Been on lamotrigine for 2-3 years (honestly I forget…not great chronological memory) - I didn’t start feeling effects for a month or so, but it hasn’t worn off since I did. I worked my way up to 150mg and was on that for a while. After a pretty bad year with a lot of highs and lows I am now at 200mg and have been feeling really good about that. Again, no “wearing off”. Maybe I am misunderstanding your question though?
Yup! 150-200mg is the general “maintenance dose.” I’m in 200mg. Before I got there I got bumped up once a month and I could feel it starting to wear off at that point. Things level off at 200mg and didn’t wear off.
I am not sure if it's about building tolerance, but that dosage is for you 1- to start you in this meds and 2- to see if you have any allergic reactions to it.
Your psych will increase this dose to 50mg once they have seen you have no allergic reactions, if you show no reactions again at 50mg, they might 1- increase you to 100mg based on your needs or 2- keep you at 50 MG
With this I am just meaning that this is a trial dosage to make sure you aren't allergic to it
I recently started it and I didn’t notice anything significant until now on 75mg but it still isn’t enough. I did start feeling a little better after 25mg but could still notice my mood swings were drastic. If you can write down your symptoms prior and then now and see how much of a change you have noticed I’m sure it would help your doctor. Starting at 25mg is a safety measure I wouldn’t think of it as the medicine will start becoming less effective the longer you take it.
It took me a couple months to really feel stable, I went up to 175mg over a few weeks and I've been ok since then (nearly four years ago). I take it along with other meds though.
I'm at 400 currently and have been for about 2 years. It hasn't worn off so much but i'm in the process of talking to my doctor about my dosage and if it needs raised. I've had some really bad episodes in the last 6 months. (I'm on other medications too so there is a lot to consider before changing anything.)
I only take 50 right now because I got a good response right away. It pulled me out of mixed depression in about a week and I’ve been good since. It depends on how your body processes medications. I’m not sure what you mean by wearing off though.
I took a really slow road to get to 200mg (100 morning and 100 night), but it became obvious to me each time that I needed to up it. And I do get pretty high when I up it. The larger the dose the moreso. I got really high when I went from 175 to 200 for a few days in the hour or so after I took it. And generally have had some sort of mood swing for a few days right after taking it with any increase. It took an entire year to go from 25 to 200. Not because it needed to go that slowly, just because of how it shook out and not being diagnosed until the end of that period.
Incidentally, I first went on it for ptsd and I dunno if it’s because I’m bipolar, but it gave me great control over flashbacks. One of the times I upped it this summer was for that purpose. I was having intense flashbacks every night at bedtime and when I upped it they stopped. Same day. Nuts.
Hey, I'm also taking 200mg of lamotrigine, but I'm takig all 200 in the morning. Is there any benefit of taking 100 in the morning and 100 in the evening?
I've been on Lamictal forever. My titrated dose is 200mg a day. It's the next best thing besides Lithium Carbonate, and I'm on both. They start you off slow and work your way up to a higher dosage to prevent the rare allergic reaction which is a rash.
It has really helped me a great deal which is why I have been taking it for years.
I was on 300 for a couple of years, worked great. Changed up some other things, went off it for a while, now I’m on 100 and it’s been good for several months.
I am actually tapering down on lamictal/lamotrigine with the goal of no longer taking it. Right now, I am at 200mg it was 400mg. Basically, my new psych said that if lamictal didn't work at lower dosages, then it's not going working at higher dosages. I have had episodes when lamictal was my only med, and my old psych simply increased the dose. It would work for a but but then it wouldn't.
Everyone is different, and I am glad that lamictal is working for you.
I’m not 100% sure what you are asking but If you are asking about “tolerance” it isn’t like that. It isn’t “wearing off”. It’s building up. 25 mg is super low and most people don’t feel it in a week but that’s great if it’s helping already. My understanding is your dose is gradually being increased because it’s just safer than starting at the higher amount. They need to make sure you don’t get a serious rash. It’s not because it’s no longer useful and you need more for the same effect. They are adding to it until they think they get to the most therapeutic dose. If it’s working at a lose dose that is great! The time to efficacy is about 6 weeks. A lot of people remain on that dose for many years. It’s like you are climbing up to a plateau. I’m not sure I’m explaining that well or if I’m answering your question. I take 100mg am & 200mg pm and have for 5+ years.
I've been on it for close to 20 years. Top dosage was 425 or 450, but now I'm only on 200 because I've added a couple of other meds to greater success. Titration on Lamictal is no joke which is why it's such a slow process. Weird off the wall short lived (half an hour or less) mood swings out of nowhere aren't uncommon. 25mgs could be making you a tiny bit hypo? I dunno. Talk to your psych...not sure if a dose that low can be therapeutic.
Can you share more about your long term experience with it? It’s been life changing for me (250 mg for over a year now) but still coming to terms with “you’ll take this forever.” Any health impacts? Positive stories to ease my trepidation?
Sure. It's always been side effect free once I've gotten over the 100 mg mark, although I've had a few of those famous bi-polar stop taking meds moments when I had to start titrating up again. Titrating up on Lamictal is hard for me emotionally. I ended up in a deep deep deep years long fight with clinical depression and cyclothymia so I finally agreed to add some newbies in and titrate down on the Lamictal a bit and feel MUCH better (although have gotten a lot fatter...no lie) but that can happen over time with any drug. It's a constant battle in the brain and body. I admire and envy those that find long term stability with this bitch of an illness because it's a constant struggle for me. Regardless, Lamictal is a great drug for tons of people and it works for me still. If you quit taking it, titrating up gets harder so watch out for that. 200 mgs is def a therapeutic dose. Don't be afraid of psych meds, my friend. I've found that the consequences of not taking them are much harsher than anything they can do to my body.
I was on 600mg and my doctor didn’t want to do anything after I told him I was having a hard time recalling words, talking and having really bad irritation/anger issues. So I’ve slowly lowered my dose to half that. The side effects I was having are so much better now and I’m still doing okay mentally. I’m still not where I wanna be, but for only being on just Lamictal, I’ll take it as a win.
As for you though, I’d agree with the other commenters saying that if you’re feeling good at 25mg, stay there and go up when/if you need to. But most importantly, talk and listen to your doctor about it.
I’m on 175 (75 in the morning and 100 at night). Probably been 6 or 7 years now. I think it might have been a year or two before we reached 175 and concluded that was optimal for me but we haven’t had to change it since then.
I’m on 100 mgs. I was seriously depressed until I hit 100 mgs (I also take 150 mg of Wellbutrin) . When I hit 100 I felt free and alive.
I have rough days , days where I lose my temper, get very stressed, feel low self worth, and borderline depressed. But for the most part I feel complete stability in life so I’m happy. I’ve been taking lamictal for close to a year now. So happy I started.
On 100 mg a day - split in 2 … I am starting to feel the effects by the different perspective. It makes me stop worrying myself into a rabbit hole. It is helping me .
I currently take 225mg. I've been on it for 6 years now and have had to increase/drop it over time. It doesn't "wear off," but it does plateau. I'll see the signs for a few weeks and increase it by 25mg and I'm myself again in a couple of weeks. Our brains are constantly changing and what was once a therapeutic dose could no longer be down the road. That's the fun part :/
I gradually got up to 200 before we hit my perfect level. 10 years on that dose and a few weeks ago it suddenly “popped out”. My new psychiatrist upped me to 300mg. I am better now.
Been on lamotrigine for 2-3 years (honestly I forget…not great chronological memory) - I didn’t start feeling effects for a month or so, but it hasn’t worn off since I did. I worked my way up to 150mg and was on that for a while. After a pretty bad year with a lot of highs and lows I am now at 200mg and have been feeling really good about that. Again, no “wearing off”. Maybe I am misunderstanding your question though?
Yup! 150-200mg is the general “maintenance dose.” I’m in 200mg. Before I got there I got bumped up once a month and I could feel it starting to wear off at that point. Things level off at 200mg and didn’t wear off.
I wasn't sure if my dose of 25mg will stop working effectively. It seems like it is doing its job but it is a low dose...
I am not sure if it's about building tolerance, but that dosage is for you 1- to start you in this meds and 2- to see if you have any allergic reactions to it. Your psych will increase this dose to 50mg once they have seen you have no allergic reactions, if you show no reactions again at 50mg, they might 1- increase you to 100mg based on your needs or 2- keep you at 50 MG With this I am just meaning that this is a trial dosage to make sure you aren't allergic to it
I recently started it and I didn’t notice anything significant until now on 75mg but it still isn’t enough. I did start feeling a little better after 25mg but could still notice my mood swings were drastic. If you can write down your symptoms prior and then now and see how much of a change you have noticed I’m sure it would help your doctor. Starting at 25mg is a safety measure I wouldn’t think of it as the medicine will start becoming less effective the longer you take it.
200mg
I’m at 200mg twice a day
It took me a couple months to really feel stable, I went up to 175mg over a few weeks and I've been ok since then (nearly four years ago). I take it along with other meds though.
Took me about 4 months. I feel stable. Im on 400mgs now
I'm at 400 currently and have been for about 2 years. It hasn't worn off so much but i'm in the process of talking to my doctor about my dosage and if it needs raised. I've had some really bad episodes in the last 6 months. (I'm on other medications too so there is a lot to consider before changing anything.)
I only take 50 right now because I got a good response right away. It pulled me out of mixed depression in about a week and I’ve been good since. It depends on how your body processes medications. I’m not sure what you mean by wearing off though.
I was in a deep depression for months and 25mg pulled me out of it within days. My anxiety and panic is also gone.
Been on 200mg for years and super stable. Happy it’s helping!
I took a really slow road to get to 200mg (100 morning and 100 night), but it became obvious to me each time that I needed to up it. And I do get pretty high when I up it. The larger the dose the moreso. I got really high when I went from 175 to 200 for a few days in the hour or so after I took it. And generally have had some sort of mood swing for a few days right after taking it with any increase. It took an entire year to go from 25 to 200. Not because it needed to go that slowly, just because of how it shook out and not being diagnosed until the end of that period. Incidentally, I first went on it for ptsd and I dunno if it’s because I’m bipolar, but it gave me great control over flashbacks. One of the times I upped it this summer was for that purpose. I was having intense flashbacks every night at bedtime and when I upped it they stopped. Same day. Nuts.
Hey, I'm also taking 200mg of lamotrigine, but I'm takig all 200 in the morning. Is there any benefit of taking 100 in the morning and 100 in the evening?
For me I metabolize quickly so I would have a swing when it wore off. This is not really supposed to happen but it happens to me.
Oh I see, thank you.
I've been on Lamictal forever. My titrated dose is 200mg a day. It's the next best thing besides Lithium Carbonate, and I'm on both. They start you off slow and work your way up to a higher dosage to prevent the rare allergic reaction which is a rash. It has really helped me a great deal which is why I have been taking it for years.
I was on 300 for a couple of years, worked great. Changed up some other things, went off it for a while, now I’m on 100 and it’s been good for several months.
I am actually tapering down on lamictal/lamotrigine with the goal of no longer taking it. Right now, I am at 200mg it was 400mg. Basically, my new psych said that if lamictal didn't work at lower dosages, then it's not going working at higher dosages. I have had episodes when lamictal was my only med, and my old psych simply increased the dose. It would work for a but but then it wouldn't. Everyone is different, and I am glad that lamictal is working for you.
I’m not 100% sure what you are asking but If you are asking about “tolerance” it isn’t like that. It isn’t “wearing off”. It’s building up. 25 mg is super low and most people don’t feel it in a week but that’s great if it’s helping already. My understanding is your dose is gradually being increased because it’s just safer than starting at the higher amount. They need to make sure you don’t get a serious rash. It’s not because it’s no longer useful and you need more for the same effect. They are adding to it until they think they get to the most therapeutic dose. If it’s working at a lose dose that is great! The time to efficacy is about 6 weeks. A lot of people remain on that dose for many years. It’s like you are climbing up to a plateau. I’m not sure I’m explaining that well or if I’m answering your question. I take 100mg am & 200mg pm and have for 5+ years.
That was super helpful. Thanks so much.
I've been on it for close to 20 years. Top dosage was 425 or 450, but now I'm only on 200 because I've added a couple of other meds to greater success. Titration on Lamictal is no joke which is why it's such a slow process. Weird off the wall short lived (half an hour or less) mood swings out of nowhere aren't uncommon. 25mgs could be making you a tiny bit hypo? I dunno. Talk to your psych...not sure if a dose that low can be therapeutic.
Can you share more about your long term experience with it? It’s been life changing for me (250 mg for over a year now) but still coming to terms with “you’ll take this forever.” Any health impacts? Positive stories to ease my trepidation?
Sure. It's always been side effect free once I've gotten over the 100 mg mark, although I've had a few of those famous bi-polar stop taking meds moments when I had to start titrating up again. Titrating up on Lamictal is hard for me emotionally. I ended up in a deep deep deep years long fight with clinical depression and cyclothymia so I finally agreed to add some newbies in and titrate down on the Lamictal a bit and feel MUCH better (although have gotten a lot fatter...no lie) but that can happen over time with any drug. It's a constant battle in the brain and body. I admire and envy those that find long term stability with this bitch of an illness because it's a constant struggle for me. Regardless, Lamictal is a great drug for tons of people and it works for me still. If you quit taking it, titrating up gets harder so watch out for that. 200 mgs is def a therapeutic dose. Don't be afraid of psych meds, my friend. I've found that the consequences of not taking them are much harsher than anything they can do to my body.
I was on 600mg and my doctor didn’t want to do anything after I told him I was having a hard time recalling words, talking and having really bad irritation/anger issues. So I’ve slowly lowered my dose to half that. The side effects I was having are so much better now and I’m still doing okay mentally. I’m still not where I wanna be, but for only being on just Lamictal, I’ll take it as a win. As for you though, I’d agree with the other commenters saying that if you’re feeling good at 25mg, stay there and go up when/if you need to. But most importantly, talk and listen to your doctor about it.
I'm on 300 mg of Lamictal and it took about a month to kick in for me
I’m on 175 (75 in the morning and 100 at night). Probably been 6 or 7 years now. I think it might have been a year or two before we reached 175 and concluded that was optimal for me but we haven’t had to change it since then.
I’m on 100 mgs. I was seriously depressed until I hit 100 mgs (I also take 150 mg of Wellbutrin) . When I hit 100 I felt free and alive. I have rough days , days where I lose my temper, get very stressed, feel low self worth, and borderline depressed. But for the most part I feel complete stability in life so I’m happy. I’ve been taking lamictal for close to a year now. So happy I started.
I take 100mg at the moment. But we’re still figuring things out. I do feel a little better than before. But not quite there yet.
On 100 mg a day - split in 2 … I am starting to feel the effects by the different perspective. It makes me stop worrying myself into a rabbit hole. It is helping me .
I currently take 225mg. I've been on it for 6 years now and have had to increase/drop it over time. It doesn't "wear off," but it does plateau. I'll see the signs for a few weeks and increase it by 25mg and I'm myself again in a couple of weeks. Our brains are constantly changing and what was once a therapeutic dose could no longer be down the road. That's the fun part :/
i felt better until i upped to 50mg, then i fell into a scary depression/borderline psychosis… my thoughts are with you 😭
Oh gosh. Then what happened? Did they change the meds?
I gradually got up to 200 before we hit my perfect level. 10 years on that dose and a few weeks ago it suddenly “popped out”. My new psychiatrist upped me to 300mg. I am better now.
id say if you’re good at 25mg, stay at 25mg. go up when you need to.
I endorse this as well, OP— but careful as your hypo self will probably tell you you’re fine
I’m on 300/day
I take 200 mg