Lamictal is also known as an anticonvulsant and is used for epileptic treatment. The drug is used alone or in combination with other drugs to treat seizures in adults as well as children older than at least two years. Lamictal (Lamotrigine) is also used for treatment of bipolar disorder in adults that delays the mood episodes. Lamictal has more effective mood stabilizing effects and is known to be better anti-depressant prescribed for bipolar or manic depressive patients.
Important Information
Lamictal is known to cause severe life threatening rash especially in children. It can also cause these skin rashes in people having allergies to seizure medications. Combination of Valproic acid (Depakene) or Divalproex (Depakote) may also cause serious skin rash. Most common symptoms of these rashes are redness or blistering of skin, swollen glands, sore throat, high fever and headache. Researchers found that long term use of the drug reduces this side effect as the body gets acclimatized. Thus, doctor’s usually prescribe lower doses initially and then progressively increase the dosage to an effective level. Apart from these rashes, there are not many known side effects of the drug. Some patients have complained to ankle swelling but there is definitely no weight gain.
In case if you have any history of diseases related to kidney, heart or liver you should let your physician know about this same. Moreover, if you have allergy to lamotrigine then you should avoid taking Lamictal. During the course of the drug, you may feel mood swings or even a tendency to commit suicide. In such cases your family or care giver should know about these symptoms and the patient should always be in regular touch with the doctor. Lamictal falls in FDA pregnancy category C which means that it may prove to be harmful for the unborn baby. Taking this drug during pregnancy increases the probably of the baby being born with cleft lip.
Birth control pills may tend to make Lamictal less effective and there may be increase in the seizures. When you start birth control pills, it is advisable to consult your doctor as your dose may need to be revised. It is important to take regular medication of Lamictal to get the most benefit.
How Does Lamictal Work?
Lamictal is a broad spectrum anti-epileptic drug that offers an effective treatment for both partial onset and generalized onset epilepsy. It inhibits sodium channels and reduces release of glutamate. It is available in tablets of different sizes and doses and even as tiny pills for children.
Take the recommended doses only as your doctor may change your dose over several weeks or months to make sure you get the best results from the medication. You should not change you medication on your own especially if you are taking any other anticonvulsant already. Switching from another drug to Lamictal should be done under the directions of the physician. If you miss a dose, it is advisable to skip the dose and get on with your regular schedule from the next dose. In case of overdose, consult your physician.