I was first prescribed Lamictal for Bipolar Depression about three years ago. At the time, typical SSRIs weren’t really doing the job for me. I was feeling sad frequently and experiencing a lot of emotional ups and downs that were difficult to say the least. After months of trying other medications, we eventually determined that I was suffering from Bipolar Depression. Bipolar depression looks a bit different from normal depression.

Before diving in, please keep in mind that this is my personal experience with Lamictal and that all medications work differently for everyone. I am not a healthcare provider. Therefore the opinions within this review of Lamictal for Bipolar Depression are from personal experience only. Everyone is unique, and they respond differently to different medications. Always be mindful and do what works best for you!

What is Lamictal?

Lamictal is a mood stabilizer and Lamotrigine is the generic version of Lamictal. Mood stabilizers aren’t really as scary as they sound. It can be prescribed for the treatment of Epilepsy or Bipolar Disorder. It can also be used “off-label” for Major Depressive Disorder. When I first started Lamictal it was a very slow transition. Like many prescription medications, Lamictal can come with its share of side effects. One of them is Steven-Johnson Syndrome, a rare skin rash that can appear when increasing the dose too quickly. The process must be slow and steady meaning it takes time to find your therapeutic dose.

Thankfully, I didn’t have any issues with the skin rash and was able to reach a therapeutic dose of 200 mg once a day. Some individuals stay much lower than this while others have found 400 mg to be their optimal dose. Everyone is different. Check out the Mayo Clinic for a full list of possible side effects, but here are some of the major ones.

• Nausea
• Headaches
• Mild Skin Rash
• Blurred Vision
• Poor Coordination
• Trouble Sleeping
• Irritability
• Shaking
• Feeling Drowsy
• Swelling of the Extremities

Lamictal for Bipolar Depression – The Benefits

Once I got to a dose that was effective for me, I noticed a lot of improvement. I feel like with any psychiatric drug, it doesn’t happen instantly. It’s a slow progression and one that needs to be given a chance. In general, it’s recommended that you give a medication 6-8 weeks before deciding whether or not it’s a good fit. Even then, it may be a matter of adjusting your dose rather than changing medications altogether.

That being said, if side effects arise immediately that are unbearable, don’t try to push through it. There’s no need to feel even more miserable when trying to feel better.

Crying Spells

For me, Lamictal helped the crying spells stop. There were days when I was feeling so incredibly low and for no apparent reason. I tried to hide these feelings as much as a I could. I had a supportive environment, but also knew my sadness was wearing on my family. It seemed like Lamictal helped me feel more “normal” and less emotional overall.

Irritability

Before being on Lamictal, I would get extremely irritated as well. Eventually, I discovered I have ADHD in addition to the Bipolar Depression. The over-stimulation I was getting from my environment would agitate me beyond belief. I felt very temperamental with the littlest things. The kids’ loud footsteps running across the hardwood floor during play, loud TVs, too much chatter, etc. In short, I felt a little bit like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Lamictal helped that agitation decrease greatly.

Feeling Joy

I also remember feeling moments of pure joy on Lamictal that I simply didn’t have before I started taking it. I actually remember crying one day to my husband, a happy cry. The joy I felt made me realize how much I was missing beforehand. That much joy and affection toward those around me felt new to me and it actually made me sad that I didn’t even have the capability of feeling them before then.

Lamictal helped to lift the gray cloud that was constantly lingering over my head. It helped me experience relationships in a way that I simply could not for a while before I started. It helped me be a better Mom and Wife, which was perhaps the most important thing of all. Lamictal didn’t solve every problem I had. But like any medication that is doing its job, it deeply improved my quality of life!

Lamictal for Bipolar Depression – The Side Effects

Lamictal, like any medication, isn’t perfect. I’ve mentioned some possible side effects already but I want to share with you what I noticed personally.

Dreams & Night Sweats

The first “issue” I had with Lamictal was what I thought were night sweats. In fact, in the beginning, I thought I was going through early menopause or something. I definitely didn’t put two and two together. After paying a bit more attention, I realized it wasn’t night sweats per se. It was the fact that I was having these crazy-stressful dreams that caused the sweating. It took me a while to connect these dots. I think with the help of a Reddit forum, I started seeing that other people were having crazy dreams too. This is when it started to all make sense.

I was able to squash these side effects by taking the medication in the morning instead of at night. So if this is something you run into, be sure to give that try. I personally never felt like Lamictal made me drowsy, so changing the time I took it was no big deal.

Joint Pain & Stiffness

This was something that once again, I didn’t really think had anything to do with the Lamictal. I do take other medications. I wondered if it was related to those, my autoimmune disease, or some new developing condition. But when I decreased my Lamictal dose a little to see if it would make a difference in joint pain and it did, I put two and two together. For me, it was always in my hands and arms. My hands would keep me up at night sometimes due to the pain and restless feeling. I was constantly trying to stretch my fingers and hands and make sure my workspace wasn’t causing the pain but it in fact was the Lamictal.

Swelling

Swelling wasn’t something I saw on a side effects list at the time. It also wasn’t mentioned to me by my Doctor. It was subtle too. I didn’t instantly balloon in one particular area but my hands, once again, were the worst for me. This took me entirely too long to put together and quite frankly, I wasn’t paying enough attention to myself. My wedding ring stopped fitting and I just figured my weight was fluctuating a bit, got annoyed, and moved on.

Then I realized that even at my heaviest weight during pregnancy, I could still easily wear my wedding band. I knew this wasn’t simply a 5-10 lb. weight fluctuation. Clearly the swelling and joint pain go hand and hand and are likely connected on their own.

Memory Problems

I do want to mention that at certain times, I was also on an SSRI alongside the Lamictal. These also can have an effect on memory. Once I discontinued the SSRI however, I still felt like my memory wasn’t as sharp as it is without. In a nutshell, I felt stupid at times. I simply couldn’t recall certain aspects of conversations and obviously, this was concerning. Now that I’m completely off of the Lamictal, I believe that higher doses of it may affect your memory and ability to think. Again, this is just a personal opinion.

Side note: There’s a reason why medications advise you to steer clear of alcohol while taking them. If I drank while on Lamictal, you can bet I would be forgetting twice as much of my evening.

Deciding to Wean Off Lamictal

Ultimately I got to a point where I felt like I was at a better place in my life. I thought I might be able to get off the medication completely. The swelling and joint pain definitely bothered me the most of the side effects I was experiencing. If I could free myself of them, I wanted to try.

Weaning off of any psychiatric medication can be difficult. It’s a slow process of titrating up and getting to a therapeutic dose. If you want to discontinue a medication successfully, I recommend going even slower to get off. This can take several months depending on your current dose. My Doctor told me that the slower we go, the less I’d even notice and that’s exactly what I did.

Weaning Off of Lamictal

I decreased by 25 mg every 4-6 weeks and at times went even slower. I was paranoid about withdrawal symptoms. When any negativity would show up, I got scared and thought it was because of the Lamictal. Looking back now, I don’t believe that was actually the case, I think life was just happening.

I did notice a pattern though. The week after I decreased 25 mg, I would notice just more of an “off” feeling. Nothing horrific, just kind of “meh”. But I think that had we been more aggressive, the withdrawal symptoms could have been much worse. Some of the withdrawal signs of Lamictal are listed below.

• Headaches
• Mood Swings
• Irritability or Intense Agitation
• Feeling Unfocused
• Body Tingles
• Feelings of Suicide
• Fatigue

Based on my personal experience, I attribute the slow and steady approach to not having any of these side effects. So GO SLOW. Seriously.

There are a lot of lifestyle/habit changes that can help make the transition much easier on the brain too! Getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and eating a protein and produce-packed diet can make a huge difference. Certain supplements such as Magnesium, Omega-3, & Gaba can also support your system when making changes to prescription medication.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think Lamictal for bipolar depression saved me at a time when I needed it most. The most important thing to remember is that all medications and supplements will affect people differently. As much as I’m hopeful that this post helps someone out there, I also want you to remember that your experience may look different.

Taking medication or weaning off is a complex process. It should be done with the help of your doctor and guidelines should always be followed! Don’t give yourself unnecessary grief trying to get off of a medication. Avoid an emotional roller coaster by taking things slow and you’ll find the finish line while feeling like yourself.

If you have any questions or comments – please reach out! I’m happy to help in any way I can. 🙂

Remember friends, just as the great Ice Cube once said… Chickity Check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self.