Lamotrigine for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• TheCi...
• September 16, 2013

"Been taking for five days (post traumatic stress disorder and Bipolar). I am really surprised by it, I have virtually no anxiety at all! Only 25mg this week. Taking Mitrazapine as well. Apart from insomnia there are no side effects. "

• Gwaredd...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 21, 2018

"For months I haven't been able to sleep, mind racing and unable to control my thoughts. As it turns out, I was supposed to be taking 300 mg per day and I was only taking 100 mg. My wife sets up my meds since she tosses a lot of vitimans in along with my other meds: Lexapro, Klonopin, etc. so I never checked. I finally looked at the bottle and holy cow I wasn't taking enough. So, I went back up to 300 mg and what a difference. My only side effects and yawning and sleepiness but a couple of cups of coffee knocks out. Finally, I can sleep and can get some things done around the place instead of sitting about staring at the four walls. Thus, I would give this med a high recommendation. Granted, not everyone, can handle this med without some awful reactions but I've always tolerated meds quite well. So, choose you poison carefully. ;)"

• Anonymous
• October 1, 2020

"Been on lamotrigine 25mg for a week now no side effects as of yet! Hopefully it will stay that way! I have eupd (Emotionally unstable personality disorder) and complex PTSD. My mood has been good and no really bad depression days but it's only early days hopefully it works"

• Bubbles
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2019

"I have been taking lamotrigine for two weeks now (PTSD) and my psychiatrist wants me to up it every week until I hit 100 mg. I’m on week 2 at 50 mg and I feel much calmer. My anxiety is a bit higher and I tend to overthink about small situations, my vision is a bit more blurry (which sucks cuz I’m already blind as a bat lol!) and my balance and coordination is off. But overall I’m in a better mood, no panic attacks, no flashbacks or negative feelings. I’m much more patient with my kids and I actually want to do more with them now than I have before. I recommend this medication to others to try for PTSD or any other reason they have it available for. I can’t wait to see how I feel on 100 mg and once these side effects calm down, if they ever do. In the end the side effects are worth the outcome of the medication"

• Nicep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2022

"I have PTSD from prolonged sexual abuse and the aftermath of speaking up about it when I was younger. I also had noticed a very defined mood/energy cycle for many years, but because the cycle was fairly rapid and the energetic end of it was anxiety, agitation, and what I called "energetic sadness" with suicidal thoughts. There had been four major recurrences of PTSD symptoms in my life since the things happened 25 years ago, and the most recent lasted 3 years and was the worst. During this time the energetic side of the cycle would cause suicidal ideation. When the episode subsided, the underlying cycle became more extreme in some ways, while most of the suicide thoughts had decreased. I was on Vyvanse for ADHD as well. I talked to my psychiatrist about the cycle a few times and when it got more extreme she said it sounded like cyclothymia so she started me on Lamotrigine. All symptoms are gone. If this is happiness, then I've never been happy before! It's like a new life!"

• Innue...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 18, 2021

"I started this medication for possible bipolar/PTSD. I suffered a nerve injury that was very painful, and treated with steroids. The combined pain and steroids obliterated my ability to sleep, even with meds. This went on for months - refractory to ativan, vistaril, lunesta, seroquel, lexapro. I was becoming severely anxious and depressed, and still trying to hold my job on 2 hours of sleep. Eventually I began to break down. I got another psych opinion, and the suggestion was Lamictal. I escalated gradually, starting with peds doses, all the way to 200 mg. I was using 15 mg of Ambien to sleep in the beginning. That dropped to 10mg pretty quickly, then 7.5mg, 5mg, and then 2.5mg in divided doses through the night. By 8 weeks I had my first drug free night of sleep in 8 months. That was about a year and a half ago. I've tapered to 150 mg, and I'm shooting for 100 mg. I'm not sure if what I have is really bipolar or PTSD, but Lamictal gave me my life back."

• Donna
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2021

"I have cptsd with some bipolar2 symptoms but not too strong. I've just reached 100mg of lamotrigine & after a wk was amazed with results. I feel calmer, but not numb. I actually feel like I'm not taking any chemicals. Only downfall is its increased insomnia & not needing to sleep as long. However no other side effects. Dr is happy for me to remain at this dosage as long as it keeps working. I've tried Seroquel, lithium, sodium valporate cipramil & this is 100% compared to other meds that gave side effects. I'm thrilled. Doesn't mess with libido or weight gain/loss absolutely nothing for me. Definitely right med for me. Highly recommend for PTSD. Way better than an antidepressant by far"

• R M
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 29, 2018

"Lamotrigine was prescribed to me in combination with an SSRI for unipolar depression. I am also diagnosed with Post traumatic Stress Disorder. I have noticed Lamotrigine helped tremendously with my symptoms of hypervigilance, which are much less severe today. It also helps me with depressive episodes. I rarely fall into depressive states where I can not function, and when I do, they are much shorter than they used to last. Sadly I haven't seen any improvement in avoidance symptoms, but I didn't expect it to help this symptom of PTSD in the first place. It might also be important to note that I don't have a history of manic symptoms."

• ABA
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 16, 2021

"(I have PTSD from multiple sexual assaults) I had been taking Lexapro and bupropion for depression/anxiety for the past 7-8 years. My new psychiatrist suggested stopping these and being put on lamotrigine to help with my depressive cycles and panic attacks and just to stabilize my mood and trauma responses. I went up gradually, from 25mg to 50mg to 100mg, and just started 150mg. I had a panic attack and self-harm incident after starting this medication, but overall I am not as triggered by things and my response time to hard situations has gone down to 6 mins to an hour or two compared to taking me out for days at a time. I was really reluctant at first since this was a mood stabilizer, but it's the only thing that's worked for my PTSD."

• Britt...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2021

"This had had life changing effect and I couldn't describe it any other way. I had to come on here and to make a review. Before taking this I was scared to leave my house, scared of people, dealing with all sorts of issues. Would have panic attacks daily, silent scream in the shower to get all the emotions out, my body was in chronic pain from all of the anger and big feelings. I'm just telling you this to describe HOW BAD it was. 25mg of lamotrgine and I feel like a normal human being. I no longer have to worry about what I will wake up like. If I'll be in a bad mood or a good mood. I'm just .... stable. For the first time in my life. My muscle pain melted away, I can stand up straight, I've maybe had one mild panic attack in 2 weeks (and that was because of external stress issues), only side effect was some diarrhea and insomnia which is going away. Before, I had so much anger in me that I could see people being extra cautious around me. Now, people are responding to me differently. I am a happier person now."

• mtcoyne
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2015

"I've been on lamactil for a month. I keep losing my temper. Wife moved out a month ago too. She got tired of my anger. I yell at people over stupid shit that they had nothing to do with. I'm losing faith and hope quickly."

• Jay
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 29, 2023

"I've been taking lamotrigine 200mg for a while now. I originally started it as some of the other drugs I was taking were giving me terrible withdrawal symptoms if I had missed a dose. If I miss a dose of Lamotrigine, it doesn't seem to make my condition worse and takes me half the day to notice that I'm becoming more irritable than normal. Lamotrigine has improved my reactions to events that would previously have put me on edge and has improved my mood. I am able to maintain a better version of myself for longer and have more trust in myself around people."

• S791
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2019

"After 2 or 3 days on lamotrigene I began experiencing the worst abdominal pain ever! Day 4 I began vomiting blood. Took many months for the stomach ulcers to heal. Almost a year later I still am prone to gastritis."

• Jord
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 2, 2023

"Lamotrigine is a wonder drug! In the past, I have tried both Prozac and Wellbutrin. Prozac made me feel like a zombie, and Wellbutrin made me feel like the angriest person in the world all the time. When I started on Lamotrigine, I was skeptical, but to my pleasant surprise, it worked! I still have anxiety surrounding my triggers, but now I am in a spot where my baseline isn't fear and somatic symptoms. Lamotrigine has helped me get to a place where I have the energy and a clear mind to improve both my PTSD and life as a whole."

• naibaf
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2020

"I have C-PTSD, depression, anxiety, depersonalization/derealization, and my fettle is constantly worsening over the past two years. As you can imagine I've already tried numerous drugs with mostly pretty bad side effects and no benefits at all. So I was really hopeful that this time it would be different, also because it apparently helped so many others with various conditions. But again I was disappointed. I started with 25mg lamotrigine and went up to 300mg and still it did nothing. In the beginning I didn't have any side effects either. Lately I have nausea, headaches, dizziness, muscle pain and another weird thing always when I close my eyes I see bright colors. But I think all these things are rather because of my ongoing deteriorating health situation than because of this drug. I wish you more luck!"

• aldq
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2022

"I have been taking Lamotrigine for about 2 months now for Anxiety/PTSD/Dissociative symptoms. Along with Effexor XR, this drug really does the trick for depersonalization/derealization. Effexor decreased intensity a lot but addition of Lamictal decreased it even more to where I can function a whole lot better. I feel more grounded in the present moment and I’m starting to feel emotions again. It feels like it keeps my brain in check when I’m anxious, and my brain wants to dissociate me. I used to get a lot of head pressures, but now I don’t experience those pressures anymore. This drug was a miracle but watch out for some side effects. When I got to 200 mg, I experienced short-term memory loss and I could not focus. After 3 weeks though, it has improved a lot; seems to be clearing up. Anyway, if you have PTSD, give it a try! It might save you!"

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

"Lamotrigine/Lamictal appears to be working really well for my high baseline panic/anxiety concurrent with PTSD. My symptoms have become more manageable. The side effects I've experienced are grogginess, some blurred vision, headaches, and increased appetite, but they're well tolerated after a month. I'm on 25mg for 5 weeks, increasing to 50mg now. I'm grateful for this off-label use and hope it proves to be effective for me in the long term."

• KOS
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 13, 2021

"After multiple antidepressants (and combinations) were unsuccessful in shutting down chronic flashbacks and intrusive thoughts, lamotrigine has been a game-changer. Still some intrusive thoughts, but they are manageable now. Flashbacks have stopped, almost completely. I have my brain back, and feel like I can now rebuild my life."

• Von...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 22, 2021

"Started with 50mg and have gone up to 75mg at night and in the morning, I got a rash, they put me back down to 50mg, said it was probably bug bite’s due to my homeless situation, but it’s clearly not, because on the 50mg at night & in morning was fine, no rash. And now they are putting up my meds yet again, it’s starting to feel like they purposely trying to give me Steven Johnson’s syndrome. And boy oh boy, if I do get it and I’ve got it for life, I’m going after my prescriber. Apart from that, I feel the meds are doing their job, but only at 50mg at night and 50mg in morning."

• Lamot...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 25, 2024

"I really recommend this medication. I took 200 mg for one year, and it worked really well until I got COVID. I have ME/CFS, which makes me very vulnerable to new infections. I felt that COVID really messed up my body and mind. After having post-COVID for over two years now, I finally talked to my doctor, and we decided to increase the dose, very slowly, to 300 mg. If that works well, maybe my target dose can be 400 mg. I know that dose works well for many people. People with both complex PTSD and ME/CFS often need higher doses than 'the standard dose'. I just wanted to share my experience. I really believe it can help a lot of people if more doctors would know about the mechanism behind the drug and how to dose according to what kind of problems their patients are dealing with. Love to all of y'all!"

• Kalc
• May 23, 2013

"First dose 25mg, first day, have not felt this good for 15 years. Absolutely amazing effect on mood, energy level and pain. Thank you to my very smart doctor."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 24, 2017

"Best things stabilize my mood."

• Susan...
• June 30, 2015

"I have taken this for 5 days and its not working"