Medicine Identification Chart

Lamictal^®

generic name: lamotrigine -- la-MO-tri-geen

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline

Uses: Lamictal (La-MIC-tal) is used as add-on therapy for partial seizures (with or without secondary generalization) in adults and for partial and generalized seizures associated with the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in children.

From research reports it appears that this drug is effective across the complete range of seizure types, including partial seizures, generalized seizures of no known cause, and the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Good reports have been reported in patients with learning disabilities and multiple seizure types.

Forms of the medicine: Lamictal is available in tablets.

Dosing: Lamictal may be taken once or twice a day. The capsules/tablets are to be swallowed whole, do not crush, break or chew.

Side Effects: Lamictal is generally well tolerated; however, children appear to be at increased risk of severe rash. Approximately 1/1000 children and 1/2000 adults taking this medication will experience severe rash. The risk of rash increases when the drug is increased in dosage rapidly or started at a high dose and is minimized by slowly titrating the dosage upward with initial therapy. Side effects include double vision (diplopia), drowsiness, dizziness, ataxia, headache, nausea and vomiting and rash.

Information for pregnant women and nursing mothers: Emerging data from the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry suggests an elevated prevalence of isolated, non-syndromic cleft palate deformity occurring in infants exposed to lamotrigine monotherapy during the first trimester of the mother’s pregnancy.  For reference, the overall rate of major malformations reported by the Registry was 15/564 (2/7 percent, 27 per 1000).

Women who wish to become pregnant should check with the latest data from the anticonvulsant pregnancy registries and discuss treatment options with their doctors before becoming pregnant.

Drug Interactions: Lamictal interacts with Dilantin, Tegretol, TegretolXR, Carbatrol, phenobarbital and Depakene. The drug interacts with oral contraceptive drugs, lowering the effectiveness of both Lamictal and the oral contraceptive medication. The drug may be prescribed to patients on valproic acid but the combination is linked to higher rash rates unless a very slow titration upward of Lamictal is used at the start of therapy. Due to the drug interactions which produce high drug concentrations of both Depakote and Lamictal, the daily doses of both Lamictal and Depakote are typically much lower when they are used together than when they are used in monotherapy or when combined with other drugs.

Care during treatment with these drugs: You should take the medicine as prescribed by your physician. If you are late in taking a dose by 2-3 hours, you should take it. If you miss a dose altogether, you should wait until the next dose and take the prescribed amount, or consult your physician. Report any side effects. As a rule, antiepilepsy drugs should not be abruptly discontinued because of the possibility of increasing seizure frequency.

Possible Contraindications to the use of these drugs: Patients with liver disease or a history of an allergic reaction should not take these drugs.

Updated: July 2006.