Lamictal is a drug that is used to treat bipolar disorder and seizures. I have been taking Lamictal for over two months now. If you are prescribed Lamictal, you will start out on 25 milligrams and gradually work your way up to 100 milligrams in five weeks. The gradual dosage increase protects you from adverse side effects of Lamictal like severe rash and migraines. I have been on Lamictal for over two months now and have worked my way up to 200 milligrams of this mood stabilizing drug.
I experienced different side effects every time I increased my Lamictal dosage. I had trouble concentrating and felt dumb as a rock at 25 milligrams. The extremely vivid and horrifying nightmares began at 50 milligrams. I had terrible migraines and trouble driving at 100 milligrams. Now that I am on 200 milligrams, I feel like a different person entirely. Don’t get me wrong, Lamictal does have it’s positive aspects, otherwise I would not be still taking it. The good outweighs the bad for me.
Now that I am on 200 milligrams of Lamictal, I feel more relaxed and calm than I used to. I still get really angry at times and have little rage sessions, but these fits are no where near as frequent as they were before I took Lamictal. I don’t get depressed as often either, but I do find myself crying in the middle of the night sometimes for no apparent reason other than a feeling of hopelessness.
I have always suffered from insomnia, so this may have something to do with the night time depression. I am not taking the sleep aid, Geodone, that I have been prescribed because of the migraines and dry mouth it causes in the mornings. Sometimes I am afraid of going to sleep because Lamictal causes very lucid nightmares. Some of them are so real and horrifying that you wake up screaming and desperately searching for the nearest light switch.
Lamictal affects several chemicals in your brain so having your dreams become strange is to be expected. I just don’t understand why they are all so violent. With my memory gone from the Lamictal, I can’t remember the nightmares long enough to explain them in detail. I do remember waking up paranoid and terrified. I have thought of writing down my nightmares as soon as I wake up, but never remember to put a notebook and pen beside my bed. Go figure. My memory really is damaged.
I read at night to deal with the insomnia, but have had some difficulties. I have always been an avid reader. I used to be able to read a 500 page novel in a day, but now I have to constantly go back in the book to remember what I was reading in the first place. I can hardly get from one paragraph to the next without forgetting what I just read a page ago. This is extremely frustrating since I have never had a problem with my memory or reading abilities. I have been known to read more than one book at a time without confusing any of the plots are characters.
My vision gets fuzzy at times as well. I have noticed this disturbing side effect of 200 milligrams of Lamictal while working on my computer and reading. I know the difference between eye fatigue and this Lamictal side effect. I have experienced eye fatigue many times before and looking away from my computer screen or book for a few minutes always made it go away before. Now it comes and goes in episodes. |I don’t even have to be straining my eyes for very long for it to happen. Looking away doesn’t help either, because the entire room gets fuzzy. Even closing my eyes is disorienting.
If you are working your way up to 200 milligrams of Lamictal, your side effects may be similar to mine or entirely different. From bipolar forums that I have visited, though, my side effects are being dealt with by many other Lamictal users.
Here’s a tip that took me a month and a half to figure out. Taking your Lamictal at night before bed seems to reduce some of the symptoms. You will feel fatigued if you take Lamictal in the morning, but will go to sleep a lot better at night.
If you get discouraged with the side effects of Lamictal, then keep in mind that the benefits of Lamictal outweigh the negative side effects. Lamictal will eventually help you feel like you are in control of your emotions and your system will adapt to the medication once you reach the dosage that is right for you.
