Lamictal?

[Bipolarbaby4]

I have read that this can work wonders for rapid cycles in bipolar patience.  I ussually do some research and tell my doctor what I think so I don't have to worry about suffering from unexpected side affects that we're not properly explained when I was put on the medication. And I refuse to take any medicine that has a good chance of weight gain ( I was 5''2 and 200 pounds a few years ago)  I don't want to gain that weight bak. Has anyone tried this medicine before?

[Anonymouse88]

According to the DSM-IV-TR, anyone who goes through 4 or more cycles per year is a rapid cycler.  While clinicians sometimes use terms like "ultra rapid cycling" or "ultradian cycling" (cycling over the course of a day, sometimes multiple times), I'm pretty sure they don't actually appear in the official diagnostic texts.  It doesn't have to be 4 sinusoidal up-down cycles, just any 4 episodes (depressive or manic/hypomanic) in a year.

[rogelio63]

I've taken 400mg of Lamictal a day for over two years now.  I think it helps but not as much as the Risperidone,,at least for me.  My doctor hasn't told me if I'm a rapid cycler.  I think I am maybe, idk, if I am,,then it's not helping.

[Jessy102386]

I took this med for a short time ut worked so well. I ended up being allergic to it :(

[Anonymouse88]

Oh, I just remembered: I felt like Lamictal was a bit activating when I first took it, although I'm not sure about it, but I just started taking it in the morning, and wasn't bothered again.  Try taking it when you get up.

[Anonymouse88]

I have Ambien for sleeping, but I was having issues with sleeping before I started the Lamictal.  It's because my sleep schedule is so off from where it should be, and I'm used to staying up until I'm about to fall asleep on my feet so that I don't have to sit in bed with my thoughts.  The Lamictal has decreased the thoughts a lot, but they're still there sometimes.  The Ambien does make me hallucinate a bit, but it doesn't bother me in the slightest.  Mostly, things move a bit, especially patterns, and sometimes the patterns of paint on the wall (the slight texture that paint has) turns into more 3D patterns if I stare at it.  And it makes me a bit off balance if I get up to go to the bathroom.  

You could also try melatonin, which is sold OTC, and is fairly gentle.  It helps regulate your circadian rhythm, and is a substance that you make in your brain anyway.  Be sure to ask the pharmacist/your doctor about it first, but it might be a good first step.  If Seroquel made you hallucinate like that, you definitely shouldn't take it again.  I think Trazodone in low doses is more popular as a non habit forming sleep aid, but it's an antidepressant, so I don't know if it would be bad for your bipolar.

[Bipolarbaby4]

Oh and anonomouse88 I have been on lithium and trileptol for m years. And you r rite. Treleptol is a great medicine ! :)

[Bipolarbaby4]

I am very excited. I got put on lamictal  I am excited to see how it will work when the dosage is set to the mg for me!  But I have to say. Even with the low dosage I am take. I have had some trouble sleeping.... I know some people get put on saraquil ( sorry if I spell it wrong lol). But I was on that before and it gave me very scary and intense hallucinations   So I want to stay away from that.  And I have Xanax. But I took that last night and still had trouble falling asleep....

[Phoenix1980]

Hello dear, I took Lamictal for 5 years & never experienced any weight gain issues from the medicine itself. If my weight ever did fluctuate during that period it was because I was depressed & eating a lot with no exercise.  But then every time I would fix my eating habits and worked out, my weight was back to normal (skinny). In fact Lamictal is also known to sometimes correct the problem (I don't know how permanent that is but) I have been off any medication for almost one and a half years now (with my doctor's consent) I have been functioning pretty normally without it now. But I should admit it took therapy,support from family & friends and a lot of positive changes I had to make in my thinking/cognitive pattern and life style, to make this possible. Keeping my fingers crossed for the future.
In short Lamictal with the right sort of therapy is a wonder drug for bipolar (in my opinion). Wish you the best!!

[Anonymouse88]

I'm on Lamictal and it's working well for me so far.  It is a slow taper, 25 mg every two weeks until 100 mg, then you can go up by 50 mg every two weeks.  So it takes a while to work, but it's really good for the depressive phase.  It's great for BP II, and it's approved I believe as an add-on med for BP I stabilization.

Topomax does get used for bipolar, but it causes major cognitive side effects in a lot of people, to the point of getting nicknamed "Dopamax".  It does tend to make people lose weight, but you seem to have that part under control.  Of course, everyone is different with medications, but based on the research I've done, I would choose Lamictal over Topamax (I had the preference before I started the Lamictal), and I think I'd go for Trileptal over Topamax if I were going for an off-label drug.  I think Trileptal is weight neutral.  

[Bipolarbaby4]

I have found another medicine called topamax that can help with my position. It is an off lable so I am going to talk to my dr about trying it.  Anneinside I lost much of my weight from diet and working our. I make sure I only eat about 1200 calories a day based on how much I work out. Almost I got put in adderall and it helped a lot.  If you go to your gunocologist she may be able to prescribe you bobtrile. It is an aid in weight loss and helps sooooo much!  :)

[Anneinside]

Everyone has to increase the dosage of lamictal (lamotrigine) slowly starting at 25mg. I have been on as high as 400mg but had to drop back down to 200mg because it is an antiseizure med and I am having ECT and 400mg would interfere with that. I have been on it for years and didn't see any difference in weight with it. Other drugs I am taking are not so weight friendly. I am now exercising and trying to diet but little success. How did you lose your weight?

[Crystal413]

I have been taking 175mg for aprox 6 weeks. I did taper up slowly, 25mg a week. I am at the dosage I will stay at. Now this isn't very long but I can tell you I am feeling better. I also take Lithium with it. It is a weight neutral med and for me I haven't gained any weight.