I -- CAN'T -- BELIEVE -- IT . . .

I am pregnant.

I replied to a post of Nonsequitor's a while back about how I had been having a heavy period for two weeks and thought it was due to Lamictal (I had recently gone up to 200 mgs). At the same time I was dog sick with a bad cold for about three weeks and thought the Lamictal was to blame (suppressing immune system, maybe??).

Then I started feeling queasy and thought it was due to all the cold medicine I had been taking but some little voice in my brain kept telling me to go to the Dollar Tree and get a pregnancy test. I thought it was stupid because there couldn't be any lining left for an embryo to implant after a two week period, and I had taken a pregnancy test the day before my "period" started -- it was negative.

And then -- excuse me Lord, but the first thing I said when the second line went pink was "Holy Sh*&."

I got preg on Lamictal over four years ago. Stopped taking it for a long time, until about six weeks ago -- and here I am. Goodness gracious.

Going off the Lamictal, of course. It's not as dangerous as Tegretol or Depakote, but I can't chance it. Pregnancy seems to be stabilizing mood wise for me (at least it was last time).

I wonder if Lamictal has some fertility property that I'm not aware of!

Just a thought-- maybe it evens out your mood which reduces the amount of physical stress on your body (my mood cycles are always accompanied with severe physical agitation) which then makes it easier for you to get pregnant? I'm no expert as I've never been pregnant nor intend to have children (my pets are my kids :)). I think I've heard that stress levels can affect fertility.

Just did a quick scan of the physician prescribing info. for Lamictal and plasma concentrations of it are affected by birth control. Perhaps it interacts with your hormones in such a way as to make you more fertile? Again, a guess, as I didn't read and analyze the info. too closely and it's not quite exactly related to conceiving.

Congratulations, btw.

Update: I read a little more after I posted last night. The physician prescribing info. also states that Lamictal decreases the efficacy of oral contraceptives.

I know you don't take them, amiegrace, but just wanted to pass this tidbit of info. along.

Update: I read a little more after I posted last night. The physician prescribing info. also states that Lamictal decreases the efficacy of oral contraceptives.

I know you don't take them, amiegrace, but just wanted to pass this tidbit of info. along.


The interaction seems to depend on the type of hormonal birth control used. Apparently, Lamictal can reduce the efficacy of progestin only oral contraceptives as well as the implant and Depo Provera.
On the other hand, combined hormonal BC (Ortho-Cyclen/TriCyclen/TriCyclen-Lo, Yaz, Loestrin/Loestrin24, the patch, Nueva Ring, etc) has the potential to decrease Lamictal levels by 50%, sometimes requiring a dose adjustment.

I find this interesting because when I first started Lamictal, I was taking a break from BCPs (had been on Ortho-TriCyclen for years). Titrated up to 200mg/day and got good symptom control. A few months later, I went back on BC (Ortho-TriCyclen Lo then later Yaz) and now that I look back, that's around the time I started having less symptom control from the Lamictal and my doc ended up doubling my Lamictal. I didn't see the connection before and it was never mentioned to me but it does make sense now that I look back on it.

Other than the dose doubling, I've had no other interactions b/w the two. Not so much as a scare in ~2 yrs of being on both. Thank goodness because I'd be really upset if my ideal BP med conflicted with my BC pills!