Lamictal and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 29, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I've tried almost all meds for depression/bipolar but no success. I started Lamictal 25mg about 4 weeks ago and I'm currently on 50mg per day. It has really lifted my depression. It's the best medication I have ever taken for bipolar. I have more energy, less irritable, less appetite, and increased sexual desire. However, it has some side effects (insomnia, nausea, mild constipation, and pains on my sides) which are all gradually fading away. I also take 40 mg Prozac per day. Lamictal is a wonder drug. I haven't reached the therapeutic level. I'm titrating slowly. I felt a great need to do this review to help others because other people's reviews have helped me in the past. Good luck!"

• Pot...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 19, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "This drug genuinely saved my life. I'm 25 and have exhibited depressive symptoms for the past 10 years, which is way too long to wait to get properly treated. It took getting on Effexor and experiencing mixed-states/rapid-cycling/suicidal thoughts before I was correctly diagnosed with Bipolar II. I started feeling positive effects on 100 mg Lamictal. I have been stable on 200 mg for a year now, and the only side effects I experienced were fatigue and mildly fragmented sleep the week after increasing dosage. One of Lamictal's bonus effects for me was tamping down my anxiety and panic to almost nothing - this and lifting my omnipresent depression have truly been a life-changer. No side effects now and I am the most happy, productive, and fulfilled I have been in a decade!"

• Sof...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 2, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "So, so, so, so grateful for this. Have had severe anxiety, depression, severe OCD and depersonalization, ADHD. Who knows?! Lots of trauma in my past, and doctors have tried Wellbutrin, SSRIs, Buspar, Remeron. Been on so many things, and this thing brought some emotions back, way lessened intrusive thoughts, increased a completely non-existent sex drive, helped me with extreme fatigue. Went off, and obsessions and worthlessness came back. Went straight back on, and I felt a difference immediately. Been able to stop sleeping until 12-2 pm too. Wake up in the morning at 7 am, put on a podcast, and I don’t feel like death. Be self-compassionate and have hope. I take it in the morning, 200 mg, because it can give me insomnia if I take it at night. I can cry, I can laugh, I don’t feel like I’m drowning. Oh, pretty much no side effects I can note besides insomnia if taken at night."

• FTF...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 31, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I just started Lamictal a few days ago and am already seeing a huge difference in my mood. I’m actually happy and productive. It does cause a bit of insomnia, but other than that I haven’t noticed any side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Lamictal for approximately a month now for bipolar 1, slowly working up to what I am now at 100mg. I have noticed a dramatic drop in depression but hypomania only slightly changed. I think it only feels like it has worsened because the depression isn't there to bring me back down. I still can't sleep at night, I still panic, feel the doom of anxiety, and racing thoughts among other things. I have had an incredibly increased libido. Overall, I can't believe how well it's working in such a short time without the terrible side effects that other medications can give you. I'm a mom of 4. I have no time to be a zombie, confused, tired, and slow. I look forward to seeing the next few months."

• Non...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 9, 2019

For Epilepsy "Lamictal did not work for me, 200 mg in the am and 200 mg pm. No changes with seizures in my sleep, but side effects were insomnia, constipation, and hair loss. I had to take a sleep aid to get a decent night's sleep, or else 2 or 3 hours was all I could get."

• Kir...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 10, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I started on Lamictal after having manic episodes on Zoloft as well as Wellbutrin. I was a heavy cigarette and marijuana smoker. In the first couple of weeks of starting Lamictal, I was able to quit smoking weed and cigarettes! I didn't have insomnia as I previously did when trying to quit marijuana. My mood was much improved. I had been suicidal before, and I started exercising again on Lamictal. I developed an unknown rash about 2 years into Lamictal and stopped immediately. The rash disappeared. It looked like 8 mosquito bites all over my legs. I was forced to try Abilify, which made me gain over 40 pounds and take naps during the day. Today, I have started back on Lamictal and am back on track with exercising and enjoying life."

• Ant...
• October 27, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I'm on Wellbutrin already and was recently put on Lamictal. It stabilized my moods a bit, but I stopped taking it due to the horrible insomnia and very vivid dreams. Every time I went to bed and managed to sleep, I woke up exhausted due to my brain consistently running through the night. I had to stop it, I was tired all the time because of the horrible insomnia."

• Man...
• June 10, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "Before I started taking this medicine, my moods were up and down: anger, anxiety, not sleeping at night, back pain, fear of leaving the house, etc. This medicine has changed my life completely. I don't feel like the same person. I never enjoyed living the way that I do now. I'm up early in the mornings, doing things and being productive, which is so different from what I used to be. Thanks to this medicine, I'm actually living. I've tried so many things, and nothing else works. Miracle by far. No anxiety, no sleep problems, energy, and relationships are improving so well."

• Jac...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 6, 2024

For Bipolar Disorder "Works for me at a low dose of 50 mg. I tried 6 months at 100 mg, and it affected my memory and sleep. Overall, it does help depression, but it is trial and error to find the lowest effective dose and if you should take it am or pm. Tapering back from 100 mg down to 50 mg wasn't too bad either, nothing like the torture I have experienced with SSRI meds."

• Pra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 19, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "The way Lamictal works faster or slow is due to your metabolism. I could go up doses very fast without having the rash, but wow, I suffered so much while going through this process. It does get worse before it gets better. Once you get to the therapeutic dose, then things start to improve. Now, some of us have vivid dreams. Scary sometimes, but you get used to them. Also, it took me at least 5 months until I got its full benefit. And it may cause you insomnia; need some Ambien for that. Ambien stopped working after 5 months. So when I tried melatonin, it worked pretty well. Melatonin didn't work in the first months on this drug. Only worked after the 5 months, and then after a few 2 months, I didn't need it anymore. I was sleeping well without it."

• lan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Starting Lamictal with the smaller doses did not offer much alleviation until I was titrated up to about 75-100 mg. It's been a wonderful experience so far with 100 mg, and I do believe it can be an extremely effective drug for Bipolar 2 patients! The only side effects I faced upon starting and a few days after titration include dizziness and mild insomnia."

• Yol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 28, 2023

"I have tried about 6 different SSRIs and SNRIs, and none worked. Most had unpleasant side effects. My whole family can tell the difference in my mood! I am much less anxious. I didn't even realize how anxious I was before taking Lamictal because it had become the norm. I don't feel like a zombie. There are no sexual side effects. My intrusive thoughts are gone, and I don't feel so impulsive. I still feel things, but it's like it's not an overwhelming feeling. I have thought to myself several times over the last two months, 'This is what normal feels like.' Relatives have thought for years that I had bipolar type 2, but no doctor would diagnose that. I'm so glad I asked my psychiatrist to try me on this! Please be an advocate for your own mental health. Dosage - 50 mg once a day. Side effects - mild insomnia (other than that, NONE). Time - 2 months. Prev drugs: Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta, Paxil, Pristiq."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 12, 2017

For Epilepsy "I have taken 150 mg of this drug for 3 and a half years for a condition known as benign epilepsy. In that time, I've continued to have seizures every six months on average, as well as experiencing a number of negative side effects including insomnia, constant sighing, impaired short-term memory, lack of motivation, depressive thoughts, and difficulty completing tasks due to lack of motivation."

• Fru...
• March 15, 2010

For Seizure Prevention "I have been taking Lamictal for the past several months, with a maximum dose of 500 mg/day (I was on 150 mg/day, but that wasn't controlling my seizures). Unfortunately, the seizures have not stopped. I haven't missed a dose, yet they keep coming back. My seizures on Tegretol were so infrequent (1-2/year), and now they are much more frequent. Plus, it is giving me horrible acne on my face and chest, and strange itchiness on my skin now and again. Also, I cannot sleep well. Overall, I do not recommend this, but who knows, everyone is different."

• Bar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I am on the 3rd day on this medication. After just one pill, my mood became much better, but the downside is that it causes insomnia, and when I fell asleep finally, I have nightmares. The dry mouth bothers me the most because it causes bad breath. Also, in the afternoon, I get so tired, I have to sleep when I am not working, and I sleep a lot, like 3-4 hours."

• lan...
• July 16, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "Lamictal is a great drug for me, except for the side effects. I now have had to be put on sleep medicines or I stay awake all night. I have also lost quite a lot of hair over the years of taking it. At one point (400mg) per day. Now at 200mg a day, it has not been as bad, but still significant. My memory has gotten almost to the point of giving up the medicine because it's so bad. I also have trouble thinking of words that I want to say and have never had that problem until taking Lamictal. It does have less or (better) side effects than some of the others, or I would have tried something else by now."

• Hel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2024

For Bipolar Disorder "Recently diagnosed with cyclothymia after it being misdiagnosed for 2 years as depression. Used to be on Sertraline 50 mg, now tapering off of it and just started Lamotrigine 2 weeks ago (50 mg currently being increased to 100 slowly). This medication is amazing, I used to have multiple mood swings every day, which were making it impossible to study and even affected my social life. Since I started it, I feel like I'm back to my normal happy, stable self that I hadn't seen for a while. From my experience, I felt like antidepressants didn't change much of my emotional reactivity (except for anxiety), but with this one, it really cut off the edges of the too intense ones. Didn't get any side effects except small skin irritation the 1st day (but there is a rare but real risk of lethal skin reaction with it, so please be careful). The only downside is the increased hyperactivity and sleep disorder I already had from Sertraline, but I'll take that over the mood swings anytime."

• Twi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 31, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I moved from quetiapine to Lamictal about six weeks ago. I have stopped itching as badly now and feel quite good. Currently taking 200 mg. I am having trouble sleeping. Here in England, the doctor doesn't prescribe sleeping pills. I'm very tired in the morning as a result and early evening, then come alive! I feel things better, my anger and irritation have subsided. I have lost a stone in weight in the last 8 weeks. This has helped, so I feel more positive. I wish I could relax, though."

• Gay...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 21, 2017

For Seizure Prevention "I've been on Lamictal for 1 year for seizure prevention/mood swings. I gained weight, have a dry mouth, and insomnia. I told my neurologist I wanted to come off seizure meds as I haven't had a seizure for 5 years, he said no because the next seizure I have may be fatal! Great bedside manner! Now I have to live with side effects as I'm scared to come off Lamictal."

• mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 27, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Lamictal for about a month now. I started on 50 mg, 2nd week 75 mg, and 3rd week 100 mg at night. 1st 2 days in on 50, I felt borderline aggressive and very irritable. This evened out on the 3rd day, and I began to feel very motivated and able to think clearly. I still experienced a few depressive episodes, but I hope to get onto an antidepressant once my dose is high enough. I've begun taking 25 mg in the AM to slowly move up to 100 in the AM on top of my 100 at night. Since I have, my memory, attention, and anxiety have worsened, and other side effects have been sweating, raised heart rate, some trouble sleeping, and slight photophobia. Most of these have subsided as I adjust, so overall, it's best to stick with it for a bit."

• Lon...
• February 7, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "After years of antidepressant tablets that worked only to blank out my memory and let me survive, I went on to lamotrigine six months ago. Suddenly and quickly, I started to feel normal again. My long-term memory has returned, and I take pleasure in music and nature again. I feel so much happier. On the negative side, the fatigue became a problem but has reduced as I reduced my dose to get to optimal. Insomnia and vivid dreams have increased, but I can deal with that. Also, blurred vision and dizziness that are slowly disappearing. In short, a miracle for bipolar 2. I also take Lexapro."

• elf...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 24, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "Lamotrigine was the first medication I was prescribed after being diagnosed with bipolar II at 32 years old. Almost immediately, I felt more even. As I was titrated from 25 mg to 250 mg over a few months, I was lifted out of a severe, crippling depression. Lamotrigine is my “pep” drug because it works for me as an antidepressant. I did go manic on it a couple of times when the medication dosage was increased and had to go on a second medication (Neurontin) to “bring me down.” But the two meds together work to even me out. Overall, I think this is a great medication. I’ve had no major side effects except severe insomnia, but the second medication, a sleeping medication, helps manage that."

• mu9...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 28, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Lamictal for almost 2 years now, and it's really helped (I take 250-300mg a day). I don't get manic episodes at all (apart from some mild hypomania), which has been a big help in my social life. I also don't get manic --> depressed crashes (because, no manic episode). The only downsides have been I found it doesn't help with my sleep, and because it stabilizes so well, and I have always struggled with depression, it can keep me stable but at a very low mood. In those cases, I have used it with an SNRI and felt much better. Also, I had very few side effects (apart from sleep and feeling a bit head-coldy when not actually sick), and if I'm consistent with my medication, I can finally feel and function as basically neurotypical :) Highly, highly recommend! And I'm so proud of you for looking into getting help!"

• Anonymous
• January 11, 2012

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Makes me a speed freak, can't sit still, constantly moving my hands or my face or something, like a panic attack without anxiety! It seems to have helped with anxiety, though, but I still take Xanax for when I just literally cannot stop moving around, grinding my teeth or jerking my neck around. I have severe muscle spasms in the neck. I think it has helped me in some ways but not others, it made my already severe insomnia worse, so now I have sleeping pills (which still don't work sometimes). It has sort of improved my mood, some people say I'm less erratic. I am not sure, though. I'm giving it a 5 because the neck pain is bad, and the increased paranoia is bad, and I don't really think it has helped with dissociation too much."