[Dr. Snow]

Originally Posted by knittinggal

Anyway, a few weeks ago I developed this itchy rash like on my upper arms and behind my arms. My skin was raised, but only red if I scratched. It went away and now it's back...I've tried searching on google for rashes, but came up empty handed with what I have. Could this be due to the lamictal?

where can I find more info on this? Maybe some pics so I can compare?

Info from Crazy Meds! The Good, The Bad & The Funny of Neurological Medications:

Lamictal's Typical Side Effects: The usual for anticonvulsants. More so than any other anticonvulsant Lamictal (lamotrigine) is going to give you rashes.

This is a real problem, because Stevens-Johnson syndrome and assorted other serious rashes are bigger concerns with Lamictal (lamotrigine) than any other anticonvulsant, so often Lamictal (lamotrigine) therapy will end at the first sign of any rash. While any rash with Lamictal (lamotrigine) needs to be closely watched, it's the combination of an itching rash and fever with any anticonvulsant that needs immediate attention from a doctor, any doctor. Lamictal (lamotrigine) + itching rash + fever = trip to the emergency room with all of your meds in their original bottles. The following picture is what an actual case of Lamictal-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome looks like:


Lamictal Rash Picture


Otherwise it's just call your regular doctor for the soonest appointment possible. Still, I wish everyone would just calm the hell down about The Rash. Yes, it can be fatal, but it usually takes forever to kill you! And I don't mean in a movie-of-the-week, slow, painful death way, I mean that the symptoms show up early and you usually have plenty of time to take action before it's too late. One member of a bipolar support group walked around with an itchy rash and a fever for two weeks before she saw a doctor and she's fine. That was stupid, but not really all that stupid. The rash is slow to kill. Once you see the first symptoms and stop taking Lamictal (lamotrigine), The Rash goes away and you're safe! Problem solved! OK, you'll have truly sucky problem of not being able to take Lamictal (lamotrigine), but that's something else altogether. That doesn't mean you should be lax about any itchy rash and fever, because these skin things have no fixed rate. But the math is pretty simple - if you live in a country where Lamictal is available, you live where the hospitals can deal with The Rash without it being a big deal. Really!

I've received two e-mails from people who have had to be hospitalized because of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. One sent repeatedly in an awful blue font on fuchsia (to either get my attention or just give me a headache) relating how this person ignored the combination of itchy rash and fever for more than three days and wound up in the hospital. And of course blamed Lamictal for all of her woes. The other person is the reason why there are black-box warnings. He added a single 25mg dose of Lamictal to his regimen of Depakote and had to be hospitalized immediately because The Rash hit swiftly. His is the one case in many tens of thousands where it happens that rapidly. In very rare cases The Rash can be a big ******* deal. That's why there's a black box warning on the PI sheet. More often than not it's stupidity that is the main problem people have. Be annoying with your doctor about rashes and Lamictal. Better safe than sorry.

Now when you look at the PI sheet and actually look at the odds you have a 1 in 10 chance of getting some kind of rash with Lamictal (lamotrigine). Not necessarily The Rash, just some random rash. So don't go trying out any new skin products. In fact you may want to start getting all hypoallergenic before even starting therapy, getting rid of scented soaps, fabric softeners and such like.