Lamictal Side Effects from a Bipolar’s Point of View

Lamictal is prescribed for seizures and bipolar disabilities. It is classified as a mood stabilizer when prescribed for bipolar. The medication is a little frightening at first, since you don’t know how it will affect you when you first take it. As with any other medication you try for the first time, there is a period of adjustment, and the first dose is usually the most unpredictable.

I was prescribed Lamictal for my bipolar disorder. It comes in either a bright orange, green, or blue packet, depending on whether you are on any other mood stabilizing prescription. Mine is the bright orange one because I am not taking any other drugs that could possibly interact with the Lamictal.

There are five weeks worth of little off-white tablets that gradually increase in dosage. For the first two weeks I take 25 milligrams. Then I take 50 milligrams for another two weeks. The last week I begin taking 100 milligrams and then see my doctor to discuss how I am responding to the Lamictal. If my mood still “cycles”, or goes from really happy anxious moods to depressed angry moods, then I will have my dosage increased again until my moods level out.

The most dangerous of the Lamictal side effects is a severe skin rash that typically appears on the face and mouth and then spreads down the arms and back. Benadryl seems to take care of this itchy problem, but if the rash gets worse, I have to stop taking Lamictal and switch to another mood stabilizer. You have a 1 in 1,000 chance of having a really bad rash, but your doctor will warn you of the rash because of all the hype that occurred from the few severe rash incidents that have occurred.

I have been on Lamictal for two days but am already feeling the effect. In fact, I felt an immediate difference just minutes after my first dose of this mood stabilizer. I felt like I was in a stupor and I couldn’t remember what I was doing or even thinking from one minute to the next. I had trouble putting my thoughts into words and got really tired. Speech slurring was a definite issue and I just couldn’t help but to feel as though I were dreaming while awake. That’s when I decided to take a little nap to fight the fatigue.

After six hours of sleep in the middle of the afternoon, which is not normal for me, I awoke startled from a very vivid and unpleasant dream. I wasn’t groggy at all and I felt quite refreshed. I did have the willies from that horrible nightmare, though, so I searched online for some other Lamictal user’s opinions about the drug.

I discovered that I wasn’t the only one having these reactions to Lamictal. Almost all of the testimonials and Lamictal side effects I found about this mood stabilizer discussed fatigue and violent realistic dreams. From other user’s experiences, I learned that Lamictal will take away your appetite after a few months of using it, but after just two days of being on this drug, I have found myself forgetting to eat. I love my food, by the way, so it must be the Lamictal.

It’s only been two days, so it’s too early to say anything about a skin rash, but I like Lamictal much better than Seroquel. I’m not groggy or zombie-like while on this drug. I am also a lot calmer, but my rage is still an issue. Little things like dropping my phone don’t cause me to swear at the top of my lungs for an entire two minutes straight anymore though, I just get a little aggravated and get over it. This is new to me because my anger is severe and will last for hours just from a stubbed toe. Now I notice that stress doesn’t bother me as bad and I hope that it my easily riled anger goes away completely after a few months on Lamictal.

Overall, I would recommend this drug to anyone with severe bipolar. If your moods cycle as quickly as mine do, then this may be the medication for you. Just keep an eye out for any rashes but even if you do get one, you’ll probably be able to fix it with some Benadryl. Lamictal will make you tired, but I’d rather need a nap each day than deal with the aggravation of going from happy to sad to pissed off in a matter of minutes. Talk to your doctor about Lamictal and how it can help your bipolar. You’ll be on your way to feeling like your pre-bipolar self in no time!