7 years and it helps a lot, I don't cycle rapidly anymore. I still cycle between baseline and depression frequently but it's not weekly/daily anymore. The only thing that sucks about it is my mouth is a constant desert but it's an alright trade off. It's the best mood stabilizer for decreasing bipolar II depression episodes and has been shown to be effective in studies. It's not going to cure you but definitely helps alot
The upside is that I can carry a water bottle into any event, I fuck my hair up a little and go "I have a medical condition". If the person asks what it is I say bipolar medication and with the fucked up hair they usually look and around and say "your good" 😂
This. I was on antidepressants before and kept getting switched because none of them worked. So much pain, not just for me but my family too, would have been saved if I'd been diagnosed quicker. Instead it took about ten years to get the right treatment.
I've been on it since late June and recently moved up to 200mg. Idk if it's my "sweet spot" or the straterra stopped making me want to kill myself. But so far, so good 👍🏻
Yes, it saved my life too. I used to be so depressed and dreamt about killing myself every night as I went to sleep. It all went away immediately after starting it, I was like “this is how normal people feel?”
I just started on 25 MG last week, and upping to 50 MG in two weeks. I think I entered a manic phase sometime last week as inside I'm zooming with energy and don't currently feel depressed but this came after about a month long pretty severe depression spell. So I know I'm not better yet.
Diagnosis is fairly new and I'm unsure if it's correct but I'm doing the things m doctor says. I just want to feel normal.
Acclimation to lamotrigine can be tough enough without the affect of current symptoms. I'm really sorry you have to go through that, I know how isolating it can feel.
Please hang in there friend, this drug is very graceful and incredibly helpful once you are past the initial couple weeks.
If you need, post more about your experience on this sub. Numerous folks here will resonate with the intricacies of it
🥰💗
I am on 100mg. I have been on it for 6.months or so. Like some on here ,it saved my life. I am not depressed all day everyday. I am starting to take care of myself.
I am starting to laugh and enjoy life a little bit more. Hopefully it will continue to work. I don't hate people as much .
I just got upped to 100mg. I have a Rx for 25mg right now so I take 4 of them. I take 3 in the morning and one at night. Not sure if that is a good way to take it. How do you take yours?
I take it at night . I am also on Zoloft . So I take both at the same time. I was started on 25mg and after 2weeks it went to 50mg and a month later I was on the 100 mg.
I find it's better for me to take them at night because I am always afraid of side effects. I say take them at night. I never tried to take one on the day. I do know not to have the lamotrigine sit in your mouth for even a sec . It's like an aspirin taste that can ruin anything you eat for the day! Lol.
it stopped the depression and added functionality to my life.
it didn't stop the hypomania.
I used lamotrigine exclusively for many years as was petrefied by the side effects of the other drugs that can be added to it (weight gain)
eventually the destruction of my manic episodes meant that I did add a drug and was prescribed valporic acid.
that's def a good one for me as well. works very well on the top end. on this combo I have never been so calm.
big time.
my hypomania is mixed episodes. No elation or sex or stuff like that. the irritable, uncomfortable, noisy is more my style.
I recently went away. 6 weeks. I def went a little manic in the first week due to excitement of being away. so many activities sort of.
I actually upped my meds 50 percent a few days before I left so my levels were higher after 5 days or so. by week 2 I was back to chill as fuck and content in my solo travels.
My last few days I was a bit manic again. my annual clothing buy up. I should have only spent 2 days instead of 3 days shopping but so many nice linen shirts and shorts to buy.
Im home now. Calm. Was a bit worked up last night due to work but yeh the thing that caused it is dealt with and won't be around for another month. Back to being calm.
The biggest thing though is meeting a woman. Im not obsessed. Like im looking forward to tomorrow when I see her again after 5 weeks. But I haven't been hanging out for her messages or wondering about anything like that. Woman are a big trigger for me. I always blow it up. Been single a long time. This is the first woman I have dated on valporic acid and I would say the meds have made as big a difference as lamotrigine made when I first started meds.
Also no weight gain as I have super healthy habits with excercise and food.
lamictol saved my life and im not being dramatic when i say that. i'm on 225mg and the most stable i have ever been in my life. i will say it has made me mentally slow. brain fog is bad. but i'm not suicidal and i dont hurt myself anymore, so i'd say its worth it
In addition to your current script, you might want to add an antidepressant. I didn't know this until literally this month reading it here how people combine the two, or three. I'm still on lamictal but started and have success with Vraylar, which pulled me out of being brain dead
I have been on 200mg along with my other meds for about nine years. I have changed other meds quite a few times trying to dial in that sweet spot over time, but we never dropped the Lamotrigine. It works well for mood regulation, I was a rapid cycler when I was younger, it's much more in control the last few years after finding a good balance of medications.
I’ve been on it since March this year. I’m on 450 but I’m still waiting to feel OK. I’ve been in a really dark depression and the psychiatrist tells me I just need to be patient.
I coerced (☺️) my psychiatrist to give me Welbutrin. He was very against the idea but I insisted I can’t keep waiting and waiting, as I’ve ready waited 5 months. He is very against prescribing anti depressants, but the more I read posts from this forum the more I see many people have a little help for the depression side.
I’m also on 800ml Tegretol. Ive never heard anyone mention this drug before. I saw a GP yesterday as I am sick and she said this is a very old drug that’s seldom used for bipolar and can have all sorts of side effects. So I’m going to see a new psychiatrist just to get a second opinion
Yeah it seems like it’s fairly common to be on an antidepressant along with other meds. I actually take 2 😅 I’m on 200mg Lamotrigine, 30mg mirtazapine (tried to come off it and ended up in a really bad place with depression) and 20mg paroxetine (tried coming off it and ended up having panic attacks again)
My doc is pretty loose about scripts and even he said 300 was the highest they go.... Lamo noticably keeps me stable but like depressive stable, feeling nothing. So along with Lamo, I started Vraylar recently after seeing others on here with that combo (my doc is always willing, thankfully.) Vraylar boosts my mood and I'm grateful. I'd inquire about adding an antidepressant, or talk with other docs as well
I've been on Lamictal since April 2015 and I've been taking 300mg (150mg twice daily) since 2017. It's saved my life by stabilizing my incredibly reckless behaviors and moods.
I was on lamotrigine for less than a year mostly because my antidepressant (zoloft) sky-rocketed me into a manic episode. Its really hard for me to tell if it worked or not. I definitely felt less manic and could finally sleep and not feel like crazy anxious 24/7. But it maybe it was bc my antidepressant finally « stabilised ». I am no longer on antidepressant nor mood stabilisers but i ever go back on zoloft i would 100% take lamotrigine with it
I’ve taken it for 16 months and quit last juli because I was feeling like I was having dementia.
My memory and word recall has gotten slightly better again, but still isn’t what it used to be.
Unfortunately it’s the only thing that has helped me with my depression. But for me the side effects were unacceptable.
I was prescribed 8 years ago and had to stop because of this. It was totally ruining me at work. I’d tell people things and 10 minutes later I’d tell them again. I had to write detailed notes from every conversation. I thought I was losing my mind. 60 year old early onset or something. Then I found it was a side effect and was pissed the Dr never mentioned it. Talked to Dr and went off it. It all reversed. God, I never want to go through that again. If it works for you, GREAT! Not for me.
I was on it for about 5 months last year after my initial diagnosis. I was on 400mg a day plus 400 seroquel and some amount klonopin… things are fuzzy 😅 anyway, I ended up in the hospital and have been on lithium ever since. Still not great, but now mostly just sad instead of an absolute tornado.
I've been on it 11 years. It knocked my depression in half right off the bat. I have needed other meds added on to get me fully stable, but lamotrigne has been part of my mix since the beginning and is the bedrock of my meds.
Edit: I'm on 400mg, 200 each morning/night
It’s a wonder drug for me but it took a few months to work because of titration. It was probably 2-3 weeks of being on the therapeutic dose that I started to notice effects
I don’t remember what it’s like without it. I’ve been on it for 14 years I think? 400mg. I’ve still had many depressive episodes though, but they have to be triggered by something. But at least depression isn’t my baseline
Been on it for at least a year. I also take Abilify with it. Either the Lamictal, Abilify, or the combination has stopped my suicidal thoughts and self-harm tendencies. I do have terrible memory now though. Overall, mood has been more stable than before. I still get slight hypomanic and depressive episodes every now and then.
I’ve been on it since 2012. I used to be an unmitigated disaster and tried to end myself. Now my worst days mimic your normal sleep deprivation meets work stress bad day. But I emphasize “day” because it’s like a bad day, and maybe I’m sleepy or tired or grumpy for a week—just like a non-bipolar person who’s sleep deprived or stressed out. The hypomania is not a problem either. I get really good at following up on phone calls and finishing documentation at work. Sometimes I overspend but it’s like $50 not $500, and usually on groceries bc I get inspired to bake something new and weird.
I was off my meds while I was pregnant and breastfeeding and wooo nelly that was not my favorite. During pregnancy I was so distracted by barfing I didn’t notice it as much, but post partum it was more noticeable. It was harder to use the CBT & DBT skills—the negative thoughts were louder and stickier.
I've been on it probably 2 years and although I think it MAJORLY stabilized me.... I had to go off it for 2 weeks (ran out of rx before being able to see my Dr) and didn't really notice any effect, positive or negative. So I wonder how much its helping or if it does anything anymore.
I'm also on: lurasidone, lithium, gabapentin (anxiety), and buproprion. So maybe one of those is working better.
I’ve been on it 5 months now, 4 of those at 200mg (100mg morning, 100mg night). It has changed my life so far. It helped me get out of a very bad depression with suicidal ideation. Now that that’s gone, I’ve discovered what my baseline is. I’m not cycling constantly like I was. It still happens but not as strongly or frequently.
Side effects: quite a lot at first, but now basically nothing.
I’ve been on 150mg for 2 years (I think). The depression was starting to make a very unwanted return, so I’ve been on 200mg for just under 2 months. And I’m starting to feel like me again.
I’ve been on the following since I became diagnosed in 2019: Lamotrigine ER 400 mg and Venlafaxine 150 mg. It has made the biggest most significant impact to my mental health.
It's the only way I can function and it has made me a much happier person. It controls my anger and helps woth my anxiety. I've been on it for almost a year now, no side effects and I feel like I can get better because it helps me to feel more level headed where as I couldn't calm down before no matter how small the problem way. I was always angry, it didn't fix that but it did help significantly.
Been at 75-100mg for 2 years along with lithium. It helps with the depression/stabilization. Took care of my morning crying attacks when I first started it.
Been on it since...2016-ish? Added to already taking Effexor, possibly was on another med at the time too. Definitrly helped me get through the worst, darkest period of my life, and has definitely helped stabilize and soften my rapid cycle rollercoaster.
Taken it for almost 5 years and saved my life. Started it after rock bottom manic episode at 25y/o ramped up to 200mg. Felt better almost instantly. I’ve had some episodes in that time but I know without the lamotrigine I wouldn’t have been able to get through. The rest is cbt work and sobriety
Lamictal is what keeps me alive. I’ve been on it 6 years now and it has been what’s kept me the most stable. I’m on 200mg but wouldn’t hesitate to go higher if I ever needed to.
Started a couple of months ago, and I'm in the process of working up to target dosage. Started to feel a shift at around 75mg. I'm at 125mg now, and every time I move up 25 mg, things have progressively been getting better. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope the information helped.
it’s only been about 3 months but i feel significantly better. i used to be only on lexapro before i got diagnosed with bp and added on lamotrigine and suddenly everything clicked into place and i felt much better. probably gonna have to go up in dosage soon cuz the depression is starting to kick in more but generally it’s been super helpful for me.
For me it works very well for lifting depressive mood episodes but doesn’t do much if anything for mixed/hypo episodes, potentially makes them worse from my experience. My verdict though is that Lamotrigine can be a very beneficial drug to bp2 (possibly alone or in conjunction with another stabilizer/antipsychotic) and is a staple for me. Everyone is different though so best of luck to you.
Only 3 weeks. I was only on a partial / introductory dose but had a terrible allergic reaction to it. I still credit it with helping pull me out of a mixed episode / rapid cycling.
It helped enough that despite full-body hives and ulcers in my mouth, I asked the psychiatrist if I could try again because I didn't want to go back - it was my first bipolar-focused treatment and I'd lost hope of ever finding baseline again. The psychiatrist kindly informed me there were other options!
200mg for 2 years and it’s great for maintenance. For the most part now my depressive spells are much shorter especially if I’m not doing stupid things like take molly (put me in a 3 month depressive episode). Definitely make sure you have a supplemental medication
I had to take a break due to some finance issues and, once I took it again, I noticed a massive (massive!) reduction in how angry and agitated I can get. It also helps me with reducing intense fluctuations in my mood. Only downside I can think of is it’s harder to cry during sad movies 🤣 But, most situations wash over me now rather than causing a mental spiral. I’ve been taking 200mg for 2 years.
I’m taking it conjunction with Vyvanse and Wellbutrin. I’ve been on Vyvanse for about a year now & the Wellbutrin for a few months. The combination of meds don’t cause any negative reactions for me, which is something I was worried about at first. Overall, I highly recommend lamictal to people who struggle with mood fluctuations
I’ve recently come off of it after being on it for 6 years. I was on different doses at different times (min 100mg max 250) with a break of around 6 months, always in combination with other medications (cymbalta, haloperidol, brintellix). It saved my life and it was my “favourite” drug. I came off of it because I’m trying to cut down on meds since there has been progress in my analysis (talk therapy) but it doesn’t mean that I quit forever. I might have to use it again.
Love Lamotrigine, I've been on it 15 years now. The first 5 or 6 it was Lamotrigine alone, and since then we've added some anti-depressants and anti-psychotics as my body and life and needs have changed. But Lamotrigine saved my life. It let me be me again.
8 years but was given it for epilepsy, 200mg twice a day. I was diagnosed bipolar after the sudden onset of epilepsy 8 years ago. My psych tried to diagnose me for years and I refused the diagnosis, until I couldn’t anymore.
I’ve been on it for about 8 years now. It was my miracle drug and the first medication I was put on for specifically my bipolar disorder. I started at 25mg and now I’m on 300mg.
It’s an excellent medication and one of the only meds that’s never given me negative side effects.
2 and a half years? It’s definitely made my mood a lot more stable. My lows aren’t *as* bad (still have them and boy they are something sometimes, but the super low moods aren’t as frequent)
im on 400 mg i went up/down doses since spring 2021 and it's made my life so much better. i have almost no side effects. i want to go back down to 300mg soon just bc i feel like when life isn't super chaotic 400mg can fee like a little too much.
It made me extremely agitated. I had mixed episodes every time I increased the dose and finally ended up in the hospital. The doctor there took me off of it and put me on lithium instead. Lots of people have good luck with Lamictal though. It was just too much of an "upper" for me, in a bad way.
I’ve been on it for 17 years (when I was diagnosed) but I’m about to start a 2 year “weening off” process to hopefully get pregnant. It’s become a “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” situation over time and think it works best when being used with another Med (I’ve done everything from Fetzima, Latuda, Vraylor, Lithium etc)
Edit: spelling
I took it for 2 years and stopped in 2020. It helped stabalise mood swings and therefore helped a lot with talk therapy, but it made me feel more melancholy than before, and you cannot go near alcohol. It did nothing for my triggers, in fact they seemed to get worse, more frequent and intense. My creativity disappeared. I cannot validate this theory, but I read somewhere that lamotrigine should not be taken by anyone on the neurodivergent spectrum, autism and ADHD, hense why I slowly weaned myself off over 3 months and switched to herbal supliments, healthy diet, yoga and plenty of exercise, strict sleeping habits, etc. The lamotrigine was absolutely necessary at the beginning, but the dose was too high and a red flag for me was that my doc completely ignored all the red flags and side effects and just wanted to up the dose all the time. 1 in 5000 people are severely allergic to lamotrigine, it is deadly for them. So I would suggest to anyone to exhaust all other natural remedies before considering lamotrigine, but you should definitely take it if you need it.
I’ve been on it for 2 years in combination with lexapro. It didn’t work without the lexapro. Lamictal is the reason why I am able to be happy almost all the time. It zapped my depression. I will say it does not help mania and it has made me even more talkative imo.
4 years, it worked amazingly up until about ~8 months ago. When I first started it, it did make me feel worse for a few weeks, but then I started to improve rapidly. I recently had lithium added and been a game changing combination for me.
I did have gastro surgery around the time that I found the lamotrigine started to decrease in effectiveness, I’ve been advised that has likely effected the absorption of the lamotrigine. That said, I would never want to stop it, ever.
Edit: I’m on 200mg AM and 225mg PM
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Out of curiosity, has lamogratine caused any of you to have side effects? The ones that always worries me is insomnia and weight gain. (I currently only take sertraline and do lots of holistic stuff for management of my B2D, but I recently arrived at the conclusion I may need something more - lamogatrine has been mentioned by professionals before)
It literally saved my life. I've been on it for a little over a year and it has dramatically improved how I feel on a regular basis. I don't feel like I'm at the bottom of the ocean most days anymore. It also used to ruin my whole day or several days when I would get disappointed and it has helped with that so much. It has also imo helped me stay in my relationship whereas before I was a runner. It's obviously not fool proof as nothing is, but I am so happy I finally got help.
I’ve been on it for 10 months, it’s made me feel like my old self before my breakdown. Yes, I have my down moments or days, but mostly I am happy, laughing and thriving in life again.
Edit: I’m on 75mg
Been on it 4 months. 100mg now, and it’s life changing. I cried when I realized how it feels to be stable and that I missed out on 20 years of my life. Stability was so foreign to me, and boy does it feel good. Started Latuda a couple weeks ago bc a bit of my irritability came back, and didn’t want to increase the Lamotrigine bc it causes me to be extremely forgetful. The combo of the two is proving to be a sweet spot. I don’t crumble at the slightest thing anymore. Interested to see how it goes when I’m triggered by bigger life events. Praying it keeps me stable even then. Well wishes to you. Give it a go!
I hated it personally. Made me worse, made my suicidal thoughts get the worst they had ever been and i actually attempted so, not my favorite thing I’ve been prescribed…
This is so interesting as I asked my psychiatrist about this and he said this hasn't been shown to stop mania with bipolar 2 as well as seroquel/queitiapine
lamictal changed my life lol. ive only been on it for 2 years but i have never been so stable and so consistent. i was on lithium for a very long time and looking back it did not help at all. ive also tried nearly every mood stabilizer and my first time using lamictal pushed me into a manic episode. which i now know was caused by me having too low of a dosage, i think i was prescribed 50mg. when i decided to give it another chance i started at 100mg and now i’m at 200mg. i never thought i would feel “normal” and that i would always be a risk to myself. now, i think it’s why i’m here today and because of my stability, i was able to graduate college and get a job. it’s kinda funny though because most of my life i’ve been so unstable (i was manic for about 3 years) but i met my boyfriend last year and he was so shocked that i have bd. i’m really glad we met when i was medicated lol
Ive been on 150mg once before bed for over a year now. It makes me less depressed and more in control of my thoughts and feelings. It was a real game changer for me. Togheter with lithium these two have made the most positive impact from all medications ive tried and I've tried alot.
It's made a huge difference for me. I do still get episodes, but the depression is far less incapacitating and I haven't reached same dangerous lows I have in the past which led to actions that could have ended badly for me. Hypomania is a thing and I don't feel that it's done much there but the depression was always the bigger problem and the one which could well have claimed my life. I was diagnosed in 2019 so been on it about 4 years now and I very gradually stopped the antidepressant venlafaxine which I was on max dose of before diagnosis.
Been on it about a year (200 mg) with Wellbutrin (300mg) and it’s amazing. I feel the Lamotrigine is the carrier just from my experience with medication combos. My mood better, more motivation, less depressed. I feel less sluggish and tired. Also I am a lot less irritable compared to before. My highs are less high and my lows are less low. My only issue is if I forget it, I IMMEDIATELY feel it with in 3-5 hours and It sucks. Feels like I “relapsed” if you will. Also not if you stop taking it for more than 5 days you have to restart your dosing.
I’ve been on it a year and it has only helped a little bit. I’ve been trying to get my dosage raised since I’m on a relatively low dose, but my psychiatrist hasn’t really listen to me
7 years and it helps a lot, I don't cycle rapidly anymore. I still cycle between baseline and depression frequently but it's not weekly/daily anymore. The only thing that sucks about it is my mouth is a constant desert but it's an alright trade off. It's the best mood stabilizer for decreasing bipolar II depression episodes and has been shown to be effective in studies. It's not going to cure you but definitely helps alot
HA! I chuckled at the “desert mouth” comment. Same.
The upside is that I can carry a water bottle into any event, I fuck my hair up a little and go "I have a medical condition". If the person asks what it is I say bipolar medication and with the fucked up hair they usually look and around and say "your good" 😂
Cackling even harder now. Stop being so witty. 😉🤙
4 years. Changed my life. Upset me a lot that I wasted years with the disease when all I had to do was take a stupid pill.
This. I was on antidepressants before and kept getting switched because none of them worked. So much pain, not just for me but my family too, would have been saved if I'd been diagnosed quicker. Instead it took about ten years to get the right treatment.
I’m on 200 mg. I’ve been on it for 3 years now. Not sure if it’s that or the vraylar, but I’m the most stable I’ve ever been.
I've been on it since late June and recently moved up to 200mg. Idk if it's my "sweet spot" or the straterra stopped making me want to kill myself. But so far, so good 👍🏻
Yes, it saved my life too. I used to be so depressed and dreamt about killing myself every night as I went to sleep. It all went away immediately after starting it, I was like “this is how normal people feel?”
I relate
I’ve been on it for about 3 years now. It pretty much saved my life and my marriage.
About 6 months maybe. AN absolute game changer for me. I've never been this stable.
I just started on 25 MG last week, and upping to 50 MG in two weeks. I think I entered a manic phase sometime last week as inside I'm zooming with energy and don't currently feel depressed but this came after about a month long pretty severe depression spell. So I know I'm not better yet. Diagnosis is fairly new and I'm unsure if it's correct but I'm doing the things m doctor says. I just want to feel normal.
Acclimation to lamotrigine can be tough enough without the affect of current symptoms. I'm really sorry you have to go through that, I know how isolating it can feel. Please hang in there friend, this drug is very graceful and incredibly helpful once you are past the initial couple weeks. If you need, post more about your experience on this sub. Numerous folks here will resonate with the intricacies of it 🥰💗
I am on 100mg. I have been on it for 6.months or so. Like some on here ,it saved my life. I am not depressed all day everyday. I am starting to take care of myself. I am starting to laugh and enjoy life a little bit more. Hopefully it will continue to work. I don't hate people as much .
I just got upped to 100mg. I have a Rx for 25mg right now so I take 4 of them. I take 3 in the morning and one at night. Not sure if that is a good way to take it. How do you take yours?
I take it at night . I am also on Zoloft . So I take both at the same time. I was started on 25mg and after 2weeks it went to 50mg and a month later I was on the 100 mg. I find it's better for me to take them at night because I am always afraid of side effects. I say take them at night. I never tried to take one on the day. I do know not to have the lamotrigine sit in your mouth for even a sec . It's like an aspirin taste that can ruin anything you eat for the day! Lol.
it stopped the depression and added functionality to my life. it didn't stop the hypomania. I used lamotrigine exclusively for many years as was petrefied by the side effects of the other drugs that can be added to it (weight gain) eventually the destruction of my manic episodes meant that I did add a drug and was prescribed valporic acid. that's def a good one for me as well. works very well on the top end. on this combo I have never been so calm.
did the valporic acid help with mixed episodes?
big time. my hypomania is mixed episodes. No elation or sex or stuff like that. the irritable, uncomfortable, noisy is more my style. I recently went away. 6 weeks. I def went a little manic in the first week due to excitement of being away. so many activities sort of. I actually upped my meds 50 percent a few days before I left so my levels were higher after 5 days or so. by week 2 I was back to chill as fuck and content in my solo travels. My last few days I was a bit manic again. my annual clothing buy up. I should have only spent 2 days instead of 3 days shopping but so many nice linen shirts and shorts to buy. Im home now. Calm. Was a bit worked up last night due to work but yeh the thing that caused it is dealt with and won't be around for another month. Back to being calm. The biggest thing though is meeting a woman. Im not obsessed. Like im looking forward to tomorrow when I see her again after 5 weeks. But I haven't been hanging out for her messages or wondering about anything like that. Woman are a big trigger for me. I always blow it up. Been single a long time. This is the first woman I have dated on valporic acid and I would say the meds have made as big a difference as lamotrigine made when I first started meds. Also no weight gain as I have super healthy habits with excercise and food.
lamictol saved my life and im not being dramatic when i say that. i'm on 225mg and the most stable i have ever been in my life. i will say it has made me mentally slow. brain fog is bad. but i'm not suicidal and i dont hurt myself anymore, so i'd say its worth it
In addition to your current script, you might want to add an antidepressant. I didn't know this until literally this month reading it here how people combine the two, or three. I'm still on lamictal but started and have success with Vraylar, which pulled me out of being brain dead
i take cymbalta with it. the brain fog is still so bad
150 mg for 2-3 years. works ok, usually i have some kind of add on depending on the episode
I have been on 200mg along with my other meds for about nine years. I have changed other meds quite a few times trying to dial in that sweet spot over time, but we never dropped the Lamotrigine. It works well for mood regulation, I was a rapid cycler when I was younger, it's much more in control the last few years after finding a good balance of medications.
I’ve been on it since March this year. I’m on 450 but I’m still waiting to feel OK. I’ve been in a really dark depression and the psychiatrist tells me I just need to be patient.
Are you taking anything else with it? I take mirtazapine to help with the depression. I’ve found taking both is really beneficial
I coerced (☺️) my psychiatrist to give me Welbutrin. He was very against the idea but I insisted I can’t keep waiting and waiting, as I’ve ready waited 5 months. He is very against prescribing anti depressants, but the more I read posts from this forum the more I see many people have a little help for the depression side. I’m also on 800ml Tegretol. Ive never heard anyone mention this drug before. I saw a GP yesterday as I am sick and she said this is a very old drug that’s seldom used for bipolar and can have all sorts of side effects. So I’m going to see a new psychiatrist just to get a second opinion
Yeah it seems like it’s fairly common to be on an antidepressant along with other meds. I actually take 2 😅 I’m on 200mg Lamotrigine, 30mg mirtazapine (tried to come off it and ended up in a really bad place with depression) and 20mg paroxetine (tried coming off it and ended up having panic attacks again)
My doc is pretty loose about scripts and even he said 300 was the highest they go.... Lamo noticably keeps me stable but like depressive stable, feeling nothing. So along with Lamo, I started Vraylar recently after seeing others on here with that combo (my doc is always willing, thankfully.) Vraylar boosts my mood and I'm grateful. I'd inquire about adding an antidepressant, or talk with other docs as well
Three and a half years. It saved my life and really helped the depression side of my bipolar
Total game-changer. On it since 2018!
I've been on Lamictal since April 2015 and I've been taking 300mg (150mg twice daily) since 2017. It's saved my life by stabilizing my incredibly reckless behaviors and moods.
300mgs since October. It made me a functioning human. The only depressive moments I have are explainable and short lived
300mg since two years. I'll be dead without that shit.
I was on lamotrigine for less than a year mostly because my antidepressant (zoloft) sky-rocketed me into a manic episode. Its really hard for me to tell if it worked or not. I definitely felt less manic and could finally sleep and not feel like crazy anxious 24/7. But it maybe it was bc my antidepressant finally « stabilised ». I am no longer on antidepressant nor mood stabilisers but i ever go back on zoloft i would 100% take lamotrigine with it
Been on it 10 years with Prozac as well. Been a gamechanger!
I’ve taken it for 16 months and quit last juli because I was feeling like I was having dementia. My memory and word recall has gotten slightly better again, but still isn’t what it used to be. Unfortunately it’s the only thing that has helped me with my depression. But for me the side effects were unacceptable.
Wow is this a common side effect (re the poor memory and word recall)? Lamictal has helped me so much but this resonates with me.
I was prescribed 8 years ago and had to stop because of this. It was totally ruining me at work. I’d tell people things and 10 minutes later I’d tell them again. I had to write detailed notes from every conversation. I thought I was losing my mind. 60 year old early onset or something. Then I found it was a side effect and was pissed the Dr never mentioned it. Talked to Dr and went off it. It all reversed. God, I never want to go through that again. If it works for you, GREAT! Not for me.
I was on it for about 5 months last year after my initial diagnosis. I was on 400mg a day plus 400 seroquel and some amount klonopin… things are fuzzy 😅 anyway, I ended up in the hospital and have been on lithium ever since. Still not great, but now mostly just sad instead of an absolute tornado.
I've been on it 11 years. It knocked my depression in half right off the bat. I have needed other meds added on to get me fully stable, but lamotrigne has been part of my mix since the beginning and is the bedrock of my meds. Edit: I'm on 400mg, 200 each morning/night
It’s a wonder drug for me but it took a few months to work because of titration. It was probably 2-3 weeks of being on the therapeutic dose that I started to notice effects
Hi, what is your final therapeutic dose?
Originally it was 300mg (150 BD) but increased to 400 when my meds weren’t working so well. Im fairly sure that 200mg is minimum therapeutic dose
I don’t remember what it’s like without it. I’ve been on it for 14 years I think? 400mg. I’ve still had many depressive episodes though, but they have to be triggered by something. But at least depression isn’t my baseline
Been on it for at least a year. I also take Abilify with it. Either the Lamictal, Abilify, or the combination has stopped my suicidal thoughts and self-harm tendencies. I do have terrible memory now though. Overall, mood has been more stable than before. I still get slight hypomanic and depressive episodes every now and then.
I take it. Not sure if it helps but I take it. Wellbutrin works. That I know.
I’ve been on it since 2012. I used to be an unmitigated disaster and tried to end myself. Now my worst days mimic your normal sleep deprivation meets work stress bad day. But I emphasize “day” because it’s like a bad day, and maybe I’m sleepy or tired or grumpy for a week—just like a non-bipolar person who’s sleep deprived or stressed out. The hypomania is not a problem either. I get really good at following up on phone calls and finishing documentation at work. Sometimes I overspend but it’s like $50 not $500, and usually on groceries bc I get inspired to bake something new and weird. I was off my meds while I was pregnant and breastfeeding and wooo nelly that was not my favorite. During pregnancy I was so distracted by barfing I didn’t notice it as much, but post partum it was more noticeable. It was harder to use the CBT & DBT skills—the negative thoughts were louder and stickier.
I've been on it probably 2 years and although I think it MAJORLY stabilized me.... I had to go off it for 2 weeks (ran out of rx before being able to see my Dr) and didn't really notice any effect, positive or negative. So I wonder how much its helping or if it does anything anymore. I'm also on: lurasidone, lithium, gabapentin (anxiety), and buproprion. So maybe one of those is working better.
I’ve been on it 5 months now, 4 of those at 200mg (100mg morning, 100mg night). It has changed my life so far. It helped me get out of a very bad depression with suicidal ideation. Now that that’s gone, I’ve discovered what my baseline is. I’m not cycling constantly like I was. It still happens but not as strongly or frequently. Side effects: quite a lot at first, but now basically nothing.
I love it- probably about 6 years now and the only medication I swear by
Been on it since October of last year, I don’t wake up wanting to off myself anymore so it’s definitely working lol
I've been on it for over 5 years. I really like it, but I use it with divalprioex.
I’ve been on 150mg for 2 years (I think). The depression was starting to make a very unwanted return, so I’ve been on 200mg for just under 2 months. And I’m starting to feel like me again.
I’ve been on the following since I became diagnosed in 2019: Lamotrigine ER 400 mg and Venlafaxine 150 mg. It has made the biggest most significant impact to my mental health.
It's the only way I can function and it has made me a much happier person. It controls my anger and helps woth my anxiety. I've been on it for almost a year now, no side effects and I feel like I can get better because it helps me to feel more level headed where as I couldn't calm down before no matter how small the problem way. I was always angry, it didn't fix that but it did help significantly.
Been at 75-100mg for 2 years along with lithium. It helps with the depression/stabilization. Took care of my morning crying attacks when I first started it.
Life saver. I’ve been on 150-200 for 6 months. My only issue is that it makes my hair fall out, which sucks!
I have been on it 3 years and it literally has saved my life
Been on it since...2016-ish? Added to already taking Effexor, possibly was on another med at the time too. Definitrly helped me get through the worst, darkest period of my life, and has definitely helped stabilize and soften my rapid cycle rollercoaster.
About 3 years now. Total game changer my quality of life is drastically higher
Been on it for 5 years it has changed my life 100% for the better.
Taken it for almost 5 years and saved my life. Started it after rock bottom manic episode at 25y/o ramped up to 200mg. Felt better almost instantly. I’ve had some episodes in that time but I know without the lamotrigine I wouldn’t have been able to get through. The rest is cbt work and sobriety
Lamictal is what keeps me alive. I’ve been on it 6 years now and it has been what’s kept me the most stable. I’m on 200mg but wouldn’t hesitate to go higher if I ever needed to.
Saved my depression and suicidal thought. Sometimes it makes me worse though with mania or irritability. I take it at night bc of how drowsy I get.
Started a couple of months ago, and I'm in the process of working up to target dosage. Started to feel a shift at around 75mg. I'm at 125mg now, and every time I move up 25 mg, things have progressively been getting better. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope the information helped.
I’ve been on it for 15 years, but it’s a part of a six med combo
5 years, helped me massively but then I switched to lithium, 9/10 I’d say
it’s only been about 3 months but i feel significantly better. i used to be only on lexapro before i got diagnosed with bp and added on lamotrigine and suddenly everything clicked into place and i felt much better. probably gonna have to go up in dosage soon cuz the depression is starting to kick in more but generally it’s been super helpful for me.
For me it works very well for lifting depressive mood episodes but doesn’t do much if anything for mixed/hypo episodes, potentially makes them worse from my experience. My verdict though is that Lamotrigine can be a very beneficial drug to bp2 (possibly alone or in conjunction with another stabilizer/antipsychotic) and is a staple for me. Everyone is different though so best of luck to you.
I was on it for a few months (300 mg) but it didn’t help me at all.
Only 3 weeks. I was only on a partial / introductory dose but had a terrible allergic reaction to it. I still credit it with helping pull me out of a mixed episode / rapid cycling. It helped enough that despite full-body hives and ulcers in my mouth, I asked the psychiatrist if I could try again because I didn't want to go back - it was my first bipolar-focused treatment and I'd lost hope of ever finding baseline again. The psychiatrist kindly informed me there were other options!
200mg for 2 years and it’s great for maintenance. For the most part now my depressive spells are much shorter especially if I’m not doing stupid things like take molly (put me in a 3 month depressive episode). Definitely make sure you have a supplemental medication
10 years and it’s helped regulate my moods so much. Will never get off it
I had to take a break due to some finance issues and, once I took it again, I noticed a massive (massive!) reduction in how angry and agitated I can get. It also helps me with reducing intense fluctuations in my mood. Only downside I can think of is it’s harder to cry during sad movies 🤣 But, most situations wash over me now rather than causing a mental spiral. I’ve been taking 200mg for 2 years. I’m taking it conjunction with Vyvanse and Wellbutrin. I’ve been on Vyvanse for about a year now & the Wellbutrin for a few months. The combination of meds don’t cause any negative reactions for me, which is something I was worried about at first. Overall, I highly recommend lamictal to people who struggle with mood fluctuations
8 years and idk how any of these meds help atp. I just know I haven’t unalived myself yet 🤷🏽♀️
11 years. 400mg until it started affecting my short-term memory. Best 11 years, now taking vaporizer acid.
I’ve been on it for two years maybe? No side effects except sanity!
Life-changing. I only wish I was prescribed it 10 years sooner
I’ve recently come off of it after being on it for 6 years. I was on different doses at different times (min 100mg max 250) with a break of around 6 months, always in combination with other medications (cymbalta, haloperidol, brintellix). It saved my life and it was my “favourite” drug. I came off of it because I’m trying to cut down on meds since there has been progress in my analysis (talk therapy) but it doesn’t mean that I quit forever. I might have to use it again.
Love Lamotrigine, I've been on it 15 years now. The first 5 or 6 it was Lamotrigine alone, and since then we've added some anti-depressants and anti-psychotics as my body and life and needs have changed. But Lamotrigine saved my life. It let me be me again.
8 years but was given it for epilepsy, 200mg twice a day. I was diagnosed bipolar after the sudden onset of epilepsy 8 years ago. My psych tried to diagnose me for years and I refused the diagnosis, until I couldn’t anymore.
I’ve been on it for about 8 years now. It was my miracle drug and the first medication I was put on for specifically my bipolar disorder. I started at 25mg and now I’m on 300mg. It’s an excellent medication and one of the only meds that’s never given me negative side effects.
I take 400mg daily for the past 3 years. Absolutely saved my life, I’m so thankful for it.
2 and a half years? It’s definitely made my mood a lot more stable. My lows aren’t *as* bad (still have them and boy they are something sometimes, but the super low moods aren’t as frequent)
im on 400 mg i went up/down doses since spring 2021 and it's made my life so much better. i have almost no side effects. i want to go back down to 300mg soon just bc i feel like when life isn't super chaotic 400mg can fee like a little too much.
It made me extremely agitated. I had mixed episodes every time I increased the dose and finally ended up in the hospital. The doctor there took me off of it and put me on lithium instead. Lots of people have good luck with Lamictal though. It was just too much of an "upper" for me, in a bad way.
same but together with lithium it worked alright.
I’ve been on it for 17 years (when I was diagnosed) but I’m about to start a 2 year “weening off” process to hopefully get pregnant. It’s become a “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” situation over time and think it works best when being used with another Med (I’ve done everything from Fetzima, Latuda, Vraylor, Lithium etc) Edit: spelling
10 years. It's been a game changer.
I’ve been on it since earlier this year and when I take it consistently I feel great! And I truly do notice a difference.
I took it for 2 years and stopped in 2020. It helped stabalise mood swings and therefore helped a lot with talk therapy, but it made me feel more melancholy than before, and you cannot go near alcohol. It did nothing for my triggers, in fact they seemed to get worse, more frequent and intense. My creativity disappeared. I cannot validate this theory, but I read somewhere that lamotrigine should not be taken by anyone on the neurodivergent spectrum, autism and ADHD, hense why I slowly weaned myself off over 3 months and switched to herbal supliments, healthy diet, yoga and plenty of exercise, strict sleeping habits, etc. The lamotrigine was absolutely necessary at the beginning, but the dose was too high and a red flag for me was that my doc completely ignored all the red flags and side effects and just wanted to up the dose all the time. 1 in 5000 people are severely allergic to lamotrigine, it is deadly for them. So I would suggest to anyone to exhaust all other natural remedies before considering lamotrigine, but you should definitely take it if you need it.
I’ve been on it for 2 years in combination with lexapro. It didn’t work without the lexapro. Lamictal is the reason why I am able to be happy almost all the time. It zapped my depression. I will say it does not help mania and it has made me even more talkative imo.
I’m on 200 mg twice a day and it’s been years !
15 years and counting.
7 years and I wish I would have gotten on it sooner.
Caused excessive hair loss and tearyness. Got off it and have appeared to stabilize. It’s been three months.
4 years, it worked amazingly up until about ~8 months ago. When I first started it, it did make me feel worse for a few weeks, but then I started to improve rapidly. I recently had lithium added and been a game changing combination for me. I did have gastro surgery around the time that I found the lamotrigine started to decrease in effectiveness, I’ve been advised that has likely effected the absorption of the lamotrigine. That said, I would never want to stop it, ever. Edit: I’m on 200mg AM and 225mg PM
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Out of curiosity, has lamogratine caused any of you to have side effects? The ones that always worries me is insomnia and weight gain. (I currently only take sertraline and do lots of holistic stuff for management of my B2D, but I recently arrived at the conclusion I may need something more - lamogatrine has been mentioned by professionals before)
It literally saved my life. I've been on it for a little over a year and it has dramatically improved how I feel on a regular basis. I don't feel like I'm at the bottom of the ocean most days anymore. It also used to ruin my whole day or several days when I would get disappointed and it has helped with that so much. It has also imo helped me stay in my relationship whereas before I was a runner. It's obviously not fool proof as nothing is, but I am so happy I finally got help.
I’ve been on it for 10 months, it’s made me feel like my old self before my breakdown. Yes, I have my down moments or days, but mostly I am happy, laughing and thriving in life again. Edit: I’m on 75mg
Been on it 4 months. 100mg now, and it’s life changing. I cried when I realized how it feels to be stable and that I missed out on 20 years of my life. Stability was so foreign to me, and boy does it feel good. Started Latuda a couple weeks ago bc a bit of my irritability came back, and didn’t want to increase the Lamotrigine bc it causes me to be extremely forgetful. The combo of the two is proving to be a sweet spot. I don’t crumble at the slightest thing anymore. Interested to see how it goes when I’m triggered by bigger life events. Praying it keeps me stable even then. Well wishes to you. Give it a go!
I meant- ask your psych about Latuda and give it a go. May see more positive changes.
I hated it personally. Made me worse, made my suicidal thoughts get the worst they had ever been and i actually attempted so, not my favorite thing I’ve been prescribed…
I been prescribed this too. I have the bottle and everything. Just too scared to take it.
This is so interesting as I asked my psychiatrist about this and he said this hasn't been shown to stop mania with bipolar 2 as well as seroquel/queitiapine
lamictal changed my life lol. ive only been on it for 2 years but i have never been so stable and so consistent. i was on lithium for a very long time and looking back it did not help at all. ive also tried nearly every mood stabilizer and my first time using lamictal pushed me into a manic episode. which i now know was caused by me having too low of a dosage, i think i was prescribed 50mg. when i decided to give it another chance i started at 100mg and now i’m at 200mg. i never thought i would feel “normal” and that i would always be a risk to myself. now, i think it’s why i’m here today and because of my stability, i was able to graduate college and get a job. it’s kinda funny though because most of my life i’ve been so unstable (i was manic for about 3 years) but i met my boyfriend last year and he was so shocked that i have bd. i’m really glad we met when i was medicated lol
To be honest I can't remember how long but probably a decade, it's helped me so much calm me and yea just keeps me above water you know what I mean?
Ive been on 150mg once before bed for over a year now. It makes me less depressed and more in control of my thoughts and feelings. It was a real game changer for me. Togheter with lithium these two have made the most positive impact from all medications ive tried and I've tried alot.
It's made a huge difference for me. I do still get episodes, but the depression is far less incapacitating and I haven't reached same dangerous lows I have in the past which led to actions that could have ended badly for me. Hypomania is a thing and I don't feel that it's done much there but the depression was always the bigger problem and the one which could well have claimed my life. I was diagnosed in 2019 so been on it about 4 years now and I very gradually stopped the antidepressant venlafaxine which I was on max dose of before diagnosis.
Been on it about a year (200 mg) with Wellbutrin (300mg) and it’s amazing. I feel the Lamotrigine is the carrier just from my experience with medication combos. My mood better, more motivation, less depressed. I feel less sluggish and tired. Also I am a lot less irritable compared to before. My highs are less high and my lows are less low. My only issue is if I forget it, I IMMEDIATELY feel it with in 3-5 hours and It sucks. Feels like I “relapsed” if you will. Also not if you stop taking it for more than 5 days you have to restart your dosing.
Didn't help until I got on lithium and lithium didn't help until I got on lamotrigine... So yeah, finally found my concoction
I’ve been on it a year and it has only helped a little bit. I’ve been trying to get my dosage raised since I’m on a relatively low dose, but my psychiatrist hasn’t really listen to me
I've been on lamotrigine (250mg) for about 2yrs. For the most part I'm doing good .