Long Term Lamictal Use and Side Effects

Gosh it's like I'm looking in a mirror. I'm not a doctor but I can tell you it's not your fault. If you're not sure or don't believe me,after my suggested answer I have a bit of a long story/history/explanation of how I came to my conclusion. My husband and I are pretty sure we figured out the problem on our own about 3 weeks ago so I'm still having symptoms but they are starting to get milder.After about 4 or 5 years of some what decent seizure control I started having those same symptoms. Like you the Dr. kept upping my dose and it wasn't doing anything at all but maybe making things worse. For some reason the lamictal seems to do it's job for years and then things start back up again so the doc thinks you just need to up the meds. (from my experience and what I'm hearing everyone else saying.). And after a while things were going o.k. but then one day you feel kinda weird and just figure "hay maybe I'm just tired or having a bad day." but very slowly seizures start happening once in a while but not as bad and the doc keeps upping it. As your are slowly getting weird feelings that you figure are just your fault. And the side effects get worse You're having a hard time keeping your eyes still or focusing on things you're looking at. You start twitching a bit and one day you suddenly realize you can't focus because the room is spinning. From then on all your muscles are tightened and you feel like you have no control over anything. (kinda like when you get out of the shower or the clenching feeling people get when they are cold.) Those are symptoms of overdose. You probably need to go back to the dose that you were on when things were best, and then that dose would have been the time to stop and add another med, or maybe just ask your Dr. It's time to try something new all together. I can tell you how I figured it out if you like. As I said it's kind of a long story It's only been about 2 weeks since my first weening down of the med so things are getting better slowly and right now my biceps are starting to hurt from concentrating on what I'm looking at and trying to type at the same time for this long. You can write me back if you want to. Or when I'm feeling better I'll come back and tell you my insane story of the battle of the last 5-6 years.

I have been taking this medication for a mood disorder for about ten years. I have noticed lately a tendency to slur my words when reading aloud. I also have trouble concentrating. It is hard for me to determine whether this is an effect of the drug or simply the aging process.

I had a craniotomy for a brain bleed in 2008 and as a result began having seizures, which required medication. I was on Dilantin, Trileptal and finally Lamotrigrine. Lamotrigrine was the only med that didn’t affect my cognitive function. I have noticed after 11 years of 400mg/day that I have bad dreams which make me fear that my whole world is falling apart relationship, financially and socially. I am in a low level of depression chronically and have not slept through the night since 2007. I’m beginning to think that this medication is affecting my quality of life. I have been out of my executive work since 2008, but developing businesses which require all of my mental resources. I don’t fear death and have had suicidal thoughts s number of times since 2008. In every case, the thought of hurting those left behind has brought me to my senses. I am going to ask my neurologist if I can lower the dose and eventually get off any seizure drugs. My brain may have healed enough, I would like to know so I wouldn’t have the fear of an unexpected seizure. I won’t take depression drugs because the side affects of weight gain and sexual deficits are not things I need in my life. Being bane and high testosterone would further compromise my feeling of well being.