Lamictal and pimples?

[amiegrace]

Here I am, 34 years old, and my face is flaring up like it did when I was 13. This sucks. Lamictal is helping with my anxiety but now I have the pimples that I'm 99% sure are related to this med.

Anyone else have/had this problem? Any suggestions? I just can't stay on it if I end up with a pizza face.

[Andrew]

According to the information listed on http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/lamotrigine_ad.htm, Acne is an infrequent dermatological side effect. (infrequent adverse events are those occurring in 1/100 to 1/1,000 patients)

[adhdogwalker]

I just got a few pimples also. I only take 75 mg. of Lamictal currently because it makes me severely cognitively dysfunctional and hyper when I increase the dose, so I have to go very slowly. I haven't had a pimple in years! I can't use any products for acne-prone skin at all-- they just dry out my face and make me break out more.

This may not help as it does not address the underlying problem of the medication, but try using Cetaphil facial cleanser. Your skin might be more sensitive as a result of the Lamictal. I've tried a zillion fancy face soaps over the years and this is the only one that I can use (tried a new one recently, so this could be the reason for my 3 zits).

Also-- could it be due to hormonal changes because of recent pregnancy? Hormones can definitely affect skin and since your pregnancy ended abruptly, perhaps your hormones haven't balanced themselves out again yet. Just a thought.

A weird aside-- I had had clear skin for a long while and my skin started breaking out while I had meningitis. I proceeded to have teenage skin again for exactly one year, then my face cleared up completely and I haven't had a problem since. I think it must have been all the toxins in my body from the meningitis (which take a very long time to go away).

[SuperChan]

Interesting that you mention this. My back has been breaking out like crazy since I started this med. Not to mention other hormonal problems have been going crazy too. I was also wondering if the two are linked.

[amiegrace]

Adhddogwalker,
I weaned my daughter a few months ago, then I got pregnant, then I lost the baby, and I am stressed out -- I've used 10% benzoyl peroxide for a long time and it's worked just fine, but you're right, all that could be the cause. I've just noticed this increased greasiness to my skin, like two hours after I wash in the morning my face and hair look greasy again. Yuck.

However, on the plus side, they do say that oily skin and face somehow preserves a youthful appearance. I am 34 with almost no wrinkling at all.

I've been eating a LOT of candy since my pregnancy loss, just to comfort myself. I don't gain weight easily so I can excuse myself (even though I know the candy isn't good for me and the dentist confirmed that by the condition of my teeth), but it is probably contributing to my face problem.

I am not a vain person at all but I have always hated zits and my skin scars so easily -- and I can't afford all the facial surgery stuff they do to get rid of it. But perhaps I could start a little fund for myself . . .

[Zoie]

I have major acne problems, always have. But I have been able to control them for the most part with diet

I cut out refined sugar (not easy its in almost everything) chocolate and candy defiantly cause me to break out

Also cut out carbonated beverages (someone once told me they cause acne, and weigh gain)

And grease/oil will also cause acne.

Just a thought, perhaps you don't need to eliminate them completely from your diet but watch the amount you have and maybe experiment with what works and what doesn't. Most foods for me take 1 to 3 days to show on my face/chest/back.

Good luck

[Missgoldie]

I was taking Lamictal at a low dosage for the longest time and then I started breaking out all over my mid and lower back and, chest and face. I have never had that it my life so I stopped takin the meds and within in a few weeks it went away. Since the lamictal was working for me I decided to restart in hopes of remaining acne free but within 1 week the breakouts came back!

In my opinion, there is a definite correlation between Lamictal and acne.

[mdbutler71]

Originally Posted by SuperChan

Interesting that you mention this. My back has been breaking out like crazy since I started this med....

Yep, this has been an issue for me too. Thankfully, it not on the face.

[notmADD]

This was side effect for me as well when I was on Lamictal. I take krill oil and zinc. Both make my skin lovely! Also, drink lots of H2O.

[abilified]

I have yet to try lamictal, but am on concerta (amphetamine) which caused me to break out like crazy all over my body when I first started it. I decided to go on yasmin and it has helped get rid of the disgusting cystic zzits with minimal side effects. I still have mild acne but it has honestly made a huge difference.

[Sullivan]

home remedies for pimples are....

1. Potatoes grated and applied on affected area can cure pimples. It is also effective on curing boils, whiteheads, blackheads, and other skin blemishes.
2. Combine 1 part of rose water to 1 part of lime juice and apply it in the pimples. Leave it for about 20-30 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water.
3. Applying an orange peel paste on the area of your face with pimples is another effective way. The orange peel should become a paste by grinding it with little water.
4. Combine cinnamon powder with honey and form it into paste. Right before sleeping, apply the mixture to your face and wash it the next morning. Do this every night for about 2 weeks and you will no longer worry about pimples.

[L120]

This makes a lot of sense. Both my sister and I are on lamictal, and have gotten out of control acne since starting the medicine. She's 25 and I'm 22, so it seems a bit weird that we would break out so badly so long after our teenage years. I will have to try some of those home remedies, thanks!

[norelevance]

Interesting. I started getting bad facial and back breakouts around the same time I started Lamictal a year and a half ago. That's also the time I switched from the Mirena IUD to Implanon. Everything was mostly okay for about 6 months, then went crazy. I thought it was the Implanon, so I had it removed (it was also making it so I was on my period 3 weeks out of the month... not fun). I switched to the pill and saw a pretty quick improvement but not an entire clear up.

I'm still dealing with some pretty deep cysts that at least aren't inflamed now and a bunch of whiteheads/blackheads, but no pustules. Benzoyl Peroxide was wonderful, but I hate how it bleaches things, so I will only put a 5% solution on for a few hours before bed, then wash really well and put a salicylic acid treatment along with a drop of jojoba oil and an oil free moisturizer. You'd think the oil would only perpetuate the breakouts but it helps a lot since overdrying can cause more breakouts and it helps heal anything I have messed with and regretted after.

Anyway... that was a long winded way of adding my experience to the thread. I'm glad you posted about it. I am on Lamictal for a bipolar-NOS diagnosis, but just got diagnosed with ADD (or ADHD-I, I guess... I'm still new to this). It's possible that I'm not bipolar at all (no euphoric mania), so I'll be pushing to stop Lamictal when it comes time to start eliminating my bp meds. Thanks for planting the seed.