Is anyone using LAMICTAL

I know this is probably 6 months too late, but I thought I would comment anyway. I started taking Lamictal when I was 22 it was a God sent after Dilantin. On Dilantin I was too high too learn, but on Lamictal I did better in my classes and was able to enjoy more of my life. Everyone is differant though and if you are having trouble on lamictal you should switch.

I just started Lamictal a few months ago. I'm 32 and have been taking Tegretol since I was about 9. I have epilepsy and a temporal lobe brain tumor. Last year I was working on a master's degree. I got sick before finals and was afraid that I wouldn't be able to finish the semester. By the grace of God everything worked out. My doctors bumped my dosage way up from what I had been taking, and they are trying out some new drugs. Right now I'm on 800mg Tegretol XR and 150mg Lamictal. I can understand exactly how you feel. My brain is mush and I feel pretty bad. I tried taking more Lamictal, but my body just can't deal with it. I too am afraid that I will never be able to finish my degree. However, I already have a BA from a very demanding "Great Books" program. I also studied music for 2 years, and a little bit of art. I did all of this on Tegretol. It has not been easy, but I made it through. I'm sure that you can do it too. Keep at it. I started taking meds when I was in elementary school and diddn't really know what was going on. I can imagine that it must be very difficult as an adult, when you are more aware of yourself and better able to understand. How long have you had epilepsy? If it is new for you that also must be very difficult. Be strong and brave. If you have to take some time off from school until you get your meds straightened out that's ok. Keep trying. Register or Apply for next semester, even if you are not sure whether you want to go back, or can go back. If you are not sure you can do it, try it anyway. See an epileptologist. Ask if you can get neuropsychological testing done. I got tested and the feedback helped me a lot. I found out that I have problems processing information, and it confirmed a lot of my own observations. I also got suggestions on where to go from there. Note takers, extra time on tests, etc. You may be able to get quite a bit of help from your school, especially a big University. They should have some sort of student services/health/academic office to help you out. Let your professors know what is going on!!! They will understand. They will probably make some adjustments for you. Letting them know that you have epilepsy and are medicated will help them to understand why you are falling asleep in class, etc. Try to do as much as you can, but don't be too hard on yourself if after trying you don't do as well as you would like. Also, learn to take it easy on yourself when you need to, in order to stay healthy. Get regular sleep. It's tough. You may have to learn how to do a lot of things differently. (eg. deal with fatigue, avoid stress, get sleep, etc.) Your side effects may soften with time. School has always been very hard for me, but I love learning and love going to school. Sometimes when I'm at home and not studying, I wonder how I ever did it, but then when I go back to school and get adjusted and back into the swing of things, I do just fine. I do have to take care of myself, which is not always easy. If Lamictal doesn't work, there are a lot of other medicines to try. Maybee something else will work better. Your doctor should be willing to work with you on this. If you still feel bad on Lamictal after a while, insist on trying something different. Those are a lot of suggestions, but I just hope that you don't get discouraged. For most of my life I have lived without any real medical attention, without any academic help, and with very little life skills support. I really needed all of these things very badly. College was sometimes a lot of fun and a wonderful place to be, and sometimes very lonely and inhospitable. If you need help don't be afraid to ask. If you need to take things slower, or need to take fewer classes, or need special living arrangements (like your own quiet room -- or a good roommate) that's ok. You will do fine. It's ok too that you are afraid. It might take you a while to get things figured out. Don't let it get you down.

Hey Courtney, You're kind of freaking me out a little. I'm 22 as well and was diagnosed this morning (well, I guess yesterday as it's after midnight). My doc put me on Lamictal saying that it was the least likely to cause side effects. What have you been experiencing? I want to know what to be on the look out for. BTW- I'm also a college student, graduating in December (on my b-day!). Thanks, Channing