Expert: Libby Bonner - 8/31/2009

Question
If you stop taking Lamictal suddenly, will you become manic again? If so, how long will it take? Days? Weeks? Thanks.

Answer
Probably.  How many manic episodes have you had?  How many times been hospitalized or jailed  when you were off?

Stopping it will definitely screw you up somehow if you are taking it w/ other meds,because then nothing will be in balance.

You are welcome to write again to tell me more about this, but my suggestion is to ask for a longer appt w/ your doc, soon, and tell him at length and frankly why you want to go off lamictal.

You do have a chronic illness for which you will need meds always......  What I can tell you for sure is that a life sort of on meds, on and off meds, not exactly on meds, is not a life most people want for themselves.  Also - true - the more times you dump meds and end up messed up, the likelier it is that succeeding episodes of illness and/or the frequency will get worse.

Do see if the doc can't find something you are willing to try.