Lamotrigine (marketed as Lamictal by GlaxoSmithKline) is an anticonvulsant drug used in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. For epilepsy it is used to treat partial seizures, primary and secondary tonic-clonic seizures, and seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Lamotrigine also acts as a mood stabilizer. It is the only anticonvulsant mood stabilizer that treats the depressive as well as the manic phases of bipolar disorders, and it is the first medication since lithium granted Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approval for the maintenance treatment of bipolar I. Chemically unrelated to other anticonvulsants, lamotrigine has relatively few side-effects and does not require blood monitoring. It is a Na⁺ channel blocker, and is inactivated by hepatic glucuronidation.

U.S. FDA approval history

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• December 1994 - for use as adjunctive treatment for partial seizures with or without secondary generalization in adult patients (16 years of age and older).
• August 1998 - for use as adjunctive treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in pediatric and adult patients, new dosage form: chewable dispersible tablets.
• December 1998 - for use as monotherapy for treatment of partial seizures in adult patients when converting from a single enzyme-inducing anti-epileptic drug (EIAED).
• January 2003 - for use as adjunctive therapy for partial seizures in pediatric patients as young as 2 years of age.
• June 2003 - for the maintenance treatment of adults with Bipolar I Disorder to delay the time to occurrence of mood episodes (depression, mania, hypomania, mixed episodes) in patients treated for acute mood episodes with standard therapy. Additionally, the FDA has noted that findings for Lamictal maintenance treatment were more robust in bipolar depression.
• January 2004 - for use as monotherapy for treatment of partial seizures in adult patients when converting from the anti-epileptic drug valproate (including valproic acid (Depakene) and divalproex sodium (Depakote)).

Indications & Usage

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The FDA approved lamotrigine (Lamictal) for the treatment of epilepsy in 1994, and bipolar I disorder in 2003 (http://www.fda.gov/cder/). Off-label uses include the treatment of peripheral neuropathy, trigeminal neuralgia, cluster headaches, migraines, and reducing neuropathic pain (Backonja, 2004; Jensen 2002; Pappagallo, 2003). Off-label psychiatric usage includes the treatment of bipolar II disorders, schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and as adjunctive therapy for "treatment-resistant" unipolar depression (Barbosa, Berk & Vorster, 2003). Lamotrigine is one of a small number of FDA-approved therapies for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome; it is one of two approved for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder.

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Lamictal (Lamotrigine) http://med-store.us/prescriptions/lamictal/
USMedStore (medstore) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:56:59 -0000
Lamictal (Lamotrigine) http://med-store.us/prescriptions/lamictal/
Rash in adult patients receiving lamotrigine to treat bipolar I disorder in Korea: a multicenter, prospective, natu... http://bit.ly/12SLRB
Bipolar_Blogs (Bipolar Blogs) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:02:20 -0000
Rash in adult patients receiving lamotrigine to treat bipolar I disorder in Korea: a multicenter, prospective, natu... http://bit.ly/12SLRB
[Teratogenic effects of lamotrigine in women with bipolar disorder]- Related Articles [Tera... http://bit.ly/AFbG7
Bipolar_Blogs (Bipolar Blogs) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:02:15 -0000
[Teratogenic effects of lamotrigine in women with bipolar disorder]- Related Articles [Tera... http://bit.ly/AFbG7
lamotrigine extended-release in elderly ppl w/ epilepsy http://bit.ly/7A5NXY
paidtrials (US Clinical Trials) Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:18:55 -0000
lamotrigine extended-release in elderly ppl w/ epilepsy http://bit.ly/7A5NXY
RT @being_bipolar - Lamotrigine has been a wonderdrug for my depression. Recommend it to anyone.
x__simply_jen (Jennnnn Ifer) Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:07:56 -0000
RT @being_bipolar - Lamotrigine has been a wonderdrug for my depression. Recommend it to anyone.
@Introspectre @_elj Mix it with lamotrigine and you've got yourself a little "highly functioning" cocktail. Although my l dose is too high!
cellosteph (Stephanie Henderson) Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:28:09 -0000
@Introspectre @_elj Mix it with lamotrigine and you've got yourself a little "highly functioning" cocktail. Although my l dose is too high!

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