Lamictal Depression - Side Effects

It is important to known about the side effects of any medication – both for the patient and the doctor of course. This is especially important when one is talking about medication for depression. The reality is that every medicine comes with its own slew of side effects. Doctors will prescribe medication along with other drugs and medicines so that the patient has the least amount of problems. Lamictal is one of the medicines used by doctors to treat depression. But Lamictal depression can have a few side effects.

How and when is Lamictal used?
The usage of Lamictal is indicated for treatment of:

Bipolar disorder
Epilepsy
Unipolar depression and
As a mood stabilizer

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The medication kicks in depending on the health condition of the patient. For instance, if the doctor has prescribed 25mg of Lamictal for a patient who has bipolar disorder, then the effects will start showing within 3 days or so.

Side effects of Lamictal depression
Even though Lamictal has shown some pretty high rates of effectiveness when it comes to treating depression, a patient and doctor should watch out for side effects such as:

Rashes
Drowsiness
Sleeplessness
Cognitive disorders
Headaches
Problems with vision such as blurring and extra sensitivity to light
Dizziness, nausea

Probably one of the most common side effects is dizziness but there are a lot of cases that show that rashes is one of the biggest problems of Lamictal dosage. So which ones should be taken more seriously than others?

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The side effects of Lamictal depression treatment that are serious
Some of the symptoms given below are classified as the less common or rarer side effects of Lamictal depression treatment but they warrant immediate attention and a visit to the doctor:

Skin problems like severe rashes, Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Significant changes in mental state including the patient feeling suicidal
Seizures which may occur frequently
Meningitis – aseptic or one that is not the result of an infection
Decrease in blood platelet count and other cells in the blood
Mental or mood changes including violent bouts of anger, confusion, anxiety and memory loss
Body aches and pains including back pain, muscular aches and so on

Even as more and more doctors are turning to Lamictal for treating various kinds of depressive disorders, there is no denying the fact that they are also getting more and more aware of the various side effects that this medication can have. Most patients are told about the side effects and when they should rush to immediate medical care when and if the symptoms show up.

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James