Lamotrigine
About Lamotrigine
Lamotrigine is a prescription oral tablet used to help control certain types of seizures in people with epilepsy and to delay or prevent mood episodes in adults with Bipolar I disorder. By stabilising abnormal electrical activity in the brain, this medicine helps reduce seizures and supports long-term mood stability.
To get the best results, it is important to take Lamotrigine exactly as prescribed at the same time every day. You can take the tablet with or without food. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule, avoiding missed doses, and managing stress can help improve your treatment outcomes.
While taking Lamotrigine, you may experience mild side effects such as dizziness, sleepiness, headache, or nausea, especially when starting treatment or after a dose increase. However, if you develop a skin rash, blistering, fever, swollen lymph nodes, or signs of a severe allergic reaction, stop taking the medicine and seek immediate medical attention, as these reactions can be serious.
Before starting Lamotrigine, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease, heart problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, or have previously experienced an allergic reaction to Lamotrigine or similar medicines. Your doctor may adjust your dose or monitor you more closely during treatment.
This medicine can interact with several prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, hormonal contraceptives, and alcohol. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or are an older adult, consult your healthcare provider to determine whether this medicine is suitable for you.
Uses of Lamotrigine
Medicinal Benefits
Lamotrigine helps control seizures and maintain mood stability by reducing abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Regular use can improve day-to-day functioning, reduce the risk of recurring symptoms, and enhance overall quality of life. Key benefits include:
- Helps Control Seizures: This medication reduces the frequency and severity of certain types of seizures, helping improve safety and confidence during daily activities.
- Supports Long-Term Mood Stability: For adults with Bipolar I disorder, it helps delay or prevent mood episodes, particularly depression, supporting emotional stability over time.
- Improves Daily Functioning: By helping manage seizures or mood fluctuations, this medication allows many people to maintain a more consistent routine and participate more comfortably in work, school, and social activities.
Directions for Use
- Take Lamotrigine with food or as directed by your doctor.
- Always follow your doctor’s advice regarding the prescribed dosage and duration of treatment.
- Swallow Lamotrigine whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, chew, or break the tablet.
Storage
Side Effects of Lamotrigine
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Dizziness or feeling unsteady
- Sleepiness or tiredness
- Headache
- Nausea or stomach discomfort
- Blurred or double vision
Serious Side Effects (Call a doctor right away):
- Skin rash, blistering, or peeling skin, especially with fever or flu-like symptoms
- Swollen lymph nodes, fever, or severe muscle pain
- New or worsening depression, anxiety, unusual behaviour, or thoughts of self-harm
- Severe dizziness, loss of coordination, or uncontrolled eye movements
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, which may indicate liver problems
Medicines Containing this Salt
View AllDrug Warnings
- Watch for skin rash: Seek immediate medical attention if you develop a rash, blistering, or peeling skin, especially during the first 2–8 weeks of treatment.
- Take it consistently: Do not skip doses, as missed doses may increase the risk of seizures or reduce treatment effectiveness.
- Check your medicine: If your tablets look different after a refill, confirm with your pharmacist before taking them.
- Avoid driving initially: Until you know how this medicine affects you, avoid driving or operating machinery.
- Inform healthcare providers: Tell your doctor, dentist, or surgeon that you are taking Lamotrigine before any medical or dental procedure.
Drug Interactions
Inform your doctor about all medicines you are taking before starting this medicine, as they may interact with Lamotrigine and affect your treatment.
- Hormonal contraceptives: Combined hormonal contraceptives may reduce Lamotrigine levels, while Lamotrigine may slightly reduce progestin levels in some contraceptives. Your doctor may adjust your treatment if needed.
- Other antiepileptic medicines: Valproate significantly increases Lamotrigine levels and the risk of serious skin reactions, whereas carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, and primidone may reduce Lamotrigine levels.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeIt is advised to avoid alcohol consumption while taking Lamotrigine. Alcohol intake, along with Lamotrigine, may cause increased dizziness and drowsiness. Please consult your doctor for more information.
Pregnancy
cautionLamotrigine is a pregnancy category C drug. Animal studies showed that Lamotrigine affects the fetus in pregnancy, but there is limited data in humans. Using antipsychotic drugs during the third trimester of pregnancy can cause muscle problems in newborns. Please consult your doctor before taking Lamotrigine if you are pregnant or planning to conceive.
Breast Feeding
cautionIt is not known if Lamotrigine is excreted into the breast milk. Please consult your doctor before taking Lamotrigine if you are a breastfeeding mother.
Driving
unsafeLamotrigine may make you feel dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive if you are not mentally alert or experience any symptoms that affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.
Liver
cautionDose adjustment may be needed in patients with liver impairment. Please consult your doctor if you have a liver impairment or any concerns regarding this.
Kidney
cautionDose adjustment may be needed in patients with kidney impairment. Please consult your doctor if you have kidney impairment or any concerns regarding this.
Children
cautionLamotrigine can be given to children if prescribed by the doctor. The doctor will adjust the dose.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule: Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night, as sleep deprivation can increase the risk of seizures and trigger mood episodes.
- Limit or avoid alcohol: Alcohol can worsen dizziness and drowsiness, interfere with your treatment, and may increase the risk of seizures or mood instability.
- Manage stress effectively: Practise relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, or other activities that help reduce stress.
- Track your treatment: Keep a diary of your medication schedule, seizure activity, mood changes, and any side effects to help your doctor monitor your progress and adjust treatment if needed.
Special Advise
- Contact your doctor if your child gets her first period whilst on treatment with Lamotrigine.
- If you are of childbearing age, use effective contraception without interruptions during your entire treatment with Lamotrigine.
- Consult your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking Lamotrigine.
- After taking Lamotrigine, if you have thoughts of harming or killing yourself (suicidal behaviour), stop taking Lamotrigine and immediately contact your doctor.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Epilepsy: It is a brain-related problem in which there is a sudden rush of electricity in the brain. This sudden, uncontrolled disturbance in nerve cell's electrical activity in the brain results in recurrent seizures (fits), sometimes leading to an unconscious state. In patients with seizures, the typical brain electrical pattern is disrupted by sudden bursts of electrical impulses that affect an individual's consciousness, movements, or sensations. Seizures are of two types: generalised and partial seizures. Generalised seizures affect the entire brain, whereas partial seizures affect only a part of the brain. Seizures can cause uncontrollable muscle twitches and spasms. Stronger seizures may cause people to become confused or unconscious. Possible causes include high fever, trauma, genetic disorder, brain injury, or stroke.
Bipolar disorder: Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression or bipolar disease, is a mental health disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from manic highs to depressive lows.
FAQs
Lamotrigine is used in the treatment of Epilepsy (fits) and Bipolar disorder. It contains Lamotrigine, which reduces the electrical impulses and subsequent firing of the nerve impulses that cause fits. Lamotrigine decreases the brain's excessive and abnormal nerve activity, thereby helping control seizures.
Do not discontinue Lamotrigine without consulting your doctor. To treat your condition effectively, continue taking Lamotrigine for as long as prescribed. Do not be reluctant to speak with your doctor if you feel any difficulty while taking Lamotrigine. Your doctor will reduce the dose gradually to avoid worsening seizures.
Lamotrigine is generally considered weight-neutral and is unlikely to cause significant weight gain or weight loss in most people. However, individual responses may vary. If you notice unexpected changes in your weight, consult your doctor. Maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise is recommended.
Dry mouth could be a side-effect of Lamotrigine. Limiting caffeine intake, avoiding smoking and mouthwashes containing alcohol, drinking water regularly, and chewing sugar-free gum/candy might stimulate saliva and prevent drying of the mouth.
Lamotrigine helps to treat manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder by increasing the amount of a chemical substance called GABA, this helps in blocking the nerve transmission across the brain and provides a calming effect.
Lamotrigine contains Lamotrigine, which works by blocking sodium channels and reducing the release of glutamate, a brain chemical that can trigger seizures or mood changes. This calms excessive nerve activity, helping control seizures in epilepsy and reducing the risk of mood episodes in bipolar disorder.
The side effects of Lamotrigine include sleepiness, dizziness, tremor, back pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, blurred or double vision, tiredness, fever, dry mouth, sore throat, stuffy nose, stomach pain and infections, including seasonal flu. However, if these side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
Epilepsy also called as seizure disorder is a brain-related disorder affecting people of all ages characterized by repeated seizures that are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body or full body. It is caused due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain and sometimes followed by loss of consciousness and control of bladder or bowel function.
Bipolar disorder also called as manic depression is a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, concentration, and activity levels. It is marked by episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.
Contact your doctor or seek emergency medical care immediately if you develop a new rash, hives, blistering, peeling skin, or sores while taking Lamotrigine. Although many rashes are mild, lamotrigine can rarely cause serious, life-threatening skin reactions, especially during the first 8 weeks of treatment. Your doctor will usually stop the medicine and determine whether an alternative treatment is needed. Do not restart Lamotrigine unless your doctor specifically advises you to do so
You may experience uncontrollable and quick eye movements, lack of coordination and clumsiness. High doses of Lamotrigine may cause changes in heartbeat rhythm, balance problems, loss of consciousness, fits (convulsions) or coma. If you suspect you have taken more than the recommended dose of Lamotrigine, seek medical help immediately, even if there are no signs of discomfort.
You are recommended to consult your doctor before taking Lamotrigine with other antiepileptic medicines to avoid drug interactions.
Take Lamotrigine as advised by the doctor. It can be taken with or without food. Swallow it as whole with a glass of water. Do not break, crush or chew it.
Yes, you can take Lamotrigine if you have symptoms of depression. In fact, Lamotrigine is used to prevent depression. However, do not self-medicate. Use Lamotrigine only if prescribed by a doctor.
It is highly recommended to limit or avoid alcohol while taking this medication. Alcohol can increase side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, and poor coordination, and can also trigger seizures. Talk to your doctor about your alcohol consumption.
Yes, there can be an interaction. Birth control pills can lower the level of Lamotrigine in your blood, and Lamotrigine can sometimes affect how well your birth control works. You may need dose adjustments or alternative contraceptive methods. Talk to your doctor to find the best option for you.
If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you must weigh the risks and benefits of taking this medication with your physician. Uncontrolled seizures can also pose risks to both you and your baby. Talk to your doctor immediately if you suspect you are pregnant.
Yes, drowsiness and fatigue are common side effects of this medication, especially when you first start taking it or when your dose is increased. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how this medicine affects you. Talk to your doctor if the sleepiness persists or interferes with your daily activities.
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