Uses of Lamictal 50mg

Lamictal has the active ingredient lamotrigine and is indicated for the treatment of epilepsy and the prevention of episodes of mood swings in patients with bipolar disorder. The drug is manufactured by the company Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), in the form of tablets, with a content of 50mg. So what does Lamictal 50mg do, let's find out through the article below.

Lamictal 50mg is a psychotropic drug, used to treat patients with seizures, typical absence of consciousness, depression, bipolar disorder. The main ingredient in Lamictal 50mg is Lamotrigine which is an inhibitor of voltage-dependent gate sodium channels. It also inhibits the pathological release of glutamate and inhibits the sudden burst of glutamate-releasing action potentials.
Lamictal 50mg is rapidly and completely absorbed from the intestine, with very little first-pass metabolism by the liver. The drug is about 55% bound to plasma proteins, UDP-glucuronyl transferase is the enzyme responsible for the metabolism of lamotrigine.
The drug has a major clearance in the form of metabolites with subsequent elimination of the glucuronide conjugate in the urine, with only 2% of the drug's metabolite excreted in the feces.

Lamictal 50mg is indicated in the following cases:
Treatment of partial and generalized epilepsy. Treatment of tonic-clonic seizures and convulsions in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Treatment of typical absence seizures. Treatment of bipolar disorder, mood swings, prevention of depressive episodes.

Lamictal 50mg should not be used in the following cases:
In case the patient is hypersensitive to lamotrigine or to any of its ingredients. Acute hepatitis . Chronic hepatitis. Drug-induced hepatitis.

How to use: The drug is prepared in the form of tablets, should be taken with filtered water, do not break the tablet or crush the drug.
Dosage:
Treatment of epilepsy: For adults and children over 12 years of age: The initial dose in monotherapy is 25mg / time / day for 2 weeks, then 50mg / time / day for the next 2 weeks. . Continue increasing dose, up to a maximum of 50 to 100 mg every 1 to 2 weeks until an effective, maintenance response is achieved. The maintenance dose to achieve a maximum response is 100 to 200 mg/day, orally, divided into 1-2 times a day. In severe cases, the dose may require up to 500 mg Lamictal/day to achieve the expected response. For children from 2 to 12 years old: Typical absence seizures: First two weeks: 0.3mg/kg, divided into 1-2 times/day. Next two weeks: dose 0.6mg/kg, divided into 1-2 times a day. Maintenance dose: 1 - 10mg/kg/day, orally 1-2 times a day, up to a maximum of 200mg/day. When combined with valproate: First two weeks: 0.15mg/kg (1 time/day). Next two weeks: 0.3mg/kg (1 time/day). Maintenance dose: 1-5mg/kg/day (in 1 or 2 divided doses) to a maximum of 200mg/day. Children under 2 years: The drug has not been studied as monotherapy in children under 2 years of age or in combination therapy in children younger than 1 month of age. Therefore, the safety and effectiveness of Lamotrigine in the combined treatment of partial seizures in children from 1 month to 2 years of age are unknown, so Lamictal should not be used in children under 2 years of age. Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: Adults over 18 years of age: Combination therapy with valproate: First two weeks: 12.5mg (25mg every other day). Next two weeks: 25mg (1 time/day). One week later: 50mg (divided 1 or 2 times/day). Maintenance dose to be achieved (next week): 100 mg (in 1 or 2 divided doses/day) up to a maximum dose of 200 mg/day. When not in combination with valproate, the dose is as follows: The first two weeks 50mg (1 time / day). Next two weeks: 100mg (divided 2 times/day). One week later: 200mg (divided twice daily). Maintenance dose to be achieved (week 6): 300 mg/day, increased to 400 mg/day if necessary during week 7 (in 2 divided doses/day). When monotherapy with Lamictal dose: The first two weeks: 25mg (1 time / day). Next two weeks: 50mg (divided 1 or 2 times/day). Next week: 100mg (divided 1 or 2 times/day). Maintenance dose to be achieved (week 6): 200mg (from 100 to 400mg) (1 or 2 divided doses/day). Children under 18 years of age: Because safety and efficacy have not been established in this age group, it is not indicated. The dose of Lamictal 50mg above is for reference only, the specific dose depends on the condition and the progression of the disease. For a suitable, safe dose, you need to consult with your doctor or medical professional.

Common undesirable effects:
Rash, redness on the skin. Easily agitated. Insomnia, dizziness, dizziness. Nausea, diarrhea. Joint pain. Uncommon side effects:
Hypersensitivity to drug components. Hallucinations, blurred vision, double vision. Conjunctivitis . Liver dysfunction. When you experience any side effects of the drug, stop using it and immediately notify your doctor or go to the nearest medical facility for timely treatment.

Lamictal 50mg drug may interact with other drugs:
Inhibitors of glucuronidation may affect the clearance of lamotrigine increasing the metabolism of lamotrigine. Combined oral contraceptives increase the clearance of oral lamotrigine by approximately 2-fold. Interactions with substances that are primarily eliminated by the OCT 2 pathway have a narrow therapeutic index such as dofetilide because Lamictal inhibits tubular secretion via the OCT 2 protein.

What should you do when you overdose? Symptoms of drug overdose: nystagmus, ataxia, decreased consciousness, grand mal seizures and coma, on the electrocardiogram showed a wide QRS complex in patients with overdose. High doses exceeding 10-20 times the maximum therapeutic dose can lead to death. In case of overdose, the patient should be hospitalized and monitored for clinical manifestations to have a timely treatment plan. What to do when you miss a dose? Add dose as soon as you remember. However, care should be taken that if the interval between the next dose is too short, skip the missed dose and continue taking the next scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.

Before using the drug, you need to pay attention to the instructions of the doctor who prescribed it and read the instructions for use carefully:
Skin rashes usually appear within 8 weeks after starting treatment with Lamictal and most of these rashes light and self-limiting. Caution should be exercised when administering the drug to patients with a history of allergic reactions or rashes to other antiepileptic drugs. Phagocytosis occurs when taking Lamictal. Signs of depression and/or bipolar disorder may be present in patients with epilepsy and there is evidence of a high risk of suicide in patients with epilepsy and bipolar disorder. You should closely monitor patients for clinical deterioration and risk of suicide in patients receiving Lamictal for bipolar disorder. Patients should use combined oral contraceptives when a higher maintenance dose of lamotrigine (up to double) is required to achieve maximum therapeutic response. In addition, it should be noted that Lamictal may also reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in some patients taking hormone-containing products with Lamictal. Use with caution in patients with Brugada syndrome. Lamictal should not be stopped abruptly because it can cause reactive seizures, you should reduce the dose of Lamictal gradually over 2 weeks unless abrupt discontinuation is necessary for safety reasons (such as rash). Use Lamictal during pregnancy only with the consent of the doctor, clearly determined that the potential benefits outweigh the risks. The drug is excreted in human milk at very variable concentrations, resulting in concentrations of lamotrigine in infants up to nearly 50% of maternal concentrations. Therefore, the benefits of breastfeeding should be weighed against the risk of adverse effects in the infant. Above is some detailed information about the uses, indications, dosage of Lamictal 50mg, if you need advice or have any questions, please consult your doctor/pharmacist/ qualified medical professional for answers.