What Happens if You Take Lamictal for 10 Years? | Long Term Side Effects and More
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ธ.ค. 2023
- Taking any medication long term can be scary, and psychiatric medications are no exception. I’ve been on Lamictal (aka Lamotrigine) for ten years, and this is my story. I talk in depth about long term side effects and whether it is still effective after all this time… which is typically what I get asked about when it comes to my treatment since it’s been a decade now.
But Lamictal is amazing and it saved my life, and it’s saved a lot of people’s lives. And while long term side effects can cause one to worry, it’s important to remember that it’s sometimes that specific medication that gave you the ability to get a long term side effect in the first place.
So, put it this way, I’m a very grateful person.
Enjoy :)
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#psychiatricmedications #psychiatry #lamictal #lamotrigine #bipolar #schizoaffective #medication #medications
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Lamictal has saved my life ❤ no side effects . So grateful .
Oh sweet! Hopefully it continues to stay side effect free!
@@SchizoKitzo thank you 🙏 I just got bumped up to 50mg after being on 25 mg for almost 8 months . So I shall see how it goes 😅
Same. Trial and error and med changes or adjustments. Here I was again and my normal regimen was definitely not enough for me anymore at that time regardless of my extra efforts to be positive for several months. Lamictal was an add on to my usual. Didn't think it was going to help. I was WRONG. AFTER LITERALLY 3 DAYS I FELT VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND CONTENT. EXTREMELY LESS OVERWHELMED AND I WAS SO GRATEFUL, YET AGAIN, THAT I WAS BACK TO MY "NORMAL" SELF. WHATEVER IN THE HELL "NORMAL" IS ANYWAY. MUCH LOVE.... 🙏🏻😇
How long does it take to kick in
She has to careful these are also the side effects of mental illness, If the lamotrigine helps mostly depression and anxiety it is useful for long term with SSRis.
I've been taking lamictal for 9 years and honestly feel it saved my life, but gosh, I don't want to be on it forever. I'm thankful it has worked for me.
I haaaaatee Lamictal so much I wanna cry. I wish I never had such therapy. Lamictal made me a cognitive vegetable. even when taking it I had speech issues either. my 'favorite' one is when I mixed parts of one words. like well dressed - drell wessed. I want to quit Lamictal so so so much 😭😭😭😭
For me it's having certain words on the tip of my tongue.
And the damn acne I have with it.
I've been on Lamictal for Bipolar for about 13 years. It saved my life! Honestly so grateful for my meds. The word issues are so true!! Also, before taking lamictal I NEVER confused Left and Right. Now I almost never get it correct on the first try. I always have to pause, make the L-shapes with my hands, then say it.
You do the L shapes too! lol
I can’t spell some words anymore. Well, I’m speaking to someone, I know what’s in my head and I want to say it, but that’s not what comes out to the person. I’m speaking to and I don’t realize it. I miss place things.
I don’t know which medication that’s causing that
Lamictal worked for me for approximately 1 year (all whilst receiving changing med mg upwards throughout the year.) *THEN* it stopped working and I gently came off from Lamictal with my PCP. Coming off felt like a war going off in my head 24/7....it worsened my mental conditions tenfold...that is the best way I can describe it. I have trouble mixing words or forgetting words altogether. After years upon years of taking different meds I finally had two therapists tell me what I already knew: I am drug (med) resistant. You name it, I have been on it. In the USA (where I live currently) my health insurance doesn't pay for Ketamine Infusions, which I truly believe (after much research) would help me. Unbelievable. No clue what to do. I have a TBI, Complex BPD, Bipolar 2, Anxiety out the ***, MDD, OCD, Chronic PTSD and ADHD. Oh yeah, my life is so much fun.
Wow I’ve never heard anyone else describe it the way I would 😮I also was diagnosed with all those same things. nobody ever understands
Try medical CBD and THC. And a ketogenic diet.... personally I'll be glad when I'm off these poisonous psyc meds. Half way there and doing better than I ever have ....foggy mind clearing up 😊 Heath is wealth
What are these? @@ansr3538
@@ansr3538 THC makes bipolar and ADHD symptoms worse.
😢😢😢
Appreciate your research, experience and candidness. You’re brave, mature and an honest resource for bipolar schizoaffective disorder. Here’s to your channel being alive and well for a LONG time. Keep GOING! You’re amazing.
Thank you so so much! 😭
The best personal review of Lamotrigine, yo honest abt yo experience...Lov ya Bae...❤❤
GOOD VIDEO KITZ!
You have an incredible youtube presence. You have the ability to talk coherently for such a long time without interruption. I wish i could do that!
Oh my heart goes into triumph hearing your success story swerving through the fluctuating line of control and psychosis in your battle for control over your life/self. How are you today and where’s the research taking you while you seek answers for emotional stability. I’m in the midst of a job hunt and want to return to using psyche meds to make transitioning back into work more feasible. To hold a mature discussion with my neurologist and psychologist I’ve been writing and taking serious notes about my inhibitions about certain medications and want to be firm in my choice of what prescriptions I chose. Love, hope your channel grows and you make a niche for yourself. More content please!
Thank you for your testimony. I have just started my treatment and I feel hopeful
Heck yeah there is so much hope with Lamictal!
Zinc worked awesome today it helped with fatigue a lot thanks much for your channel
I have been taking it for a few months now and also noticed this. Made me worry about learning and retaining information for a while.
Thanks for this information.. info always helps me with my BP. Some days with BP is lonely.. and not understood by those who aren’t BP.. these videos give people hope & information ❤️👍 I’m on 100mg in morning & 200mg at night on Lamic.
Very grateful You shared your story. I've had lamictal in my life for two and a half years and it's been a complete game changer. I wasn't living before. Now I have the power to determine my future. Thanks again.
Maybe we will reach the time when we give up taking lamictal and living normal
I hope so
Thank you for sharing your experience with 10 years on Lamictal. It was cool to hear about both the side effects and the overall effectiveness, especially over such a long period of time.
The word-finding side effect definitely sounds annoying, and I'm glad that you've found ways to deal with it since it hasn't gotten better over time. I love that you had a case in point in this video & left it in. And I thought your "look at all those birds" story was hilarious! (I'm picturing deer with wings now LOL) The sleep pattern issues sound like an even more annoying side effect, especially since caffeine doesn't help. But yay for sleeping pills and then later zinc fixing that! I'm also glad you haven't had any other long-term side effects, & I hope you don't have any in the future - or if you do, that they're not too bad.
It was interesting to learn about your whole journey with Lamictal and how it's helped you over time. It's awesome that Lamictal stopped the rapid cycling and depression after you were first prescribed it and gave you your life back. It sounds really rough that things got worse later, and I'm sorry that lowering your dose of Lamictal didn't work after you got on Lithium. The depressive episode that followed that seems like it was awful. It's a relief to hear that your depression and rapid cycling have stayed manageable since you went back to the higher dose of Lamictal. Fingers crossed that it helps keep everything stable for you going forward!
Thanks again for a great video - I enjoyed learning more about Lamictal through your experience with it!
I’ve been on it for almost 20 years. Word flip is not the only thing it flips.
20 is a long time. I would love to know more about it
Care to elaborate?
Just started 2 days ago. So far no side effects to speak of. Cheers for this, hope you stay well!
How did it go?
Ive been on tegretol for the last 24 years that's been extremelty successful but then suddenly developed hyponatremia( dangerously low sodium) I had to be hospitalized and now am tapering off the tegretol and wanting to try Lamictal, hoping for the best. I would get your sodium checked once in awhile fyi. Im not a doctor either but i also have no thyroid. We're all unique and fragile birds. THank you for this video.
As a bipolar and on Lamictal it has helped me but being a non compliant I would slowly ( important) decrease my dose… but let me add I was feeling better where I thought since I’m feeling better I no longer need to take the Lamictal… wrong I was heading down the path of depression and anger and just not doing well. I’m back on Lamictal and feeling better but not totally. I also was put on a low dose of Prozac but antidepressants combined with Lamictal can cause a manic episode so a low dose has to be prescribed.
In any case I have to say lamictal has helped me , it has kept my moods manageable. Trying different medications (many) this is after 25 years of depression and irrational behavior , Lamictal worked for me.
This video could not have been better. She was knowledgeable and honest. Yes Lamictal does help (me) but every patient is different .
Please do not stop taking any meds unless your doctor advises you to.
Lamictal needs ttitration before starting and discontinued.
Thank you for the video it will help others who are on Lamictal and others who may be starting on it.
I’m going through the same “denial” and coming out of it. Stopped it in Jan cause I was “feeling better” and now my symptoms returned. I’m back on it now (2 days) because I finally have accepted my diagnosis of bipolar 2 (I’ve known since 16, I’m now 20)
I take lamictal and it saved me from a deep depressive bipolar crash after having a very long time of hypomanic. I had gone off of lamictal for 9 months under the care of a doctor because we thought I didn't need it. I got into a worse hypomanic state without it and I was scared. I began to realize that I was on such a high for a long period that I couldn't relax. I wasn't me and I knew something was off. As I mentioned, the depression crash was so bad that I started to not be able to function, but I had to work. A new doc titrated me back on lamictal and I was doing well and back to a semi -managable state again. It's working for me.
It’s an amazing med, thats for sure. I hope to never go off of it, and I’m glad it works for you!
I've been on 200mg for a month now. My experience has been similar to yours. I'm also taking Wellbutrin. My depression is extremely intense. What's interesting is the word finding you're describing is something I've struggled with even before starting any psych meds. I don't notice much of a difference on lamitcal.
Thank you for this video. I’ve been prescribed 200mg of Lamotrigine and had taken it for 8 or so months before I started to lower the dose (which had almost ended my marriage and I had to drop out of university). Today I’m back on the normal dose, so hope things stabilise lol.
These videos help a lot of people such as myself so thank you once again
I've been on lamictal for over a decade and I have Schizoaffective Bipolar Type as well. Thanks for this information! I think I have a better understanding of how the medication works. It can be difficult when you take so many medications to understand their specific side effects.
It gets complicated SO fast, glad i could help!
I’m on Lamictal for 1 year, I feeling much much better than it was before. I don’t have such extreme anxiety and depersonalisation right now. But I still have mood swings and light maniac and depression episodes. Sometimes I can cry for a 30 min and than I just write all my thoughts down and it works for me, just to remember what I feel and what I’m thinking about, just to be a little bit present. I have a good partner who understands me (he also on antidepressants). My ex was angry about my swings and that’s one of the reason why we broke up (that’s one of the best decision in my life). So yes, it helps, it cannot make you "normal", but it can help you to get better decisions in your life. Thanks god I live in 21th century and can use antidepressant and mood stabilators so I can live better life. (Btw I’m living in war time in Ukraine and life is really not the easiest one, before Lamictal everyday for me been like the last one in a bad way, I just thought about death all the time, now I’m trying to live just as i can to)
Thank you! ❤
You sure have a great personality. I tried it once like 15 years ago, not for long. I do remember my lips were kind of swollen.
Hi thank you so much for your video (I find videos about lamotrigine are rare). I‘ve been taking lamotrigine for a few months now, cause I was also diagnosed with cyclothymia. I don’t have side effects at all and since I‘m on lamotrigine it’s the first time since 3 years I feel like I can live without anti-depressants. These mood swings are familiar to me since high school and when I was up I was so overexcited that it didn’t feel good anymore..and I‘ve always had a low level of depression ever since I can remember. Good luck to ya all 🍀 in my opinion lamotrigine is good choice!
Thank you so much for this video. I've been on for 7 years for bipolar II. I've tried to reduce dosage twice with similar results to yours--bad. But the WORD ISSUE. Oh my god, I didn't know that was a thing and I had a really powerful emotional reaction when you started talking about it. I am a writer, and I've seen my productivity dwindle since starting it. I think that may be part of it. Anyway, thanks for sharing your story.
Glad I could help and have a good day!
Same disorder here. I take Lamictal (lamotrigine) with a combination of Abilify (Aripiprazole, which i started recently). I cannot explain in words how appreciative I am with lamictal (taken for 2 years now). I haven't had any major side effects, if not any. I feel like the abilify needed to be added.. it's what helped put everything into place. Thanks for your story!
So glad your meds work for you!!!!
I am on Lamotrigine now, still tapering it to the goal of 100mg. It really does help with mood swings, and I am glad my official doctor prescribed it (even though I still have no official diagnosis of BD, but I've visited a foreign psychiatrist after I started Lamotrigine, and he diagnosed me with BD II). I speak fine, but I've noticed that I now do a lot of typos, and sometimes struggle with correcting my typo right away, or have some difficulties with remembering the next letter to type (even though my usual typing speed is quite high because I use 10 fingers). Also, for some reason I started type some words closer to how they sound ("faund" instead of "found", e.g.). Perhaps, it's a side effect too (I hope so). It's good I do not earn money with proof-reading.
Hey Kitzo! Thank you so much for speaking about this. It means a lot to us who silently also deal with schizoaffective disorder. I have been on lamictal for close to 7 years now and have experienced the same side-effects that you have. It's annoying, but it doesn't outweigh the benefits that the medication brings with it. I used to be on lithium as well, but I was taken off of it because it made me really sick.
This is a side observation but I think how you set up the color pallet of your videos is really well done 👍
It’s one of my favorite things about setting up to film, I appreciate the recognition!
I was on Lamictal for 10 years too. I was tired all the time, and for reasons unknown I didn't tell my Dr. I didn't know it was a side effect. Thank you for your videos, they are helpful.
I try!
@@In_Need_of_a_Savior easy, was no withdrawal.
@AudioAdict I didn't taper off. I didn't have any issues coming off. Was on 200mg. And I'm on it again. Had some can't do side effects with Lithium.
I’ve been on abilify for 4 years. Can’t wait to get to 10 years!
I was just prescribed this for PMDD. I take my first dose tonight. I thank you for sharing your experience with it.
Best of luck and I hope it helps you!
Hi! I have pmdd, how has your experience using this medication for it? Would be so helpful to know
@@bionic_mermaid I got off of it. It wasn’t doing much for my brain personally. I switched to Auvelity. It’s been the first mood drug that’s made a big difference for me. There’s no generic available, but there are coupons and stuff the pharmacist can use to make it $10 per month.
@@bionic_mermaid good luck to you!
@@borrow_a_feeling842 thank you! has it helped your pmdd?
I started taking Lamictal about two months ago and I've never felt better. I've had no side effects, and the rapid cycling I've experienced for years stopped immediately. Life finally feels worth living again. The medication primarily helps with my depression rather than mania. Initially, taking it at bedtime kept me up for about four hours, so I switched to taking it during the day, which has significantly improved my mood. I've experienced bipolar 1 symptoms since I was 8 or 9, which worsened at 14 and continued to escalate. I'll be 26 next month, and after trying various medications, this is the first time I've felt an immediate improvement. Lamictal is giving me the chance to truly live instead of just exist ❤
Yes yes! I love hearing this! Glad it works so well for you too!
I was on Lamictal for about 17 years now and on Zyprexa for about 15 years. Lamictal alone didn't really do it for me, it did keep me from huge mood swings, but I was still "weird". However, in combination of Zyprexa and venlafaxine it gets the job done (I assume keeping mood swings away is its primary job) so I'm happy with that. I do catch myself saying wrong word on occasions but it's not that often to be a problem. I did get one other common side effect of Lamictal (5-10% of people get this) and it's skin rash. Both of my legs below knees now have quite a big patch of rashes, but it doesn't do anything to me other than it doesn't look very pretty. 1 in a 1000 people actually get serious skin reaction but thankfully it's not in my case. That's my Lamictal story, thanks Kit as usual for making these videos :)
Thanks as always for commenting! And I’ve heard about the rash, both the one you have and the bad bad one. So odd that it causes that, but I’m glad you don’t have the bad one! Thanks again for sharing!
Day 2 today… finger tightly crossed
I’ve been on lamictal for about 8 years. Only thing I really notice is the being so so sleepy one minute then awake the next! But I’m also on seroquel, depakote, and invega plus other meds for a physical disability so that might be why
I was on lamictal for years for my seizures and had no problem until probably year 6 I ended up with a rash. But I then switched to Zonisamide that’s where I noticed all these side effects. Plus major memory loss so now I’m back to considering taking this again 🤷🏼♀️
Thanks!
Thank you so much!!!!
Taking it for 4 years. The best medication so far for me for treating epilepsy. But my neurologist prescribed clonozepam on top of it , that’s when hell broke loose. Now I’m in the process of tapering off of clonozepam( which is different story, in one word- hell)
Lamictal by itself will not do this to you, unless you are taking other meds, like me with clonozepam.
I hope you are doing well. Much love💕
I’m now on this for seizures too. Mine are from brain tumour but so far it seems to be working been seizure free awhile now
I just got prescribed this today for my seizures after having an allergic reaction to my previous medication, fingers crossed it works.
Lamictal worked well for me, but I had this horrible cough, so I stopped taking it and went back to Epilim which works reasonably well. Recently I saw a news article on a woman who had respiratory symptoms which then turned to Stevens Johnsons syndrome which almost killed her. Very rare. I get the word loss whenever I’m depressed, so I think it is slowing down something in the brain. Stopping teaching stopped most of the embarrassment as I tried to find the word.
I'm on lamotrigine and it's honestly helped me SO MUCH. It's been more effective than any antidepressant I've ever taken. I was wondering if you could do a video on dating / disclosure with schizoaffective disorder? I just started dating someone and I'm scared to tell them I have it. Wondering what your experiences have been with this?
My husband has this diagnosis. He's also awesome. Don't be afraid to get out there.
Hi there, I'm sooo happy that Lamotrigine has worked for you. I live with bipolar type 2 and this drug quite literally changed my life. I'm also glad you're exploring dating and I want to share a video with you by Lauren who lives with schizoaffective disorder on dating with mental illness th-cam.com/video/nMjQAUEJHpc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Q7jKPrZXs899BP-2
She and her partner Rob have a lot of videos on their main channel where they delve into different aspects of a relationship with someone living with mental illness here th-cam.com/video/HPcwi3u45pk/w-d-xo.html&pp=iAQB
As for my personal experience, some potential partners have unfortunately looked at my illness as a form of baggage and would kinda police me for emerging symptoms which made me have to mask from time to time. I've learned that it's extremely important to pay attention to anything that feels like stigma even when talking generally about both your perspectives on mental illness. Remember you live with this illness full-time and self-acceptance is part of your ongoing treatment. It's also important to realise that your partner will play a caregiver role so being honest about their capacity to support you in the ways you know you need will allow you both to construct a relationship that caters to the full realities of both your lives. We already have to mask symptoms in certain spaces, you shouldn't be doing it with the person you love and spend the most time with.
It’s definitely on my list as it’s something I want to tackle once I get back out in the dating world myself. Thanks for the suggestion!
I've had bad luck with psyche meds. I'm about to go back on...not to excited about it.
I can relate to the word finding issues but overall my experience with lamotrigine has been a good one.
Oh it was great for my restless leg that I had severely with my chronic fatigue syndrome - it is actually prescribed for ugly btw and migraines. Which I also used get in the early days with CFS but the lamotragine definitely helped that too.
You have a great, fluent and fast speech as a lamotrigine "user"....(epi user)
I’m on Lamictal because I have Epilepsy and from what I know Lamictal may also be a Anti-Convulsion medication and I’ve been taking Lamictal since I was 3 years old back in 2005
I’ve not had a major convulsion since I was 8 years old back in 2010
I still have Partial seizures which cause me to panic and think that my brain is feeling “Jumpy” because how I describe a seizure is like the electrical signals in the brain all flying in lots of directions at once
And for me those seizures happen at least twice monthly
And that for me is the reality of living with a combination of 3 Neurological disorders (Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy and Hydrocephalus)
Hey Kit! Long time no see! I have mania but don't take a mood stabilizer. My mania is rare but I'm diagnosed nonetheless. I had to lower my lexapro because it made me too happy, I stopped sleeping. I just didn't have success with mood stabilizers, they had no effect on me and I don't have many manic episodes. I'm currently on medication that doesn't cause side effects for all I know because it's at a low dose. I attribute my lack of need for a lot of more medicine because of my old age.
Helpful video. Currently on 5mg Abilify, 10mg Prozac, and 100mg Lamictal for bipolar II, and 40mg Adderall for ADHD. One thing I started doing to help with Abilify side effects was chewing nicotine gum for the dopaminergic and neurprotective qualities of nicotine. I found it really helped with the akathisia, and even though I don't think it's necessary for me any more I still chew one or two pieces a day (probably developed a mild addiction!). Fortunately nicotine gum is kinda gross so I don't feel compelled to consume it in larger quantities, but it seems to be a promising substance when co-administered with antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. I can link some studies in another comment.
Yeah a heap of neurodiverse people have serious issues with antipsychotics in particular. Long story but I was misdiagnosed and put on them for a decade and just due to random chance went off the about 6 months ago. I had severe suicidal ideation all those years and tried everything including ECT, TMS and then the last medical trial was esketamine which ended in disaster but I ended being taken off the antipsychotic. Within days my suicidal ideation that he kept me crippled for a decade and caused more, that trauma and heartache to me and my family than I can bare to think about dried up completely!!! 😮😮😮😮 I am now the best I have ever been in my life 😮😮😮 because once I was treated for ADHD, which was only two years before being put on antipsychotics I suddenly was so much better too and even stopped seeing a psychiatrist and just saw my regular doctor. I had been seeing a psychiatrist every fortnight for the ten years previous to the ADHD meds as I was also so bad.
Damn what a cocktail!
I take sodium valproate and paliperidone for schizzoaffective disorder and they have been the best for me. Some side affects but like lamictal, it’s worth it day by day
Glad you have a combo that works!
I just started taking it for major depressive disorder and focal seizures. Does it cause weight gain? Does it affect libido?
Exactly right
What kind of sleeping pills did you get? I was told that I couldn’t mix them with Lamotrigine
Thank you for sharing about what you have been through the last ten years. My son take 50 mg of Lamotrigine at night. What dose do you take? I have heard of same people getting Stevens Johnson Syndrome.
I don’t share doses, but thanks for the comment!
I have been on this for at least 3 years. I am bipolar one. I am also on two other meds. I do pretty good and I am doing teally well😊
I've been on it for 15 or 20 years. I'm at 450mg x2 per day. I feel like I'm finally starting to feel side effects.... especially fatigue... I take it for Epilepsy and I rarely have seizures. If I can keep my driver's license and the episodes damn near free and clear that is great. However the past 2-3 years my fatigue. Also not wanting to be active during the day and the other pill I take is considered higher dose. I've only recently started to do research on the pills because of different things happening. Ideation was very common effect. Which isn't great when most people don't deal or are comfortable talking about death. Such is life.
I was on Lamictal for over 10 years. Now I'm on just Lexapro and Lybalvi. Doing well.
Awesome!
Trouble with word finding was a problem for me before lamotrigine also!
Me too!
❤️ thx so much for this video 🙏 i have bipolar II and my Dr give me Lamictal😊 and now after 1 month’s of this it’s like giving me headaches, hard time to sleep 😴 but it’s maybe take some time before it’s working good.. that only thing thats worrying me is if you can get liver failure?? But I am in my low episode 😢 so thx for your video you are amazing 🤩 take care regards// J 🇸🇪
Hi! I’m also taking Lamotrigine (150mg) for BP II, going on 3 years now. Going into it I did get a lot of headaches (I used to get really bad migraines before I started taking the medication). The headaches were nothing like the migraines but they were very frequent within the first 4-6 months or so. After that the headaches went away and my migraines did too! Anyways, all to say that yes, the headaches and difficulty sleeping were strong side effects for me during the first 6 months but it eventually got better. I do take a very low dose of lorazepam (0.5mg) for anxiety which helps me sleep, I still have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep without lorazepam.
Would you be able to share the zinc your taking? When I look online there’s a lot of different kinds.
Nope. Like I said in the video, talk to your doctor if you’re interested. Best of luck!
Rapid cycling is soooooooo draining. My husband had that symptom as well before meds.
It is the worst!
same with me, mania is the best feeling in the world but the aftertaste is something that I have to deal. Is like when you are drunk and do stupid shit but when you wake up the next day you regret everything. Same feeling with mania episodes. Lamictal prevents me go into the deep end but let me run free for several hours a day. Too confusing I know lol
I take lamictal, bupropion, and Zoloft for bipolar 1. I honestly can’t tell you how it’s affected me because of the other meds, but I guess it’s working since the Zoloft is causing me to fly off the handle. I need to have a talk with my psychiatrist the next time I see him. I think I’m overmedicated.
I was recently prescribed lamictal for depression and anxiety after trying many different medications with poor luck. My main issue are these uncomfortable sensations that I have in my body that go hand in hand with the anxiety I have. Has anyone experienced this and have had success with lamictal helping this?
Lamictal has been more effective for me than another antidepressants. I take 200mg but I wish I had another antidepressant to take with it because the depression is chronic. I don't get the rash or the wrong word thing. But I used to struggle with my speach when I was young because I had a speach impediment. But I took a lot of psychedelics that healed my speach. And I smoke pot so I have no problems expressing myself. Though like anyone, I think of things I could have said, or said better after the situation. Also I have experienced bipolar most of my adult life. (Lots of childhood trama)
seroquel here but its going on 10 years.... i tried to go off it but now have gone down to 50mg
ive been on lamictal for almost 5 years for mood stabilization, ive never had specifically the word finding replacing words but i CONSTANTLY am like “i dont know, i dont know if that made sense sorry i can’t think of the word” so not sure if its totally the lamictal or what but that’s definitely been a big one for me lol
I had this problem before I started taking Lamictal, but it appears to have gotten worse now that I’m on it. Is frustrating. I feel your pain.
U Shine ❤
I am 40 and just got diagnosed and I miss words and forget my thought mid sentence all the time. I only say this cause maybe it is the lamictal but maybe it isn’t? I’ll report back k and I’m titrating up right now
OMG...I take this medication for seizures and what she described about saying the wrong words, or not speaking the perfect sentence that I have in head, it is true!!! I hate it, becuase I feel stupid, disable, broken. That's not the only side effect though.
Ashwagandha helps me with word finding and memory issues, and my doc recommends it also....
Thank you!
I take 300 mg for about 2 months I have word finding and saying things that are way off. I described somebody who is tall as somebody who is high as in a high bridge as soon as I say it I do recognize I have just said something odd and I have scrambled up complete sentences. The words are scrambled up and I’m experiencing memory short-term memory difficulties. Does any one have vivid dreams? When I have been on Elavil, and Paxil in the past, I always have vivid dreams, but Elavil caused them to be nightmares scary dreams, but Lamictal seems to just be vivid dreams, detailed dreams, and I remember them when I wake up.
Have you tried lithium orotate it has been very helpful for me
I have been on lamictal at 200mg twice a day for 21 years,and yes I had to work up too that dose.I also take adderall along with it,I've been taking adderall with it for 12 years.the two for me work well together.all the things you have talked about.I have experience, antidepressants and lithium did not work for me.they left me with no motivation,all I wanted to do was sleep. This combination
Of lamictal and adderall keeps me away from depression,they allow me to live a more stable life.I have researched this combination and quite a few people are taking them together.THIS COMBINATION IS NOT FOR EVERYONE.
I've been on Lamictal for 20 years. I was tired for the first few days, but that's it - no other side effects.
Awesome!
The thing is, as always, you'll never know what would've been the outcome if you'd never taken the medicine.
I'm on an anticonvulsant as well and I also sometimes have word-finding issues, but these are not usually using the wrong word, rather, I have lots of tip of the tongue experiences.
I was prescribed Lamictal for seizures and omg. I had the weird word finding thing but also EXTREME dizziness and especially the first hour or so after taking a dose I would get horrible double vision. I felt awful and now I am on Keppra and Gabapentin.
@@Horticarter41 How's the Keppra and gabapentin combo going? I've heard some people feel very irritable on Keppra.
I was in topiramate at one stage and the nausea was unbelievable. Topiramate and vortioxetine is not a combination you want to be on. Projectile vomiting at the most random times, out of nowhere.
It's been working quite well actually. I haven't had the irritability, but man are my dreams WEIRD at night. I've otherwise been side effect free
@@andrewhall7176 also, I am so sorry you went through that, it sounds AWFUL.
@@Horticarter41 I'm glad to hear it's working!
I took lamictal for a very short time didn't even get to therapeutic levels and then I got put on Seroquel, and then now on olanzapine
How do you find seroquel ? I found it made me extremely tired.
@@emmamunro7208 I used to take 800 mg it made me sleepy at night time when I took it and in the beginning it made me groggy throughout the day till I got used to it.
I should start,i was diagnosticated with bp 2 and take venlafaxine that gives me ansiety,thank you fro your words
I’m not bipolar as far as I know, but I take Venlafaxine & Lamotrigine (Lamictal) and the combination has done wonders in keeping my mood stable.
Although the combo would affect you differently, of course. Just saying, hopefully it can work for you too!
What was your dosage of lamictal?
I heard about that weird experience when you try to get off the drug you either have the worst manic episode you've ever had or the worst depression episode you've ever had it's called rebounding
I don’t plan to ever go off it so I hope to never find out!
I naturally have these word and sleep issues that caffeine doesn’t alleviate.
I have Seasonal affective disorder and probably Generalized anxiety disorder, not Schizoaffective, and have difficulty finding the right words to say too! Haven't been on meds for a long time due to personal reasons. I've been having this issue for like 6-8 years. I have always thought it was because I speak 3 languages, know too many words and they get mixed up. My mental health is probably one of the reasons, too. When I look up difficulty finding the right words to say I always see the results for dementia. I hope it's not dementia though, I'm 26! So it's really interesting to know what are other reasons for it
Watching this video because my girlfriend has something like cyclothymia or bipolar. We're not sure because she never got diagnosed and doesn't want to visit a doctor about it. I try to talk her into it slowly. The more I know the better! So thank you for talking about it so openly!
I had to stop Lamictal, was causing an extreme rash. Eight years of being on the medication. Now I am on lithium.
I've been on it for 20 years now for epilepsy. (Taken about 28,000 tablets). I was a kid when i first started, so I have no clue what life would be like without it. I've never not taken it. Does anyone believe I'm missing out on anything? (Better memory maybe? Clearer mind? Happier?)
I do take lamictal, but for a different reason, alone it does almost nothing for me. My miracle drug that gave me my life back is depakote, i was taking a dose of it that i did not like. It turns out that lamotrigine will double the effectiveness of depakote when taken together, so i halved depakote and added lamictal. And this combo works great for me.
Wild! Medicine is so cool
That first side effect seems to be pretty problematic for certain types of jobs. My job requires me to be careful either data and processing. I found this video because it was suggested by my psych
It might cause some issues for someone, yes, but with what I do (I work in a lab) it’s not an issue at at all. Psychiatric treatment is all about taking meds with side effects you can tolerate
Edit: thanks for telling me how you found the video, that’s super awesome!
I'm having similar speech issues but I'm on olanzapine .
Watching this made me so sad though it’s the side effects are so sad. I was on it for like six months and the side effect of having trouble expressing thoughts and even thinking really reminded me so much of what it feels like to have a concussion and to have brain damage. This is just MY experience. I'm glad it works for others.
I really think that this drug needs to be studied. I do think it probably stop seizures but I don’t know maybe it made my brain zaps weight worse I can’t tell.
I am bipolar 1 too. Please say me ur best combo .🙏
You’re so articulate! It’s hard to imagine you have bird finding issues!
I mean word finding.
HA
Just started taking it for major depressive disorder and possible bipolar 2 I don't like that I can't drink now
It's hard to find the right combination of medication, it take years.
For Lithium and Lamictaĺ I can expect a fully lined wool blue Blazer with a crest from JnJ. Pocket squares are on me.
Huh?
What ABOUT LITHIUM OROTATE
You should know that lam has pretty wicked withdrawals including depression. I'm not saying that that's what it is but be careful if you come off of it. Withdrawals are a real thing.
It worked for the first 100mg. I now take 400mg a day, I'm weaning off. I have a doctor and a psy working together on me. Seen my doctor yesterday and he's thinking Abilify but he wanted to talk with the psy. I haven't had any real side-effects other than being tired after 2 energy drinks and the speech thing is terrible. I have a hard time with conversations.
Titrated up from 25mg to 300mg/day in early 2020.
Tapered down to 200mg. My brain had died. Cognitive ability had more than halved.
I needed an anti-psychotic. Started Abilify a month ago. It's working.
Added a Seasonal Affected Disorder lamp that I use all day (fitted as normal house lights). That had a massive benefit.
Rough this disease though. Had it since early teens. Didn't get treatment until age 44, when I was hospitalised.
@Bernard-ux2eb it is rough, I'm 37 figuring this all out. They are keeping me on the 400mg of Lamictal and added 5mg of Abilify.
@@extraskintip I didn't get treatment until 44. Now 48.
BP1 + psychotic features.
Lamictal is a nightmare. It shuts you down. An old friend suddenly and unexpectedly developed BPII + psychotic features same age.
He's a general practitioner. Said the same of Lamictal, he couldn't do anything, cognitive decline was profound.
He found Abilify works. 10mg/day.
I'm presently on 200mg/day Lamictal and 10mg/day Abilify.
The Lamictal doesn't do much of me. Basically I'm tapering down to the minimum dose of 150mg/day.
It does get better this. But it takes work. It is hell, nonetheless.
@Bernard-ux2eb 400mg of Lamo still and 10mg of Abilify. Doctors in 3 weeks to follow up. So far Abilify has stopped my auditory hallucinations by about 10% so far. I feel like we're heading in the right direction. I sure wish I could get my ADHD meds. I feel like I'd be in that sweet spot. Who knows.
@@extraskintip 400mg is the highest recommended dose of Lamotrigine.
I peaked at 300mg, settled down over the next 18 months and after starting Abilify, started tapering the Lamotrigine down, aiming for 150mg/day, which is the minimum dose.
Lamotrigine turned my brain off.
Did you get the gastric problems when starting Abilify? Have Gaviscon on hand. Terrible hiccups and acid reflux.
Abilify will take a month to work, but yes, I too noticed a near immediate improvement in symptoms of mixed mania and agitation.
Remember, it isn't "you", it's a signal dysregulation between the amygdala and frontal lobe.
Is it good for very bad depression
Yes but it’s different for everyone.