How long does Lamictal take to work?

I have been scouring everywhere for information on this. I started taking Lamictal yesterday and am wondering how long it takes to work. I just want its properties in helping with depression to start working. I felt a little more mellow today, but I think it was only because I have been constantly trying to do things to keep busy, but I still felt that awful feeling of unhappiness that another day has come when I woke up. Perhaps this will change as I am on Lamictal and hopefully get a job, but I just want the depression and irritability (going through depression with some mixed) to end. I am just going through a lot now as seen in previous posts and I hope that this will make it bearable again.

I heard somewhere that you should feel effects within the first week of taking it, and i've heard it takes much longer as well. I was taking it for 4 days, and on the 4th day i had the most intense anger outburst i've had in a LONG time, almost strangling my mom. She immediately threw away the lamictal deciding it was due to that. the psychiatrist agreed, but other doctors i've talked to didn't seem to think it was because of that. I myself don't think it was, but who is to really know. I don't take it anymore because of that though.

I've been taking Lamictal about a month now I can (as well as my bf) can see big differences. I'm still having issues, but my dosage gets upped on tuesday and that should help. Its hard to say it'll make a huge change in a week if they start you on 25mg like they normally do. But definatly some smaller changes begin. Once I reached 50mg the changes got much bigger. Now with 100mg coming tuesday I'm very postive that I will be doing fabulous.

I started it on the 18th at 25mg for the first two weeks. Looks like we'll be finding out together! My doctor said maybe in a month, but my family doctor (where i get the scripts from long story) is also a complete doughebag and I take everything he says with a severe grain of salt. Soooo, with that said, I've also been looking online and can't find much as to when it actually "kicks in." It seems as if bipolars need to find the magical dosage somewhere between 100mg-400mg from what I've been reading online. This is just random #@$%&* online of course, so who knows. (I'll have an in depth conversation with my pdoc as soon as possible.)

I don't feel much different except that I think the Lamictal at 25mg is a bit "activating" to my brain. Like, I feel a bit hypomanic or something. If I took it at night I would have insomnia, so I take it in the morning with my anti-depressant.

I'm having to sort through a few side effects from different meds right now though, so it's hard to tell. But I'm pretty sure the Lamictal is giving me some energy at this point. Not a bad thing. Although it is the opposite of what my doctor said. He said it would make me feel sleepy but I feel wide awake. And I wake up early wide awake it's nuts. lol. Maybe it's a side effect that goes away once the dosage is higher.

It'll be interesting to see how we both react to it though since we started at the same time! Keep us posted with how you feel!

That's good to hear your insights. I have only been on it since Thursday,but I am feeling a little better about taking it. I was worried it takes a long time to make you start feeling better. I hope it will lift the depression little. Those feelings of loneliness have got to go. I am hoping it will enhance the Zoloft too. I think the combination of these and hopefully getting a job soon will make things better. Depression combined with the irritability of mania are not fun.

Welp, I just started 50mg of Lamictal today. The original plan was to up the dose in two weeks but pdoc decided to do it faster because I'm having so much trouble.

Also weaning down or completely off of Wellbutrin because we think it might be the culprit behind some of my extreme agitation.

So today I didn't take my Wellbutrin (weaning to every other day 75mg) and I took my Lamictal in the morning and I'm SO happy to say that I don't feel depressed, agitated, irritable, or angry or even just weird. I think I feel... dare I say it... normal!?

I haven't even had to pop a Xanax yet, so maybe it is the Lamictal starting to work. I feel like maybe it's too early in the day to say I'm feeling so great because I am a rapid cycler, but so far so good. Best I've felt in awhile!

I'll keep on updating, but so far it's been a week on Lamictal, and today on 50mg I think I'm starting to feel... normal... *knocks on wood* lol

YAY!! That gives me hope too! I am on 25mg Lamictal and in 2 days go up to 50mg. The most noticeable thing for me is like my thoughts are clearer in the day, Im accomplishing more at work and its like hypomania for me too. By evening I am terribly irratible. And i dont sleep hardly at all in a week. Im just wide awake and wired. But i feel normal during the day, and dare i say...happy! I just cant wait for it to kick in full strength so im not angry at dinner time. But i am still taking the lithium too for now just at a decreases dosage.
Good luck ladies!! It just feels like it is taking forever to get where i need to be altogether. Gosh i hope 50mg is that good for me too... thanks so much for sharing. Looks like we are all right there together. :-)

Well not to discourage anyone but I spoke too soon for me. Or maybe I'm just still having a bad effect from the Wellbutrin, who knows. It's hard to tell what is really my bipolar disorder and/or what is a bad reaction to meds.

So after feeling great for most of the morning I had the beginning of another rage episode in the early afternoon. Not sure if I was honestly triggered by anything or if it was all irrational, and I took 1mg of xanax within a half an hour (.5 wasn't enough), and finally was able to calm down. So thank god again for xanax.

Now I've been mildly depressed for the rest of the day, though. Not sure if maybe that's an after effect of the xanax (totaled 1.5mg today) or if maybe I'm just depressed in general. Or maybe it's even an effect from the marijuana. Yep, I relapsed. I started smoking after the whole hospital incident because I've been so depressed, but I wonder if the pot could be making the depression worse. I have no freakin' clue.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better again. I really did feel great this morning. The most normal I've felt in awhile. Hopefully once the Lamictal fully kicks in that's how I'll generally feel throughout the whole day. I'm going to try and not smoke any pot tomorrow as well (trying to quit, damnit). But I still have hope for the Lamictal!

Hi, I'm new here. I've been on Lamictal for 4 weeks now. Tomorrow I go up to 100mg. Things are all still really crazy for me. I'm on: 400mg Tegretol, 100mg Lamictal (as of tomorrow), 300mg Wellbutrin, 10mg Abilify, 10mg Ambien, and .5mg Ativan PRN. My doctor might be taking me off of the Tegretol as soon as he has me at his desired dose for Lamictal, which is good because it lowers the level of Abilify in my blood which is causing me to be delusional and also hallucinate. So far the Lamictal has kept my moods down and not really feeling a lot of rage like I used to. Only problem is that the part of the Lamictal that is supposed to help with depression isn't really helping too much. My depression has been getting really bad again. But I think if you have really bad issues with the up side of the moods, it really is helpful.

Well, it's been one week now. I don't feel as moody maybe since I got a retail job to keep busy with. I feel a little better, but I still feel pretty down a lot. I am just going through a lot as I posted in another thread today. I hope the Lamictal helps me to get through this all. I just hate how my emotions feel like they control me and wear me out. I am scared I am losing my mind.

Hello DarkestDepth,

From what I hear, and what my doctors have told me, sometimes you have to be on a pretty hefty amount of Lamictal for it to start working. And at the lower doses they start me on (25mg and 50mg) I swear it makes me feel a bit hypomanic. That will probably go away once they find he right dose for me. They think I'm going to need a pretty high dose....

If you don't mind me asking, how exactly have things been going crazy for you? In a support group like this that could really mean anything lol. I'm just wondering if you think it could be side effects from any of your current medications? What exactly do you mean with abilify making you delusional and hallucinate? I know that sounds like a dumb question but there are so many different types of delusions and hallucinations I am just extremely curious how that is doing it to you, and if you're absolutely positive it is the abilify doing that? (I'm not trying to be nosey I'm just extremely interested in these meds obviously)

I'm sure everyone is different, but when I was on 300mg of Wellbutrin (mind you without anything else) I was going absolutely bonkers. Rapid cycling and dysphoric mania and ended up getting the police called on me (well, basically calling them on myself... long stupid story) and taking a trip to the local community mental health, which CMH can suck my ass btw. It's like to be admitted to the hospital in this town you'd need to be actively chopping off your head in the ER room or something badass enough for them to believe you're in danger.

Anyhoo, sorry for that rant. The Ativan also had a paradoxical effect on me. Instead of calming down my dysphoric mania and rage outbursts it made me loose all inhibitions and I lost the fear to actually go COMPLETELY bat #@$%&* insane and I became the crazy lady pacing up and down my street yelling at the neighbors. And then *trigger warning*** tried to hack off my arm. Didn't work very well, and I was pissed about that.

So they took me to the hospital again and FINALLY got the bright idea to try weaning me off of Wellbutrin (probably at least part of the culprit behind my extreme agitation), and the Ativan. Nothing has ever made me crazier than Ativan it was the craziest #@$%&* that's happened to me, well, in awhile at least.

Sooooo, I guess I'm just worried about other people perhaps getting the wrong drug cocktail. It apparently, at least in my case, can be freakin' dangerous.

I really hope Lamictal works as an anti-depressant because I also feel like I'm starting to go into a really bad low. Thank god I have Xanax now to stop the rage outbursts but JESUS zombie christ I absolutely HAVE to find a medicine or medicines that help both my mania and depression since I often get mixed states.

Sorry for rambling I don't even know what to do with myself I feel so weird.

Electrum,

From what my doctor told me, therapeutic dosage for Lamictal is between 100mg and 400mg. So far I haven't felt too much of a difference so I will likely wind up going up from 100mg, which I'm at now.

When I say things have been crazy, I've been delusional, including delusions that demons are out to influence people against me. The hallucinations have been auditory, for the moment. Luckily for right now, they're not telling me to kill myself. I don't believe the Abilify to be the culprit for these delusions and hallucinations, but from what my doctor told me Tegretol (which I'm on) can affect the levels of Abilify in the bloodstream. When the voices had started back up, he reduced my level of Tegretol which lessened the frequency of the voices. Whenever the delusions occur, I've been repeating to myself that they're not real and that they will go away. My therapist agrees that this might be the best way to hopefully get rid of them until I can talk to my psychiatrist.

I'm new here also, but wanted to share that I'm now, after 2 long months of dosage increases, at 150 mg of Lamictal, and feeling pretty good. It really did take that long, I was told, because if the rash developed it meant going an entirely different route. I'm taking just a little (2.5 mg) Abilify, and Ativan, mostly to help sleep through the night, but also for anxiety (no more than 1.5 daily, but i'm going to get "permission" for more, at .5 increments.)

Back to starting up, I did feel highly agitated when first starting the Lamictal, so was worried and impatient. The only thing bothering me right now is weight increase, but then again, the high mania i was in before starting the Lamictal had me lose 15 lbs in two weeks (also because hospitalized.) In other words I don't lose weight easily to begin with. Now, both to keep weight reasonable and to clear and level out my head, I try to take walks. Really does seem to help.

I'll just add that my experience with Wellbutrin was that it blew me through the roof many years ago when I tried it - had only been diagnosed as depressed, but knew that Zoloft wasn't cutting it and as i say, the Wellbutrin gave me palpitations and made me very irritable.

Hope it helps to hear another perspective. Best of luck.

Omg guys. I hope the anti-depressive part of this stuff works. I am just going through emotional turmoil here. Yesterday was the first "normal" day I felt in a while and that was only because I got to see my boyfriend. I just feel I am getting hung up on things and can't stop ruminating. I read the post about the Lamictal therapeutic dose being 100. To start though, I am only doing 25 mg and working my way up. I just really want it to kick in. I know that drugs cannot fix your problems. I just think that at least these awful moods that I've been in can maybe get under control a little bit. I am just tired of feeling so up- and down. I am happy when I am with my boyfriend and mellow if working, but I get so down at home when there is time to think or when my boyfriend gets so wrapped up in his school. I just feel like he chooses his profession over me and in the end will do it. I don't want it to be a self-fulfilling prophecy though. I just don't know. I want to just be happy and stable. I hope the Lamictal can get me there.

I'm confused on whether or not I'm just in a mania, or if it's perhaps induced by something, or what the #@$%&* is going on. Today I was really bad with the mania and then I switched to depression and now I'm on a bunch of xanax just hoping to pass out. Thank god I see my doctor on Monday. I am just going nuts and if this Lamictal doesn't help soon I am ending up killing somebody or their little dog.

My doctor said we should notice me feeling better from dropping the Wellbutrin levels by the weekend, but I don't feel better at all. I feel worse. That could be for a couple other reasons, though, who knows. I have it all journaled and ready to give him my speech on Monday.

I also heard that the bipolar dosage for Lamictal is somewhere in between of 100mg and 400mg, although one of my doctors said that some people take even more than that, and that I might be one of those people. Although I don't really trust that doctor he's a pig #@$%&*er and all that jazz. So I'm asking my other doctor (my pdoc) on Monday what he thinks we should do.

(Long story but my family doctor has to write the prescriptions for me and it's a pain in the ass but it's worth it for me because I love my pdoc so much.)

Don't worry Electrum, I am having similar things with my Zoloft. I guess the initial phase is the hardest part for most people. Supposedly things just take a while to completely kick in. Definitely talk to the Dr you trust though because it sounds like they need to be mroe aware of what is happening to you.

PS - I too am not quite happy with the anti-depressant effect of the Lamictal, even tho' it's helping with swings pretty well. The best way for me to describe it is that it seems (after all the waiting) to be helping *me* control my swings better than I could before. Helps me stop - whether it's crying or ruminating - and do something better - journaling, calling a friend, doing a cross-word puzzle, whatever, just to change gears. I'll be checking with my own doctor on whether I need more Abilify or something else to manage the depression better. Also, re slow dosage increases of Lamictal, if no one's mentioned it already the website psycheducation.org is the best i've found to explain the drug dosing stuff.

Hey

Just to add my 2 pents/cents worth. Lamictal was precribed for me at the start of September. I'd had some pretty nasty lows prior to that. By mid November I was at 175mg of lamictal. I was told that by 50mg I should feel an improvement. My lows usually occur everything two months. So I have no idea whether 50mg made any difference. At 175mg I noticed an increase in tiredness and my lack of capacity to not only remember some words, but to articulate what I mean't as well. I found this symptom most disconcerting and most embaressing when speaking with people. I also noticed that my elevated states continued to an unmanageable state, so my pdoc prescribed lithium and dropped lamitcal to 150mg. I am now operating fairly well, with occasional flunctuations, but nothing alarming. Lamictal headaches are incredibly frustrating with me having to shell out large amounts of money to pay for medicines for migraines. I had my two monthly 'low' and it barely registered on the charts. Whilst I don't expect to be problem free for ever (allergic reactions to lamictal can occur at any time), I do feel a whole lot better and stable than I have for a long time.

All the best,

Oh good. Then i hope that this will help me out too. thanks for the input of your experience Nikki

Ok, I've been on 50mg of Lamictal for... about a week now, and prior to that was on 25mg for only a week, so two weeks total now. And check this out... look at my chart last time I posted in November. LOOK AT IT NOW.

It's freakin' amazing. I didn't believe my doctor when he said that'd I'd feel improvement soon but look at my chart!!!!! Look at it and look at my chart in November!!!! I think going down again with the Wellbutrin (now only 37.5mgs, half of a 75), and the Lamictal finally kicking in a bit. OMG I've been baseline for two days now!!! Well, its' still early today, but still!!! OMG I can't believe it and I feel... fine!

I was manic a few days ago and I made like 3 pens run out of ink LMAO. BUT, the depression is getting better! There is hope!

Well done Electrum! After all you have been through with the mania, depression and rage "attacks" you definitely deserve a little respite. I hope that this is long term and that the Lamictal continues to work for you. Wouldnt it be great if it were the only med you had to take! And if you do happen to have a bad episode, dont freak out too much - as long as there're more baseline than up or down, you'll be doing just fine.Please keep posting and let us know how things are.

Ok, so I'm nearing two weeks on 100mg of the Lamictal . I had a phone appt with my pdoc this past Thursday and he thinks that I'm a bit manic, so he wants me to go to 200mg of Lamictal, but I decided to wait until I hit the two week marker to keep up the titration schedule he has me on. I'm not risking any rash because this stuff really seems to be helping me. I was in one of my worst lows, minus the suicidal ideation, until I started taking the Lamictal. Now I'm doing better than I have in months. Even if I stay mildly elevated, I don't care. As long as I'm not depressed, I can handle things. Thank you, Lamictal.

That is so awesome to hear. I just went up to 50 mg. I have to say I am feeling better about things in general too. It took a while since I was on a low dosage to get myself all started, but I think it is finally starting to work. I don't get crying spells like before for about a week now (which is great). I kinda like it when I am hypomanic just because you feel good, but I know irritability comes with it too, so I just gotta see how this dosage pans out. I think I'll be on 100 and see if I go up. I have to say though that I'm not sure if it's the lamictal or that I am busier, but things just feel better in general. I am reading your posts here and hope that things are going well too. I think I am feeling a little hope.