky skin syndrome - and is a side effect of other meds (i.e. cancer and acne). No one seems to know why I developed this, though I'm certain it's from the meds. It started just as my dosage was increasing, around the same time as all my other, more common, side effects. It's disturbing first because it's so rare and I don't know if it's something serious, and second because it's annoying. I'm seeing a new neurologist next month and hopefully she'll help me figure it out. My current neurologist says my dose (150 mg) isn't high enough for side effects. He doesn't want to be bothered with it.
 
ohh- I'm sorry to hear you developed that- I hope it works out with your new doctor. Maybe they'll have some new incite for you :)

Some of the side effects involving skin rashes was another reason i am hesitiant towards this med..the reason i stopped tegretol was because I immediately got the "deadly skin rash" so i'm concerned that i may be one of those people that gets the rashes...
 
I didn't get a rash or anything like that, and what I have is very rare, so probably that shouldn't stop you from giving it a try. It's hard to know, because of how we all react so differently but for a lot of people it's good.
 
I have been on Lamitical/Lamogrine for 3 years. I was taking 500mg and I was experiencing most of the side effects listed online. Memory loss etc. My doctor dropped me to 400 mg and I have seen a lot of improvement.
 
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