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Lamotrigine

H1235
H1235 Member Posts: 577
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in Caring for a Parent

My mom was put on lamotrigine for her anger. Does anyone have any experience with it? It is not something I have seen discussed here before.

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  • M1
    M1 Member Posts: 6,788
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    Reasonable choice, it's a pretty safe drug, is a seizure medication that has crossover uses (like Depakote/valproic acid) in bipolar disorder and depression. Haven't seen it used in dementia as commonly, but it's worth a shot....

  • mpang123
    mpang123 Member Posts: 229
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    I take lamotrigine for bipolar depression. Works great for me! I'm stabilized!

  • mabelgirl
    mabelgirl Member Posts: 230
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    how long has she been on it? How old is she? My mom has very angry outbursts hence my interest. It would be nice to know how your experience goes.

  • H1235
    H1235 Member Posts: 577
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    https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/207675#Comment_207675

    She just started. I would encourage you to talk with her doctor. I have seen people here mention a few different medications for the anger.

  • H1235
    H1235 Member Posts: 577
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    Mom has been on this on this for about 4 weeks. She is still not up to the full dose. The difference is amazing! I have my mom back. It is so nice. I visited today and it was the first enjoyable visit I have had with her in a long time. She moved into AL only 3 days ago. I would have expected her to be angry from the move, but she wasn’t. I even brought her clothes that she had insisted she would need to go through, she didn’t want us touching anything days ago. Maybe part of it the independents of AL vs living with my brother. Maybe a bit of both. I am so happy!

  • M1
    M1 Member Posts: 6,788
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    That is great news....for whatever reason. Hope it continues!

  • SeattleChrista
    SeattleChrista Member Posts: 5
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    I’ve never heard of Lamotrigine being used this way, to treat anger. It’s a heavy hitter for mood stabilization with mood disorders such as bipolar. Doctors prescribe off brand frequently so it’s helpful to hear such situations. I’ve repeatedly had the experience of suggesting a medication and it being tried, so this is going in my bucket. My Dad is not aggressive with his anger, it’s more frustration at this point, that he ‘doesn’t know what he doesnt know,” but I see that frustration increasing. Thanks for the share.

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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