Bipolar Disorder Support Group
Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.
IF YOU DEVELOP ANY RASH WHILE TAKING LAMICTAL DISCONTINUE USE AND SEEK IMMEADIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION.
The following is a direct paste from just the beginning of WebMD's listing on lamictal/lamotragine...
Rarely, serious (sometimes fatal) skin rashes have occurred while taking this medication. These rashes (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome) are more common in children under 16 than in adults. Therefore, lamotrigine should not be used in children except for the treatment of partial seizures or seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Rashes may be more likely if you start at too high a dose, if your dose increases too quickly, or if you take it with certain anti-seizure medications (valproic acid, divalproex). Most serious rashes occur within 2 to 8 weeks of starting lamotrigine, but such rashes may occur anytime during use. (See also Side Effects section.)
Seek immediate medical attention if you develop any type of skin rash while taking this medication, or if you have hives, fever, swollen lymph glands, painful sores in the mouth or around the eyes, or swelling of the lips or tongue. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking lamotrigine. Even after you stop taking this medication, it is still possible for the rash to become life-threatening or cause permanent scars or other problems.
The following is a direct paste from just the beginning of WebMD's listing on lamictal/lamotragine...
Rarely, serious (sometimes fatal) skin rashes have occurred while taking this medication. These rashes (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome) are more common in children under 16 than in adults. Therefore, lamotrigine should not be used in children except for the treatment of partial seizures or seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Rashes may be more likely if you start at too high a dose, if your dose increases too quickly, or if you take it with certain anti-seizure medications (valproic acid, divalproex). Most serious rashes occur within 2 to 8 weeks of starting lamotrigine, but such rashes may occur anytime during use. (See also Side Effects section.)
Seek immediate medical attention if you develop any type of skin rash while taking this medication, or if you have hives, fever, swollen lymph glands, painful sores in the mouth or around the eyes, or swelling of the lips or tongue. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking lamotrigine. Even after you stop taking this medication, it is still possible for the rash to become life-threatening or cause permanent scars or other problems.
Hope your wedding is wonderful!
On a side note: The doctor was talking to me about the label and how it says "stop taking this medication and seek medical attention." She said if it was going to take a few days to get in to see a doctor, it wasn't always good to stop taking the medicine. Suddenly going "cold turkey" can cause problems of it's own and 3 days without taking it means you have to start all over again from 25mg. Obviously, if the rash is spreading and severe, you should go to a hospital if your regular doctor isn't available. If it's a small rash that isn't spreading and you aren't experiencing any other symptoms like fever, headache, nausea, etc... it's better to continue your meds until you see your doctor. Though you should see your doctor as soon as possible.
I am inbetween pd's right now, so only have my family doc and he doesn't want to be involved with my bp meds, I am on 5. I don't want to go to a walk in clinic as they are also family doctors and will only send me to ER, so yesterday I went to ER. The doc was wonderfull and knowledgable about bipolar. He checked my arms and told me it was probably a Lamictal rash, but they don't have a test to tell so he adviced me to stop taking Lamictal and see if it goes away, then we'll know. I explained my situation with my pd leaving and being worried about a family doc taking over. So he told me to stay on it and keep a close eye on the rash and if it or any other symptoms get worse to come back to ER.
Lamictal was a life saver for me, it brought me out of a deep dark depression that lasted 3 months. I hope this rash goes away.