I just started lamictal yesterday. When I picked up my prescription at the pharmacy, the pharmacist told me that lamictal can decrease the effectiveness of birth control.

I currently take a low dose birth control pill. Increasing the strength of my birth control isn't an option. When I tried higher dose birth control pills they caused horrible side effects.

Does anyone know anything about this? For those of you women of child bearing age who take lamictal, what do you do about birth control?

Unfortunately, the only reason I now take birth control is to keep my menstrual cycle and mood stabilized. As for it's "birth control" qualities, I have been told by both my OBGYN and pdoc that it may not be effective and unless I'm willing to risk having more kids, other methods will be necessary.

I asked my doc about it and he said no.

I would call Glaxo Smith Kline. I did and they told me that it would not affect my birth control (I take seasonal). I even told the guy I spoke to that I read the thing that you get from the pharmacy and it said "it may" cause a reduction in effectiveness.

I am guessing that GSK knows what they are talking about. It might depend on what kind of birth control you take. Actually, the guy said that the birth control makes the Lamictal about 1/2 as effective (something about metobolizing the drug) when on birth control pills, so if anything you may have increase the dose of Lamictal. Go to the lamictal web sight and find the contact info (they also have some cool mood tracking charts you can print out!!!)