Lamictal is applied to treat epilepsy, depression, and bipolar disorder. Lamictal (lamotrigine) is an anticonvulsant and can treat epileptic seizures in children and adults. Its aim is to delay the mood swings that are typical for bipolar disorder.
Lamotrigine is most effective for the treatment of bipolar disorder in its depressive phase rather than the hypomanic or manic ones.
Lamictal’s mechanism of action that causes its mood stabilization effect is still unclear. However, on the basis of pre-clinical studies, it is supposed that it can be related to the serotoninergic, glutamatergic, noradrenergic, and neurotransmitter pathways (Miranda et al., 2019). In particular, these are oxidative and inflammation processes that have an impact on the patient’s mood and cause antidepressant effects.
During bipolar disorder therapy, a patient should take the medication according to a specific schedule. Considering the adult age of the patient, in the first and second weeks, he should start with 25 mg every other day (Lamictal, Prescribing information, n.d.). In the third and fourth weeks, the dose should be 25 mg/day. In week five, the patient should take 50 mg of Lamictal a day. In the sixth week, the dose should be increased up to 100 mg, and the medication should be taken daily. In the seventh week, the dose should be 100 mg a day.
If the patient takes carbamazepine, primidone, phenobarbital, or valproate, the target dose should be decreased to 100 mg/day. In this case, the schedule should be different. In the first and second weeks, the patient should take 25 mg daily (Lamictal. Prescribing information, n.d.). In the third and fourth weeks, the dose should be 50 mg a day. In the fifth week, the patient should take 100 mg a day. In the sixth week, the dose should be 200 mg, The target dose in week seven is 200 mg a day.
I consider Lamictal to be a proper option for the treatment of epilepsy and the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. I think that it is important that people took medications to reduce seizures since it increases the quality of their lives. When taken according to the schedule, Lamictal is effective, which is proven clinically.
References
Lamictal. Prescribing information (n.d.). Web.
Miranda, A. S., Miranda, A. S., & Teixeira, A. L. (2019). Lamotrigine as a mood stabilizer: insights from the pre-clinical evidence. Expert opinion on drug discovery, 14(2), 179–190. Web.