“In its own way, the best patient group for Lamictal therapy is the bipolar II patient, a person with mild manias and severe depressions.” The side effects are also more tolerable than those of any bipolar drugs: little weight gain, lethargy, or nausea. “It’s the most interesting drug to come along since lithium,” says Ivan Goldberg. “Lamictal is hot shit.”
I found this on soulful sepulcher and have to admit – Lamictal has killed my manias. Since going up to 200 mg in January, I haven’t had a real manic episode – well, it’s really a mixed episode, but whatever. This makes me wonder if the Lamictal IS working; if I’ve tricked myself with a placebo; or if God is just being merciful to me. I try to convince myself with the last two. (Well, I find the latter to be absolutely true.)
Despite my pharma rantings, I have to agree: "Lamictal is hot shit."
depression introspection 
haha I am so glad you used that as a subject title. I wanted to really bad and didn’t have the guts!
I too believe it’s “cant post my comment saying the phrase” and though I piss and moan about pharma reps: I get mine for free from them! haven’t paid for it yet[thanks reps, until you stop dropping this [that phrase]at the doc’s Im in for the freebies].
I know i feel damn good now.
I can’t afford Lamictal. I currently have no drug plan and I have to pay for everything out-of-pocket. I’m really liking my Epival, though. I was afraid I wouldn’t, but I do.
I am considering Lamictal. I was worried about feeling mentally foggy, as I have to work with my brain really hard at work. Did you find this to be the case? Also, Polly, how is Epival for your mental math type work?
Thanks in advance for your replies.
BK
“I am considering Lamictal. I was worried about feeling mentally foggy, as I have to work with my brain really hard at work. Did you find this to be the case?”
I cannot speak for Epival (Depakote in the U.S.) since I have not used it. Lamictal, however, has been working well for me. I think there are relatively few side effects when beginning the medication. (I can’t say for sure because I was coming off of the Effexor and that was hell for me.) However, the Effexor made my sleep AWFUL (I woke up several times in the middle of the night) and Lamictal balanced that out so I could sleep better.
I have experienced some somnolence, but overall, have had a good experience with Lamictal. Although my doctor has repeatedly told me that Lamictal aids the depression side of bipolar disorder, it has taken care of my mixed state episodes altogether, weeding out the manic part of myself.
I’d acutally – gasp! – recommend Lamictal for bipolar disorder. I’ve had a good experience with it. But then again, I had a good experience with Effexor (weight loss!) until withdrawal dang near killed me.
To see a list of side effects from Lamictal, see this post here: https://depressionintrospection.wordpress.com/2007/01/quetiapine_come.html
I’m bipolar and so is my oldest. She started Lamictal and it was a lifesaver for her. I followed suit and I feel good. Comparing Seroquel to Lamictal–no comparison. I am alert on Lamictal, and no groggy mind.
Depakote was a med my youngest was on for 6 years. When pdocs started removing her medications[too quickly] the first one to go was Depakote. She was 17 at the time, and told me and her doc how she could finally *read* again. She seriously was reading 5 books a week that summer. It was very cognitively dulling for her; but it’s different for everyone.
i just switched from lithium to lamictal. its been two days. im pretty much down. it gets better, eh?
Give it more than two days. Like maybe two weeks to see if it’s making a difference.