ABSTRACT
Lamotrigine pharmacotherapy is not recommended for children and adolescents who are younger than 16 years of age. Lamotrigine generally is prescribed as adjunctive pharmacotherapy to other anticonvulsant pharmacotherapy (e.g., carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and phenytoin pharmacotherapy) to reduce the frequency of partial seizures. Lamotrigine is absorbed rapidly and completely from the GI tract following oral ingestion. Peak blood concentrations are achieved within 1 to 5 hours. Concurrent lamotrigine and carbamazepine (Tegretol®) pharmacotherapy may result in an increase in lamotrigine total body clearance by up to 100% and a corresponding decrease in the mean half-life of elimination to 15 hours. Concurrent lamotrigine pharmacotherapy and pharmacotherapy with opiate analgesics, sedative-hypnotics, or other drugs that produce CNS depression (e.g., antihistamines, phenothiazines, TCAs) may result in additive CNS depression. Lamotrigine pharmacotherapy has been associated commonly with: asthenia, blurred or double vision (diplopia), dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea, rash, and somnolence.
