How To Stop Lamictal

How To Stop Lamictal Facts

Best Answers

How do you stop Lamictal without sickness or withdrawal symptoms? I'm currently on 150mg. By the way, I refuse to do this with "doctor's supervision" because my doctor doesn't listen to me, and just wants me on more and more meds.

taik replied: "Switch doctors if yours doesn't listen to you. Don't worry about hurting feelings. Call the clinic and tell them that you want to see someone else. If you are wondering about quitting lamictal, try talking to your pharmacist. They will probably tell you to talk to your doctor, but if you are insistent that you are quitting no matter what, they should be able to give you some advice."

impurrfect10 replied: "Try slowly decreasing it. Every 3-5 days drop 1 pill...or if your pills are 150mg each try cutting them in half. Stay on 75 for a week. Then cut them in 1/2 again for another week. Then try stopping it completely. Be very careful. You may start having seizures again. If you have a family Dr. you trust be sure he/she is made aware of the fact that you are stopping the medication. GL"

browneyedgirl replied: "Here's what my psychiatrist recommended, and, like you, I had been on 150 mgs. Decrease to 100mgs for 3 to 4 days. Then decrease to 75 mgs for 3 days. Then decrease to 50 mgs for 3 days. Then decrease to 25 mgs for 2 to 3 days. Then stop. You must have 25 mgs pills to do this right. Try to be assertive with your doc. Or go to another one, or even your family doc. Tell the family doc that you looked this up in the patient information sheet for Lamictal. It is indeed there, and that you want to stop it, and do it the right way, so you need a prescription for 25 mgs."

How hard is it to stop taking Lamictal? I've been taking Lamictal at 25 mg for the last two weeks or so, but I'm not doing well on it so my doctor is taking me off of it. How hard is it to go off the medication? I've had bad side effects (extreme nausea, vomiting, etc), so physically I can't get much worse, but will I notice a huge difference emotionally? I haven't stopped taking it yet--I'm going off of it because of the side effects of nausea/vomiting.

Sacred Forest replied: "You seem to be in the peak of your withdrawal. If what you say is true, you should be about a week from getting off the meds, and about halfway through the symptoms. Just Tough it Out, it won't last much longer! ^-^"

Erol Alici replied: "Hmm, I take 250 mg of Lamictal twice a day and have no problems."

What happens if you abruptly stop taking Lamictal for bipolar? I am on 150 mg. Physical side effects only please.

Sinbad replied: "The evil twin that has been locked in the attic of your brain escapes. Eat Funyuns."

mbublegirl1 replied: "I am not 100% sure but I know any type of depression or anxiety drug or mood altering drug cannot be stopped abruptly. It c an cause emotional, mental side affects as well."

essentiallysolo replied: "you go into withdrawal syndrome, sweating, shakes, mood swings, nausea, vertigo, intestinal distress, blood pressure variations and rapid heart rate. It can be lethal."

p_lyn79 replied: "I don't think anything happens physically, but mentally your other side (the crazy side) will come back."

lost2day replied: "Shakiness, headaches,lightheadness,seizures,( if your are prone to seizures). Edit: You don`t actually have to be prone to seizures to have them while withdrawing from this drug.AND they can be hard to control if you stop this drug abruptly.( my pharamacist just told me and google it as well)."

indigopeace replied: "I was on 150 or 200 mg (can't remember which because I switched back and forth between those two a couple times) and randomly started to develop "the rash" after almost 2 years on it. I had red splotches all up my arms and chest and just about passed out several times. Very hot and dizzy and confused.... anyway, I'll never know why it happened when it did...I went to the ER and they put me on steroids and took me off of Lamictal immediately. It was a little rough. Sometimes, I was totally fine but there were times when I was laying in my bed shaking and sweating and feeling a little bit miserable. It lasted a couple of weeks and i was able to function at school (college) enough to make it through. Nothing terrible happened, but try not to do that if you can. Taper off that stuff. It was just too dangerous for me to continue taking it at all. I am 5'3" 100 lbs if that helps to compare dosage-wise. I feel better being off of it (It's been since March of 2008) actually, but I don't know what that really means (Is it just where I am in my life? Did it have side effects I wasn't completely aware of?). I am still on Zoloft. I have Bipolar II with major depression. edit: moodwise I was a little more unstable for that time (it's hard to remember), but the main thing I remember is the physical stuff."

What can i expect to happen if i suddenly stop taking lamictal? i ran out n its 300 dollars even w insurance

lost2day replied: "Sudden weakness, mental confusion.......You can get the generic,I would go back and get samples..."

misscacazzy replied: "i take it myself,and i asked very question other day,don't do hun you have nasty seziers fits.worse than already have.got be done gradual.....do it under supervision...why do you want stop it..i ask because i wondering if giving you side effects"

insanew/nasty intervals ofsanity replied: "Do not stop taking Lamictal without first talking to your doctor, even if you feel better. It is important to continue taking Lamictal to prevent symptoms from recurring. Stopping Lamictal suddenly may result in increased seizure frequency or a return of symptoms of bipolar disorder. If the medication needs to be stopped, your doctor may need to lower the dosage gradually. Lamictal should not be abruptly discontinued. In patients with epilepsy there is a possibility of increasing seizure frequency. Patients with Bipolar Disorder, patients experienced seizures shortly after abrupt withdrawal of Lamictal. Unless safety concerns require a more rapid withdrawal, the dose of Lamictal should be tapered over a period of at least 2 weeks. Hope this is along the lines for what you were looking for...please be careful when coming off LAMICTAL! I wish you all the best and good luck! try and contact your local mental health office and see if they can either give you samples or help you with buying some through them...i know meds are outrageous...i wish something could be done to bring the cost of medications down. hey another way is contact who makes Lamictal...they normally have programs which you can join to get your meds for cheap...good luck!"

I need to STOP TAKING LAMICTAL for BIPOLAR II! Should I stop taking it abruptly? It's giving me acne. I've finally noticed the correlation! The more I increased the dose, the worse my acne became. I've never had such bad acne in my life! I usually had a pimple here and there, but this is BAD! =[ I need stop taking this drug immediately! How would I even go about it? I will talk to my psychiatrist about this, but I need to start weening myself off of it TONIGHT! Anyone what I should do? I'm taking 200 mgs. of it. Should I cut it in a half or what?

ibodybuild replied: "Best bet is too ask your doctor :)"

Kir S replied: "Never stop taking psychiatric drugs without talking to your doctor first. With bipolar, you can end up in a severe manic or depressive state to the point where you could kill yourself! Please wait until you talk to your doctor! Clearing acne isn't worth it!"

partygurlone replied: "Never lower your dosage without consulting your doctor first. It can have severly harmful side effects. You need to discuss it with a professional, maybe be taken off this drug and put on something new."

woodlands127 replied: "Don't try to take yourself off the Lamictal because of vanity - what's worse, acne or another Bi-polar episode? Every time you have an episode it's that much harder to get yourself stabilized, talk to your doctor and see if there's an alternative that you can try - or maybe something else to counter the effects of the Lamictal."

Beckers replied: "You are never supposed to stop your medication without your psychiatrist knowing. Call his office and talk to the nurse about your acne problem and see if there is another medication you can take. They will work with you if there is an alternative."

the_only_solorose replied: "NEVER stop a drug like that cold turkey. You need to be weaned off of it slowly or the reaction could be severe. Whether you start weaning tonight, or tomorrow will make very little difference, let me urge you to wait until you have spoken with your psychiatrist before you do anything about weaning it."

MELISSA B replied: "Are you positive that the Lamictal is what is causing the increase in acne? Acne is not a normal side effect of this medication. If you are positive, then you must talk to your doctor first. If you are insisting on discontinuing on your own(highly unrecommended) then you have to do it very slowly. It is recommended that discontinuation be done over a period of weeks(at least 2 weeks). Since you are on a 200 mg/day dose, you should first cut down to 150 mg/day for at least a week, 100 mg/day for another week, and so on."

Alex62 replied: "Abrupt discontinuation of anticonvulsants puts you at risk of SEIZURES even if you've never had one before. Plus there's the med withdrawal and a whole bunch of nastiness caused by abrupt d/c. That's not even taking into account of trigger another BD episode or the message it sends to your pdoc. Does Lamictal manage your BD? If so, best options are Topicals and/or Antibiotics. Are there any serious side effects? If not, think long and hard. A lot of stabilizers make you stupid, make you nauseous, and have other untenuable side effects, plus they might not work on your illness. Since you are BDII, give yourself a reality check: acne managed with acne meds OR depression. Lamictal is the only stabilizer that really works well for depression. ~bipolar, on Lamictal, Lithium, and antibiotics - problem solved"

Helly replied: "OK so we all no you should not stop taking these meds, especially not abruptly but......... I HAVE!! :)) I was on celexa 40mgs a day. I stopped just like that one day after an argument with my doctor over the helpfulness of this med for my problems. I felt OK for a day or so then got a very dizzy head, it felt like my inner ear had lost balance! I could only describe it as feeling as tho my brain was floating in water. I put up with these feelings for 10 days thinking it would soon stop, however it didn't and i started feeling nauseous as well. To try to counter-act this i put myself back on to 10Mg's a day and am shortly going to decrease this to 5Mg's. I think that yes, although you SHOULD do this with doc's advise etc, it really is YOUR choice. If you want to stop then why not? If you feel that you need them you can always start taking them again! However, i wouldn't do what i did again. The sensible way to stop is to wean yourself off over a month or so reducing the dose every week by a certain amount of Mg's. This is all the doc would do anyway! I would also add that it would be worth trying other meds tho, cause they all have their own and different side-effects. You may not get acne on another med. At the end of the day, it's your life, your mind and your choice, just be sensible about it and think of your options carefully before doing anything. Take care. :))"

just4a2nd replied: "You shouldn't stop taking it all at once. You really need to reduce gradually - cutting it in half is too extream. You really should discuss it with your psychiatrist first. You may want to consider keeping the lamictal and just treating the acne at the same time.. I would try proactive- completely cleared up my acne and it would still allow you to keep you bipolar disorder properly medicated."

lisa1cares replied: "Never stop taking any medication with out medical supervision. you should always wean off these kind of meds."

Will hair loss stop after I quit Lamictal? I've been on Lamictal almost 5 months, and It has caused devastating hair loss. I was up to 200 mg and now I'm down to 25 mg and will be at 0 soon. I have seen lots of stuff on Google about hair loss and women who are quitting because of it, but never any follow-up stories. How long will it take after quitting before I am losing hair at a normal rate again?

M.D. Alison C replied: "yes! it is possible!!! year ago I suffered very much from dandruff and hair loss too and I started trying everything you can imagine to stop my hair loss. the things that really worked for me was: 1) Vitamin A - an anti-oxidant which promotes healthy production of sebum in the scalp; 2) Vitamin E stimulates circulation. Good blood circulation in the scalp is important in keeping hair follicles productive. The 'B' vitamins contribute to melanin, which gives hair its healthy color and also stimulates blood circulation; 3) massage is also beneficial. Massage stimulates circulation. As already noted, good circulation in the scalp keeps hair follicles active. Experts suggest a few minutes of daily head massage by hand. Circulation through massage may be improved by using a few drops of lavender or bay essential oil in an almond or sesame oil base with massage; 4) Try rubbing your scalp with garlic juice, Onion Juice or Ginger Juice(you can either of one out of three, Do not mix any of two or three); 5) also he used herbal treatment - TrichoZed and Provilluss (do not use Rogaine - it will not work!) Those are a good products that helps prevent hair loss and contains Biotin and the clinically tested ingredients approved by the FDA to help re-grow your hair.! I think it is very important! It worked and still works for me! I do not know if any pharmacies carry TrichoZed but I do know that you should purchase it directly from the manufacturer and read more about the product here and here It enhances hair growth by blocking DHT (Dihydrotestostrone) - a major cause of hair loss! Also Informative video about Provillus - good luck! not only my own personal experience + working as a family physician "

Will I experience withdrawal if I stop taking Lamictal right away? I've only been on 25 mg for 5 days.? I think Lamictal is causing my body chemistry to go out of wack and want to discontinue it. I've been having increased dramatic outbursts and irritability after the first couple of days. Would I experience any withdrawals after 5 days of taking it on a 25 mg dose?

Liz replied: "They would probably be minimal since your body really hasn't had a chance to get used to it yet. You do need to talk to your doctor though. There's a reason s/he put you on it in the first place and you haven't even taken it long enough for any side effects to have stopped yet."

Stephen replied: "Unlikely as dose is small and duration of expposure is short. But let you doc know what you are ding (phone call)"

should i stop taking lamictal? ive been taking it for bipolar for about a year now. its had its ups and its downs. ups: it has stabilized my moods, they aren't as extreme. downs: when i first started i got dizzy and also got the rash. i went off it once by accident and got a seizure. then my face suddenly became oily. i cant drink with my friends because ill get sleepy or worse. im pretty boring, complacent, and dont enjoy my life like i used to kind of like a zombie. i am a prisoner of this schedule of taking the medication and going to sleep at the same time or else ill get dizzy and tired. i told my psych but she said its either stable mood and being boring or unstable mood swings and bouts of depression. i want to ween off this and take something else but im afraid if i do and change my mind the lamictal wont have the same effect as before (ive heard). also im afraid that my brain is now dependent on this drug to replenish itself. anyone with experience ar advice?

The Complete Idiot replied: "diet and exercise have huge impact on depression. supplementation (for example, fish oil) and posture training also help. email me if you want to know more."

kiki replied: "From what i know, and i am bipolar too. They pur me on Depakote for mood stablelizer. I took it for a good while. I then took myself off of it vslowly. But remember how are brains are. You will then probaly need to be put on another stablelizer. To be honest i am off of a mood stablelizer right now, but i am taking Risperdal. I am supposed to be on the mood stabllizer BUT it causes to many side effects. If i were on all the meds the state put me on i would be a zombie. I like to be awake and not starring off into space. I hope this helps. Also, depends what other meds you are on."

Lynn B replied: "Wait, you got the rash and you and your doctor decided that it was okay for you to continue taking it? Obviously, it wasn't fatal for you, as you are still here, but I am surprised you are still on it. If its not working for you, I would say change. As soon as a med stops working for me, I ask for a change in dosage or a change altogether. It is important that you are in control of your treatment. I have been on and off of Lamictal for a few years. the last time in summer, but then I got the rash and a swollen tongue so that was it for me. I never had a positive experience with it anyway."

VegetaRobGT replied: "I'm also bi-polar, ive been on every single medication listed here- and fish oil gel caps too. I am currently prescribed respridol, adderal, depakote, lunesta, and welbutrin- but I only take what I need. It sounds like you are physically dependant to lamictal- so ween off it SLOWLY so you don't get another seizure. And never go back to it. Never try paxil or lithium. Bipolar is not a bad thing- you get to experience highs and lows without drugs, a nice array of emotions to experience. Get yourself a benzodiazepam such as Xanax to help with panic attacks and severe attacks of depression. Start a regular excersise pattern and keep up with it. When you need to get something done, make sure you reward yourself only after you complete the task to insure that you reinforce the task and not taking breaks. Stress from worry will build up into depression so get things done as soon as possible. good luck"

Have you ever stopped taking Lamictal for bipolar? I recently stopped taking Lamictal cold turkey per my doctors advice because I am pregnant. Was wondering if anyone else had and what side affects they may have had from this.

breezymourn replied: "When I got pregnate I stopped taking lamictal, ambien, xanax, topamax, and my prozac cold turkey. You will have some withdrawals like feeling exhausted or hazy, but for the most part, your new pregnancy hormones will help you from feeling so badly. Just give it a week or so. It's all for the best."

Pami S replied: "I take it for OCD, and my doctor had advised me to not quit cold turkey, but in your case i can understand he did because your preggers and i have read that taking it while pregnant can cuse birth defects. I did accidentally miss a few doses about 2 months after i started because i forgot to get my refill and was out of town and i did feel a little different. No major side effects, just a little more anxious than usual. Then about a month ago i forgot to take it and i felt lightheaded all day...but no other side effects from missing the dose. I think it also depends on how strong a dose you were taking to determine how severe, if any, side effects will be. Remember every body is different and will react to meds and lack of meds differently. I have also read that the pregnancy hormones can make it easier to function without those type of meds. Good luck to you and congrats on the baby!"

Maria replied: "Listen to your doctor. Your baby is the number one priority right now and maybe once you get off of the meds for a couple of days (maybe even weeks it might take) you might find that you don't really need it anymore anyhow."

marysunshine replied: "Right now I am slowly coming off Lamictal. I was on 400mg 2 months ago and now I am on 100 mg. I feel like I have constant PMS. My arms and legs feel kind of weird and my heart beats funny sometimes. I have huge outburst of anger. I have lost 13 lbs. though. Mindwise...I feel lost...and sad. I have weird thoughts sometimes. But I have heard it gets better. Congratulations on your baby! I have 3 kids. Be strong."

Should I stop taking my lamictal? I have been taking lamictal for about 5 months now, and honestly hate it. I have the worst anxiety I've ever had in my life. I think about everything constantly and have panic attacks like no other. I find myself hating and thinking negatively about everything a lot of the time, and can't appreciate anything. I don't even know if what I was feeling before I started lamictal was worse or better then what i feel now. Today I didn't take my lamictal until 5 at night, and honestly until I took it i felt absolutely amazing, and once i took it...i immediately had a switch up...I was making out with my boyfriend and all the sudden lost all interest. I find myself having no labido or stamina whatsoever. What should I DO! is this common on this drug...will it go away...how do i stop taking lamictal. any help would be amazing.

xxxx replied: "Duh do you honestly need others opinions if your feeling like crap. Stop taking ity for goodness sake. Your pooisoning your body."

Brandon C replied: "You need to go and see your Dr. ASAP. This can become a very serious issue REAL FAST! I dont think that this is the best medication for you. I am not a professional but, I have seen enough evidence through the people that I work with to tell me that when your able to alter your moods to the negative based on administering the medication, you need a swich. There are a ton of drugs on the market. The Dr. should be able to find something that will better suit your needs. Good Luck"

Jessy replied: "Yeah, to stop taking any drug you need to slowly reduce your doses. I've found that out with other drugs. I take lamictal too, first for depression, now for seizures. I've been having serious panic attacks also. I thought it was just the stress in my life, but I'm taking about 500 mg a day, so that might be contributing to my panic attacks. I hope I helped you, because your question really helped me! =)"

YA Junkie replied: "It is sad to say that your experience with lamictal is common. It happens with lamictal and many psychiatric meds in general. You start to take it, and it seems to be wonderful. Then a few months (or years if you're lucky) go by, and you start to feel worse rather than better. I am taking lamictal along with klonopin and abilify for major depression. For a while, it seemed like a good combination. I had tried over a dozen antidepressants with little success. Lamictal is a different class of drugs. It is a mood stabilizer used to treat bipolar disorder and epilepsy. I thought maybe I needed mood stabilizers, not antidepressants. Now lamictal has konked out on me. I don't feel worse than I used to, but I don't think I feel any better. Since lamictal is making you feel worse, I suggest you tell that to your psychiatrist. It sounds like you should either stop it completely or at least take a smaller dosage. Of course, if you stop it, remember to taper off very slowly. Best wishes."

new B replied: "Please excuse me, as this will be pretty long! I have never posted on any message board before, but I can't help but respond to this question. About a year ago, I went to a psychiatrist who asked me about 10 questions and decided I was bipolar. He put me on Lamictal. I slowly went up to 100mg. At the first checkup, I told him it wasn't working and he bumped me to 200mg. That second month, I started worrying about EVERYTHING. Stupid things that didn't make any sense. I told him and he told me to give it another month. So, I did. Still more worrying and more depression than ever. He quit the practice the next month and referred me to another lady. I told her the Lamitcal was making me worse. She added Abilify and told me it was like 'pixie dust' and would make me feel really happy. Pixie dust??? Anyway, it made me more anxious. I was so frustrated when I went back. I told her the medications were making me worse and she told me go 'give it one more month'. So, stupidly, I just quit taking it. Cold turkey. Not a good idea. That is when all heck broke loose! About a week after I stopped, I started getting these really horrible obsessions. I thought I had gone insane. I knew in my mind that the obsessions were not real, but I couldn't get them out of my head. After researching on my own, I realized that I have OCD and have had it most my life. My Dad has OCD as well, but his is nothing like mine, so I didn't realize that is what it was. Anyway, I started back on the Lamictal, because I didn't know what else to do. I feel terrible on it, but am scared to quit taking it, because of the obsessions and panic attacks that come when I quit. In one year, I went from an outgoing, funny, self reliant (slightly moody) woman to a woman who is scared to death all the time, avoids public situations as much as possible and have suffered the worst depression I could have imagined. There is NO doubt in my mind that lamictal has done this to me. Maybe I am bipolar, I don't know. What I do know is that I can not imagine living like this for the rest of my life. All I want is the old me back. If I could turn back time and never have put this medication in my mouth I would! Wednesday, I go to a new psychiatrist. I am taking my husband with me, so he can tell what he has seen this year. Maybe this way they will believe me. Anyway, best of luck to you. If you do quit taking Lamictal, PLEASE do it slowly, under the care of your doctor!"