# Struggles and Support > Medication >  >  Lamictal

## sanspants

Has more or less saved me from the pits of despair. Being diagnosed bipolar II, I expected the stuff to control my moods--but it doesn't. It just helps me stay above the badness most of the time, and it switches off my internal censoring mechanism--which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the situation. 

What's your experience with the stuff? I find it just gives most people a rash.

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## basuraeuropea

lamotrigine was prescribed to me and i couldn't quite figure out why as my diagnoses are generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder. anyhow, it didn't prove to be, as expected, a great anxiolytic. in fact, it caused more anxiety that i already had and i was going through a very difficult time when that physician thought it would be a great idea to place a gad/pd sufferer on lamotrigine.

no rash, though!

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## sanspants

Supposedly its antidepressant properties are useful for both unipolar depression and bipolar disorder. I'm fairly sure I'm "just depressed," and it works for me. I'm also pretty sure that psychiatry is more of an art than a science when it comes to antidepressants.

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## PurpleRose

Its not generally used for depression, its more of a mood stabilizer that is being looked into for Borderline personality disorders and off course types of bipolar disorders. I am very keen to try it and have been for a few years now.
sanspants its good to hear a positive response on this forum about lamictal because its said to be good for bipolar and borderline personality disorders

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## anxietytalk

I start taking it today, as I'm told I may have Bipolar Disorder.  I thought I just had general anxiety with a little bit of everything mixed in... but I guess Bipolar Disorder really describes what I suffer with.  I've taken Risperidone in the past, and that seemed to help a little bit.  I will update you on the Lamictal as I use it.

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## Equinox

> I start taking it today, as I'm told I may have Bipolar Disorder.  I thought I just had general anxiety with a little bit of everything mixed in... but I guess Bipolar Disorder really describes what I suffer with.  I've taken Risperidone in the past, and that seemed to help a little bit.  I will update you on the Lamictal as I use it.



I just started taking it as well, hope all goes well for you.

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## UltraShy

To me Lamictal was just another sugar pill.  Though doing nothing is still an improvement over SSRIs which do nothing good, but toss in sexual side effects.

Though I'm not bipolar, so I don't have what it's most commonly used to treat.  I have SA, OCD, and depression.

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## metamorphosis

Sorry a lot of the links posted above are now defuncst or changed . Here is the crazymeds humurous but informative page on lamictal!
http://www.crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Meds/Lamictal

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## JaneDoe

I was put on it when I was misdiagnosed with Bipolar I (not sure why because I have never been manic in my life..). Because I do have mood issues as a result of an Autism spectrum disorder, it helped me greatly. Within just one week, I was no longer suicidally depressed. It literally saved my life.

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## Lost Control Again

I took it for epilepsy for a while, but it made me vomit.

reading the post above reminds me of the time I sent a package to America *wink*  ::D:

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## PurpleRose

well been on lamictal over a month and starting on 50mg, no serious side effects, it has made my dermatitis a bit worse but i have sensitive skin anyway and my muscles ache a bit, oh and the insomnia is a pain but all meds give me insomnia even zopiclone/imovane used for sleep lol that used to make me high as a kite. so yeah no bad rash or fainting or anything serious. overall good for the anxiety and BAD mania, i used to do crazy thoughtless things and u know  maybe i still will succumb to the temptation when i am in a high phase but right now i do not feel too low and suicidal or OTT hyper.

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## Oli

I just started it yesterday. For bipolar, I take Klonopin as well. I just started on 25mg though.

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