Lamictal (lamotrigine) is used as a mood stabilizer to treat people with bipolar disorder, as well as as an anticonvulsant for people with epilepsy

Lamictal (lamotrigine) is used as a mood stabilizer to treat people with bipolar disorder, as well as as an anticonvulsant for people with seizure disorders.

Lamotrigine is a prescription-only medication that must be taken only under the medical supervision of a doctor.

How does Lamictal work?

Lamotrigine works by inhibiting cell pathways in the brain called sodium channels, which reduces the emission of chemicals called glutamate and aspartate, two of the most important excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain.

Lamotrigine has a broader spectrum of action than other sodium channel antiepileptic drugs such as phenytoin. It is effective in the management of the major depression phase of bipolar disorder—apparently due to its sigma receptor activity—other sodium channel-blocking antiepileptic drugs are not.

Furthermore, lamotrigine typically has minimal adverse effects compared to other anticonvulsants that block sodium channels.

What is Lamictal used for?

• Bipolar disorder: Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes fluctuations in mood, energy, and function characterized by extreme emotional states called episodes, which occur over days to weeks.
  • Lamictal is licensed for the continuous treatment of bipolar I and bipolar II disorders. Lamotrigine has been shown to effectively prevent or lower the risk of recurrent depressive episodes in bipolar disorder.
  • However, the drug appears to be ineffective in the treatment of rapid-cycling, acute mania or acute depression.
• Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disordered speech, difficulty thinking, and a lack of desire. Schizophrenia can significantly impair personal, familial, social, educational, and vocational functioning.
  • As a stand-alone treatment for schizophrenia, Lamictal is ineffective. However, according to many articles, lamotrigine may be prescribed along with clozapine as an enhancement treatment for patients with partial or nonresponding schizophrenia
  • Antipsychotics other than clozapine, such as olanzapine, risperidone, haloperidol, zuclopenthixol and others, have no measurable effect on lamotrigine.
• Epilepsy: Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures occasionally followed by impaired cognition and loss of bowel or bladder control.
  • For initial generalized tonic-clonic seizures, lamotrigine is the first-line treatment (includes simple partial, complex partial, and secondarily generalized seizures, such as focal-onset tonic-clonic seizures).
  • It is also used as an alternative or adjuvant medicine to treat generalized seizures, such as blank seizures, myoclonic seizures, and atonic seizures.
• Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a type of epilepsy characterized by a variety of seizures—tonic (body stiffness), atonic (brief loss of muscle tone and awareness), atypical absence (gazing episodes), and myoclonic (unexpected muscle jerks).
  • Lamotrigine is one of the FDA-approved drugs known to lower the intensity of drop episodes and reduce the frequency of LGS seizures.
  • Lamotrigine is often combined with valproate, but it raises the risk of lamotrigine-induced rash and demands a lower dose because of medication interactions.

How much Lamictal should be taken?

Before taking Lamictal, make sure to review the Medication Guide and, if applicable, the Patient Information Leaflet that comes inside the box. Your doctor or pharmacist can address other concerns. Dosages of lamotrigine are follows:

• Oral pill (100, 150, 200, and 25 mg; blue, green, orange)
• Oral pill, disintegrating (100, 200, 25, and 50 mg; blue, green, orange)
• Oral pill, dispersible (2, 25, and 5 mg)
• Oral pill, extended release (100, 200, 25, 250, 300, and 50 mg; blue, green, orange)

Doses vary by age, weight, overall health, and current medication use. It may take a few weeks or months to find the right dose of the drug for maximum benefits. It is recommended to take it at the same time every day with a 24-hour gap in between doses.

What are the side effects of Lamictal?

Lamictal has a range of side effects, including:

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Double vision
• Blurred vision
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Indigestion
• Constipation
• Stomach pain
• Problems with balance and coordination
• Fatigue
• Uneasiness
• Sleeplessness

It is unclear how safe Lamictal use is if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Studies have not shown any pediatric-specific issues that would restrict the use of lamotrigine pills in children ages 2 and older with certain types of seizures. However, the safety and efficacy of the drug in children under age 2 are yet to be determined.

If you experience adverse side effects while using Lamictal, consult your doctor.