How Long Does Lamotrigine Take To Work

Almost lamotrigine

Delight note

• This page volition requite you full general information about lamotrigine. It is not medical communication.

  Always talk to your dr. about your situation and whether this medication is for you.

How lamotrigine works

Lamotrigine is a blazon of medicine called a 'mood stabiliser' as it can reduce feelings of excitability and over-activity and reduce mood swings. Information technology tends to work improve on the low mood (depression) part of bipolar disorder.

It is also taken by some people who have epilepsy, as it increases the effects of the calming transmitter GABA, leading to a reduction in seizures. This is a very separate use but volition be covered in any patient leaflets.

Bipolar disorder

Lamotrigine and everyday life

Oft asked questions

Yous may first off at a low dose and gradually increase it every few days or weeks until you and your md find the dose that is right for you. Information technology may have up to six weeks to practise this, by which time you lot should be a on a stable, long-term dose and have seen some helpful results from the medication.

It is important not to hurry the dosing timetable as doing so can increase your chances of getting a serious skin reaction.

You may desire to let your family unit and friends know you are taking lamotrigine and so they can support you and assistance you look out for side effects.

For guidance on this, check out our page on getting support with your medication.

Lamotrigine may make you experience very drowsy or sleepy when you start taking it.

It may as well make it difficult for you to go to sleep.

If these symptoms carry on for a long fourth dimension, or if this is hard for you, talk to your doctor or chemist about other medicines you could take.

Alcohol

You can drink booze while taking lamotrigine, but it is probable to brand you feel sleepier.

Street drugs

We practise not know how street drugs bear upon lamotrigine, but all these drugs touch on the way the brain works so they may not mix well.

Lamotrigine can produce a fake positive test for phencyclidine (PCP) on a urine drug screen. Talk to your doctor nearly this if it is a trouble for you.

Lamotrigine does non mix well with another medicines and drugs and may affect the style in which they work. Tell your md if y'all are taking any other medications including over-the-counter medicines for mutual illnesses and things you put on your skin.

Special information near contraceptive pills containing oestrogen

• When lamotrigine is taken with whatsoever type of the Pill (oral contraceptive) containing oestrogen, information technology lowers the level of lamotrigine that you have in your trunk.
• If you have a pill-free calendar week, the levels of lamotrigine volition then ascent, which may requite you side furnishings.
• If you take the Pill without a interruption, it volition make your lamotrigine levels stable. You volition not be harmed by not having the pause.
• Talk to your doc or pharmacist before you start taking lamotrigine if you also have the Pill.
• The morning-subsequently pill does not affect the level of lamotrigine in your trunk as it does not contain oestrogen.

If you have any further questions virtually this, you should speak to your doctor or chemist.

Lamotrigine tablets accept lactose in them which may not arrange people who have a problem drinking milk or eating certain sugars. Talk to your doctor or chemist about this if you remember it could be a problem for y'all.

Practise not bulldoze a motorcar or ride a bike just afterwards you start taking lamotrigine.

Taking lamotrigine may make you feel dizzy and may touch your eyesight when you lot start taking information technology (possibly causing blurred or double vision).

This could touch on you if you drive a motorcar, ride a bike, or do annihilation else that needs a lot of focus. Information technology might be all-time to stop doing these things for the first few days, until you lot know how information technology affects y'all.

Exercise non worry - near people do these things as normal while taking lamotrigine.

Pregnancy

If you become pregnant while you are on lamotrigine, you should carry on taking the medicine and go back to your doctor as soon as possible to discuss whether you should terminate or change your medicine.

Studies of over 7,500 women taking lamotrigine showed no increase in problems during the early on stages of pregnancy.

Your doc might as well requite yous actress folic acid to take, which helps forbid any spine problems in your babe.

From month four onwards, you lot are likely to need a higher dose of lamotrigine to go on the level of the medication in your body abiding. Afterward giving birth, your lamotrigine dose volition go back to what it was earlier.

If yous are taking lamotrigine for epilepsy, any dose increases may be fabricated based on the results of your claret level tests.

Post-natal

If you lot and your physician concur that you volition carry on taking lamotrigine throughout your pregnancy, you should tell your midwife that you are taking it earlier you give birth.

Breastfeeding

Lamotrigine can exist passed to the baby in breastmilk, and side effects have been seen in breastfed babies. Unremarkably there is no problem with breastfeeding a good for you babe.

Talk to your midwife or medico about the benefits and risks of breastfeeding while taking lamotrigine.

There is cypher to suggest that lamotrigine has any effects on fertility.

Lamotrigine is non a banned substance in sport.

Information technology could, withal, make you experience dizzy and give you blurred or double vision when you lot start taking information technology.

It might exist better to filibuster any sport that needs a lot of focus until you know how it affects you.

Do not worry - almost people play sports as normal while taking lamotrigine.

Try non to have lamotrigine for the beginning fourth dimension just earlier your exams, as you may take sleep problems (feeling tired or having difficulty getting to slumber), and some blurred eyesight or double vision when you start taking lamotrigine.

Yous should talk to your doctor near any futurity exams if you are starting lamotrigine.

You might decide together to delay starting it until you accept washed them.

If they are more than a month abroad, yet, you lot might find that it is better to start lamotrigine to improve your motivation to study.

Do not worry - about people practice all these things equally normal while taking lamotrigine.

Your doctor should know

• You need to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment with lamotrigine if any of the following utilise to y'all:

  • you accept kidney bug
  • yous develop rashes after taking lamotrigine or whatever other medicines for bipolar disorder or depression
  • yous have or develop a blood condition called HLH. It produces symptoms like fever, headache, feeling or being ill, stiff neck or your eyes being sensitive to bright calorie-free. It is as well a very rare side effect of taking lamotrigine

  Lamotrigine tablets have lactose in them which may not accommodate people who take a problem drinking milk or eating sure sugars. Talk to your dr. or pharmacist about this if you remember information technology could be a problem for you.

Uses, warnings, safety and side furnishings of lamotrigine

Taking lamotrigine

How long will I need to take lamotrigine for?

You and your doc should talk near how long you need to take lamotrigine earlier you lot begin treatment with this medication.

If you take lamotrigine for bipolar disorder you will probably take it for at least half-dozen months (any shorter and your former symptoms can come back). If information technology works for yous, you may take it for much longer than that.

You lot should only have lamotrigine equally agreed with your doctor

Make sure that you know your dose. If it is not written on the characterization, bank check with your pharmacist or doctor.

You may take to take lamotrigine once or twice a day.

It doesn't matter what time yous accept information technology each day – choose a time that you can e'er retrieve. This could exist at mealtimes, or when you lot brush your teeth. You tin can have it earlier or afterward food.

If y'all are taking the tablets that you lot swallow whole, launder them down with a glass of h2o. Do non effort and chew them – they will sense of taste unpleasant.

If you are taking the orodispersible tablets (melts), get a drinking glass of cold water and mix the tablet(s) in at to the lowest degree enough water to cover them. Y'all tin stir the drink to assist them interruption up. 'Dispersible' doesn't mean y'all will become a totally clear solution - it volition look a piffling cloudy. Drink it all, and then add more water to the glass and drink that in club to make sure yous become all the medicine in the tablet.

You can also chew the dispersible tablets, merely it may help to rinse them down with some cold h2o.

You lot tin can however swallow the dispersible tablets whole with h2o if you prefer.

What should I do if I miss a dose of lamotrigine?

If y'all remember later during the 24-hour interval, accept it as shortly as possible. If you forget to take it past the time of the adjacent dose, only start again with the side by side dose.

Do not take a double dose.

What will happen if I forget to take my lamotrigine?

If yous forget to take your tablets for a few days, you may start getting your sometime symptoms of low mood dorsum.

Stopping the utilise of lamotrigine

Although you may not be taking your lamotrigine for seizures (fits), if yous stop the medication of a sudden, there is a risk you lot may have a seizure. This is considering after taking lamotrigine for some time, your body will have got used to having an anticonvulsant (anti-seizure) medicine on board. Suddenly stopping the use of lamotrigine may therefore cause a seizure. Simply don't worry - this doesn't mean you are all of a sudden epileptic.

If you lot have stopped taking lamotrigine, you need to speak to your doctor so that y'all tin can safely get-go it again and build back up to your dose. Information technology is best to be honest; they volition help you go dorsum on rails.

If you lot are thinking of stopping handling with lamotrigine, talk to your physician before doing this.

Warnings and condom

Safety headlines

If you accept taken more than lamotrigine than the dosage recommended by the doctor who prescribed information technology to you lot, you must get medical assistance immediately –even if you do not experience any dissimilar.

While taking lamotrigine, some people may think about hurting themselves or taking their own lives. You must go directly to hospital with your medicine if you have whatever of these thoughts.

Lamotrigine can cause other serious side effects: allergic reactions (difficulty breathing, swelling of your face or throat, itching pare lumps), peel rashes and other serious symptoms. Go to a infirmary with your medicine if you lot go whatsoever of these symptoms.

Lamotrigine does not mix well with another medicines and drugs. The contraceptive Pill can affect the level of lamotrigine in your blood. Talk to your medico about this if you are on the Pill.

You might feel lightheaded or take double vision in the first few days after taking lamotrigine. Do not drive a car, ride a bike or operate machines until you lot see how this affects you.

Use good contraception while you are taking lamotrigine. If you take information technology while you are pregnant, it is unlikely to impact the developing baby. Yet, information technology can cause symptoms in babies if you breastfeed while taking lamotrigine. Talk to your physician or midwife about this and get their help.

When to go to the hospital

If you accept taken more lamotrigine than the dosage recommended by the doctor who prescribed it to you lot, you must get medical help immediately –even if you do not feel any different. Go to A&E, and take your medicine with you to bear witness the doctors. Tell them how much y'all have taken. Get a friend to go with you, if you tin, just in case you feel ill on the way.

You might go any of the following symptoms:

• quick, uncontrollable torso movements
• clumsiness and lack of co-ordination, causing issues with your balance
• heart rhythm changes
• loss of consciousness, convulsions/seizures (fits) or coma

While taking lamotrigine some people may think about hurting themselves or have thoughts of taking their own lives. This can happen to anyone, including people who are under 25. These thoughts may happen or get worse in the outset few weeks of taking the medicine. You must go directly to hospital with your medicine if you accept any of these thoughts and tell the doctor that yous are taking lamotrigine. There are other medications y'all tin can take instead.

You should also go to a doctor or hospital straight abroad if you get whatever of the following symptoms:

• skin rashes or redness with blisters and peeling pare around the mouth, nose, eyes and groin/sexual activity organs (genitals)
• peeling of large areas of skin (up to 30% - almost a 3rd – of your body surface)
• ulcers in the rima oris, throat, olfactory organ or around your groin/sex activity organs (genitals)
• scarlet or swollen eyes
• a high temperature (fever), flu-like symptoms or drowsiness
• swelling around your face
• bloated glands in your neck, armpit or groin
• unexpected bleeding or bruising
• your fingers turning blueish
• a sore throat
• more infections (such as colds) than usual

If these reactions occur, they tend to be during the beginning eight weeks of taking lamotrigine.

Side effects of lamotrigine

Side effects of lamotrigine

Some side effects that appear should go better after a few days. If they do not, you should go back to your doctor.

Do not terminate taking the tablets until you talk to your dr., or y'all may get withdrawal symptoms besides.

Very common side effects of taking lamotrigine (affecting more than one in ten people) include:

• headaches
• skin rashes

Common side effects of taking lamotrigine (affecting up to one in 10 people) include:

• feeling aggressive, agitated or irritable
• feeling sleepy, tired or drowsy
• indisposition (having difficulty sleeping)
• feeling dizzy
• shaking or tremors
• diarrhoea (loose poo)
• dry mouth
• nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (beingness sick)
• having pain in your dorsum or joints, or elsewhere

At that place are other side effects that you can go when taking this medicine; we have only included the about mutual ones here.

Please expect at the leaflet within your medicine box, or inquire a physician or chemist, if you want to know whether you are getting a side outcome from your medicine.

If you do get a side effect, please remember about reporting it via the Xanthous Card Scheme.

About this information

The data on this folio was reviewed past the College of Mental Health Chemist's shop in March 2020.

Visit the CMHP website

CMHP. Higher of Mental Health Chemist's shop

More than information and communication

Source: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/medications/lamotrigine/#:~:text=It%20may%20take%20up%20to,getting%20a%20serious%20skin%20reaction.

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