Description

Lamictal is a trading name of the active ingredient Lamotrigine. This ingredient has a broad therapeutic action and is effective during all types of the epileptic episodes.

However, its efficiency is different during various types of the episodes. It is medically proved that Lamictal shows the highest therapeutic activity in the treatment of the atypical and typical absences. The epilepsy symptoms and frequency of attacks have been effectively reduced in about 73% of cases.

In case of the generalized convulsive attacks, the efficiency of Lamictal is just 30-35%. Therefore the main question occurring during the prescription of the drug is a form of epilepsy and symptoms.

A mechanism of the pharmacological action of Lamictal consists in the restriction of the release of the excitatory neurotransmitters: glutamate and aspartate. Lamictal does not cause a sedative effect, and there is no data about the inhibited functions of the central nervous system. In spite o this, the drug shows good results in the therapy of the bipolar disorders (especially with depressive stages).

Lamotrigine is not kept in the body, and a onetime therapeutic dose is completely excreted in 20 hours after the peroral use. A long-term application of Lamictal in therapeutic doses does not cause a medical addiction and does not increase a risk of the side effects.

In what dose I sLamictal used?

Lamictal is produced in tablets for the oral use. A manufacturer offers various dosing to treat any forms of the epilepsy in adults and children. The tablets of Lamictal may contain 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg of the active ingredient Lamotrigine.

The treatment is started from a minimal daily dose of Lamictal 25 mg regardless of the form of epilepsy and frequency of the attacks. It is necessary to take the tablets every day within a week and follow a patient’s health. If any side effects did not appear within a week, a dose is increased. The increase of the dose should be gradual, by not more than 25 mg per week.

The maximal daily dose of Lamictal is 500 mg (2-3 times). The maximal dose is usually prescribed for a short period, and a patient has a maintaining therapy 100-200 mg per day during a stable state.

To treat bipolar disorder, a daily dose of Lamictal may be 25-50 mg.

Precautions

Lamictal application is not recommended during pregnancy. But if there are no alternatives, the treatment should be controlled by a doctor and minimal doses should be used
To treat epilepsy, Lamictal may be used by adults and children over 2 years old
To treat bipolar disorder, Lamictal is prescribed patients over 18 years old
A dose of Lamictal should be reduced if a patient has a dysfunction of kidneys
Skin rash and/or fever are one of the symptoms of the hypersensitivity syndrome to the active ingredient. In case of these symptoms of the allergic reaction, the treatment should be stopped

Side effects

Using Lamictal may cause side effects such as: high fatigue, irritability, headache, digestion disorder, blurred vision.

All side effects mentioned above may appear during the treatment. A decreased dose will help to avoid severe side effects.