Lamictal Treatment Report

Precautions

Instructions

Side Effects

Interactions

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to lamotrigine.

Before taking lamotrigine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other seizure medications, or if you have:

• kidney disease;
• liver disease; or
• heart disease.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take lamotrigine.

You may have thoughts about suicide while taking this medication. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several months of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.

Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Taking this medication during early pregnancy can increase the risk of the baby being born with cleft lip or cleft palate. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Your name may need to be listed on a lamotrigine pregnancy registry when you start using this medication.

Lamotrigine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Lamotrigine can cause side effects that may impair your vision or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert and able to see clearly.

▲ Back to top

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

▲ Back to top

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; fever; swollen glands; painful sores in or around your eyes or mouth; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

This medication may cause severe or life-threatening skin rash, especially in children and in people who are allergic to other seizure medications. Serious skin rash may also be more likely to occur if you are taking lamotrigine together with valproic acid (Depakene) or divalproex (Depakote). Seek emergency medical attention if you have a fever, sore throat, swollen glands, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash.

If you have to stop taking lamotrigine because of a serious skin rash, you may not be able to take it again in the future.

Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, depression, anxiety, or if you feel agitated, hostile, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• the first sign of any skin rash;
• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
• chest pain;
• pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding;
• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
• muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness with fever or flu symptoms and dark colored urine; or
• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Less serious side effects may include:

• dizziness or drowsiness;
• blurred vision;
• mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach;
• headache;
• lack of coordination;
• weight loss;
• sleep problems (insomnia), unusual dreams; or
• runny or stuffy nose.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

▲ Back to top

Birth control pills can make lamotrigine less effective, resulting in increased seizures. Tell your doctor if you start or stop using birth control pills while you are taking lamotrigine. Your lamotrigine dose may need to be changed.

Before taking lamotrigine, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• hormonal forms of birth control (pills, injections, implants, or skin patches);
• carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol);
• divalproex (Depakote);
• oxcarbazepine (Trileptal);
• phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
• primidone (Mysoline);
• phenytoin (Dilantin);
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane); or
• valproic acid (Depakene).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with lamotrigine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Lamictal, Lamictal Blue, Lamictal CD, Lamictal Green, Lamictal Orange, lamotrigine, Lamictal ODT, Lamictal ODT Patient Titration Kit (Blue), Lamictal ODT Patient Titration Kit (Green), Lamictal ODT Patient Titration Kit (Orange), Lamictal Starter Kit (Blue), Lamictal Starter Kit (Green), Lamictal Starter Kit (Orange), Lamictal XR, Lamictal XR Patient Titration Kit (Blue), Lamictal XR Patient Titration Kit (Green), and Lamictal XR Patient Titration Kit (Orange)

▲ Back to top