Lamotrigine for Borderline Personality Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Bbe...
• October 6, 2016

"I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and was prescribed Lamictal to stabilize my moods. I was having explosive reactions on a daily basis and morning depression. Today I wake up feeling content and happy. My mood episodes have greatly subsided and I feel like I can handle frustration a lot better. Also, my relationship with my boyfriend has improved because of much less fighting and explosions on him. This medication is very helpful. Only side effect was some headaches and diarrhea."

• TCa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2021

"I started on 25 mg for two weeks, during this period, I didn't notice much of an effect other than some drowsiness. After two weeks, the dose was increased to 50 mg, this is when my problems began. I experienced severe side effects, including increased depression, increased anxiety, a high fever, a sore throat, brain fog, body aches, and a burning sensation on my skin that I can only describe as feeling like sunburn. I had to immediately discontinue use of Lamotrigine. I understand these are rare side effects that more than likely won't happen to most people, however, it was unbearable for me. I have never had a medication impact me as negatively as Lamotrigine."

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 31, 2023

"I've been on this medication for roughly 2 months & I've never felt better. I no longer have to live with my partner due to my codependency. I don't constantly worry about his exes/the possibility of him cheating on or leaving me. I feel happy. I barely have splits anymore and this has helped tremendously with the spike of emotional symptoms before my menstrual cycle (I also have PMDD). I know who I am now. I go out with friends. I eat normally. I have a normal sleep schedule. and I'm holding a full-time job, etc. It's not a cure-all but I sure do love this! Try it, please."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2023

"I was diagnosed with BPD 9 years ago, as well as dermatillomania and trichotillomania. I have tried Lovan, Effexor, Pristiq, Paroxetine (still slowly weaning from that) and a few others. Nothing really helped with my depression, anxiety, severe mood swings, or my OCD until I started Lamotrigine. I've been on it for 4 weeks, currently at 50 mg, and have found it's helped in so many ways. I don't have the compulsion to pull my hair, attack my skin, I don't find myself constantly angry and lashing out, and after many years of struggling to sleep and suffering from chronic constipation, it's actually helped with both those things too! I feel motivated, confident, and like a normal person now."

• Dep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2021

"Horrific drug. Six months later, I am still dealing with the consequences this drug put me through. I tapered up to 100 mg, all fine and dandy. I was then admitted to the hospital for extreme heart palpitations and chest pain, and then came the worst lingering anxiety I’ve ever had, panic attacks landing me in and out of the hospital, and being unable to function for the next two months after. I now have PTSD from this medication, and I’m scared to try anything, even vitamins, because of how horrific my experience was. And I deal with intense anxiety every day, even six months later. I hope it works for you, but I would like to share my story."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2021

"This med really did save my life! I didn’t know how much I needed it until I was on it. If you suffer from mood cycles, then this will be so impactful on your life. I feel grounded in a way I never thought possible. I can get through my day without finding something to sob about. I can clean my house and not spend 6 hours working myself up to it. I can make decisions without being completely driven by emotion. But greatest of all, I am HAPPY."

• Fir...
• August 7, 2020

"Lamotrigine sounded like a great drug at first, it doesn't affect your sexual health, it doesn't make you emotionally numb, and I imagine it helps a lot of people. PLEASE DON'T LET THIS SCARE YOU. But unfortunately, for me, according to my doctor, it had a very bad reaction once I moved up to 100 mg that unfortunately landed me in the hospital and rendered me unable to function properly for the next two weeks. It was due to my genetic profile and medication sensitivity that caused my body to reject the drug. If you are sensitive to higher doses of medication generally or get extreme anxiety with your borderline, I highly recommend getting pharmacogenomic testing or a genetic profile for the medication (in Australia, it is not that expensive) before taking this medication. What happened to me was rare but can happen, and I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through. But in saying this, please don't be scared to try this medication because it has worked wonders for so many people."

• Mar...
• November 14, 2021

"Yes, although I was prescribed Lamotrigine for epilepsy brought on by alcoholism, it enabled me to be able to get sober and stay sober. I could cope with the ups and downs of life without feeling the need to drink, this is since I’ve been on this medication. It changed my life 100%."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 9, 2015

"This drug has saved me. I've been diagnosed with quite a few things (borderline, depression, generalized anxiety, and PTSD). While this medication hasn't helped with my anxiety, it has helped tremendously with the three others. After trying five medications, this is the only one to have helped. And best of all, for once, no side effects. I finally feel like myself again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 19, 2018

"Lamictal has been a life changer. I suffered every single symptom of borderline and, after reaching my therapeutic dose of 200 mg, it completely changed my life. Now, it wasn't really effective for my anxiety, but it abolished my depression, severe mood changes, feelings of emptiness, fear of abandonment, etc. Now, those still break through, and that's where therapy comes in, but Lamictal is a necessity. The only thing that will make me come off of it is if I'm in danger of glaucoma."

• Sha...
• February 10, 2014

"I immediately noticed how it balanced out my moods to a more stable baseline and helped with early morning depression and afternoon depression mood swings. The more I increased the dosage, the better the results. I currently take 150 mg daily. I find it more beneficial to split the dosage between morning and afternoon. Although I still have impulsive behaviors. I don't expect pharmaceuticals to be the cure-all, and therapy should help minimize my impulsive reactions. PS: Costco discount brings my RX to be about $8 for 30 tablets, which is amazing!"

• Vse...
• June 23, 2017

"I was put on this while in a psychiatric ward, after years of antidepressants and antipsychotics. When I was finally prescribed lamotrigine, it was amazing. I took it along with antipsychotics, and I felt a great decrease in fits of rage and destruction. After taking this for almost a year, being on 175 mg a day for the last 6 months, my life is better than ever, with a lessening of suicidal ideation. Overall, it helped me so much, and I would highly recommend it to anyone else with BPD."

• Lan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2019

"I can only recommend this. Before this medication, I wasn't able to function like a regular human being. The mood swings and everything, it was terrible. I've been taking it for like two months, now I am on 150 mg a day, and I feel so much better. I can finally function because my moods have gotten so much more stable than before. I am thankful that my psychiatrist prescribed it to me because I can't imagine where I would be now if I didn't get help back then."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 8, 2018

"I was an inpatient in rehab for a dual diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and addiction, prior to which I had attempted suicide three times. I was always very impulsive, and my mood swings were severe, so I would flip out before even considering implementing therapy. I am now 20 years old, and Lamotrigine (200 mg a day) was a miracle drug for me, and since taking it, everything in my life has started to turn around, but therapy has played a big part also. Fortunately, this drug is covered by the NHS when prescribed."

• She...
• December 14, 2021

"I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Apparently, I have been ill for 15 years now. I have tried a cocktail of meds. I have been on quetiapine for 13 years and amitriptyline and Zoloft, and it controlled some of the symptoms, but I was still not fully well. I asked for mood stabilizers in 2013 in the hospital, the doctor said there is no such drug. Lol. I have a new doctor for 4 years. I asked for a mood stabilizer. I got lamotrigine 200 mg, and OMG, I'm a different girl. I haven't been able to look anyone in the eyes since I was a young teenager, 25 years, and now I can look anyone in the eye. I love that. Try these because they have changed everything for me. Good luck."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 4, 2016

"There has never been a better medication for me to help contain my moods. I am a very emotional person and go from one extreme to the other from morning to night. My doctor says I am not bipolar but that I have borderline personality disorder. I am also anorexic. This medication helps manage my mood. I would not be able to go from day to day without this! I have been on 225 mg for 5 years. No side effects that I am aware of. I wish I could go higher on the dose, but it interferes with birth control medication (estrogen)."

• han...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 13, 2023

"I have felt significantly more resilient to stressful events, and overall more stable. I've gone up and down in dosages depending on external factors in my life (between 25 - 75 mg, I'm currently on 75), but even on lower dosages, I felt significantly better than being unmedicated. I was on a wide array of antidepressants & antipsychotics until about a year ago. I decided to go off of all medication completely after playing around with different meds for 6 years. Though I felt better overall, I still felt that my low moods or adverse life experiences were beating me down more than I thought they should, and still felt helpless. After starting lamictal, I felt significantly better to the point that I no longer fit into the criteria for BPD. It's been about 7 months since starting, and my life has never been more fulfilling & I have never had so much confidence in myself, & most importantly, no more active suicidal thoughts. Here's to more life!"

• cup...
• March 14, 2017

"I started on 25 mg of Lamictal, and initially, it did not do anything for me until I slowly increased the dosage in the past few months. I am now at 150 mg, and I would say this medication has helped me immensely. I am no longer in a deep depression, I can manage my moods better, and my anxiety... the chest pressure feeling I would get in my chest all day and every day, as well as the obsessive thoughts and worry, are extremely decreased. I feel like a normal human being now. From time to time, I would get sad, but it is not anywhere close to what it used to be. This drug is amazing. I feel like upping the dosage to 200 mg would make this perfect, but we shall wait and see with my psychiatrist this week. :)"

• AB9...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 14, 2018

"Really wanted this medication to work for me since it doesn’t cause weight gain. For the most part, my mood did level out, but the side effects were unbearable for me, so I am now slowly going off it. I get severe nausea and flu-like body aches. I actually lost about 10 lbs trying to take this for about 6 months because I was so sick I could barely eat anything. I am giving up now, unfortunately."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 4, 2022

"Like the user below, I also take 150 mg Wellbutrin in the morning and 100 mg Lamictal at night (I'm 27 F, 5'6" and 120 lbs for reference). Due to these meds, I feel like a 'normal' person now for the first time in my entire life. I have been on this combo for over a year and have virtually no side effects and have been able to have a stable job, friendships, relationships, and life. It has been a freaking miracle. Please try this if everything else has failed for you, this is probably the 20th medication I have tried. I even had TMS therapy, and nothing else has worked for me besides these two meds!"

• sh1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 27, 2020

"Hope everyone before and after me here will eventually get better. I have severe BPD with predominant depressive/suicidal episodes and anger. I'm also very anxious, and anxiety gives me depersonalization episodes. So I was prescribed lamotrigine as a mood stabilizer, and it's supposed to help with derealization episodes somehow. At first, it seemed to work, depression was not that deep, and derealization seemed to be gone, like I was a kid again. But eventually, after three weeks, I've noticed that it all got much worse, depressive/aggressive-wise. I also started getting chills and shivering with headaches. Last thing I wanted to add - don't mix it with anything like weed or alcohol. My MD said I may smoke, but when I did, I had severe panic attacks and something that felt like psychosis. To be clear, I smoke occasionally for five years already, and I've never gotten such feelings from weed."

• dan...
• March 15, 2016

"I got diagnosed with borderline personality disorder not too long ago. I had never used any type of medications before I got lamotrigine prescribed, and honestly, it has worked wonders on me. Before, I had strong mood swings which went from morning depression to extended periods of anxiety. After I started taking the meds, my anxiety has gone down a lot, I no longer have morning depression, and overall it has helped me out with no side effects aside from my short-term memory, but it isn't too bad."

• Aar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 22, 2024

"This medication was the main medication that has helped me with my BPD. It's helped with my mood swings, especially, which in turn has improved my relations with people. I take 100mg 2x a day, and haven't experienced any side effects."

• Nev...
• March 3, 2021

"I am diagnosed with BPD and ADHD. The first time I ever took lamotrigine, I felt like a new person completely, even my friends noticed how I was all of a sudden level-headed and not as restless, etc. Unfortunately, this feeling soon disappeared, no matter how much I went up on the dosage :( But this is still a very good drug and helps my anger/rage very well. I've also noticed that when I miss a dosage, I drop into much more of a depression, so it must help stabilize my mood more than I realize. Overall, very good medication with no side effects for me. (I take 250 mg a day along with aripiprazole and Elvanse)."

• Tyr...
• January 30, 2020

"I was on Zoloft 100 mg and Buspirone 15 mg for depression/anxiety before I went to a psychiatrist who recommended a mood stabilizer, Lamictal 100 mg 2x a day. I weaned myself off all 3 because I was feeling wonderful/stable. It only took 2-3 months, and my behavior was back: major mood swings, sadness, depression, and alcoholism were back full blast. I did a lot of damage to relationships and my health. I have been put back on Lamictal 200 mg again, and in 6 weeks I’m at peace and rational. I have no side effects except decreased libido. That is a blessing right now because multiple sexual partners were a struggle while off meds. I’m going to go back on Zoloft because I need more antidepressant than what Lamictal offers. I still feel melancholy and random crying over happy and sad things. I truly recommend Lamictal with other medications such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications! It is worth your time to try it!"