Sage-Tips

Does lamotrigine affect thinking?

Conclusion: Treatment with lamotrigine as monotherapy and as adjunctive therapy was associated with improved cognitive functioning and reduced neurocognitive side effects, regardless of index mood polarity.

Does Lamictal make you feel dull?

“People don’t tend to feel dull, flat, or groggy on it.” In some research studies comparing a placebo to the medicine, the results were exceptional. “Lamotrigine is the only medicine we know of where patients were unable to tell they were taking the medication,” he explains.

Does Lamictal make you tired?

Lamotrigine may cause blurred vision, double vision, clumsiness, unsteadiness, dizziness, or drowsiness. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you. If these reactions are especially bothersome, check with your doctor.

Does lamotrigine make you focus?

There appears to be significant improvement in cognitive abilities in PBD patients treated with lamotrigine that is most prominent in the areas of working memory and verbal memory and that occurs along with mood stabilization.

Does lamotrigine help you focus?

Although it can cause word-finding difficulties, lamotrigine improves multiple areas of cognition, according to large open-label studies and a post-hoc analysis of controlled trials.

Does Lamictal improve cognition?

Conclusions. There appears to be significant improvement in cognitive abilities in PBD patients treated with lamotrigine that is most prominent in the areas of working memory and verbal memory and that occurs along with mood stabilization.

What is the most common side effect of lamotrigine?

The most common side effects of lamotrigine are skin rashes and headaches. It can take up to 6 weeks for lamotrigine to work. You may still have fits or seizures or feel low during this time.

Does lamotrigine make you lazy?

Lamotrigine may make you feel very drowsy or sleepy when you start taking it. It may also make it difficult for you to get to sleep. If these symptoms carry on for a long time, or if this is difficult for you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other medicines you could take.

Does Lamictal affect memory?

Does Lamictal increase dopamine?

In early studies, patients with epilepsy who were taking lamotrigine reported increases in a subjective sense of well-being, and this led to its exploration as a psychotropic drug (3). From a neuropsychiatric standpoint, lamotrigine appears to inhibit uptake of serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline (4).

Does Lamictal speed up metabolism?

Lamotrigine metabolism also exhibits the phenomenon of “autoinduction” (increase in its own metabolism during the course of therapy) [104], similar to the first-generation AED carbamazepine, with an approximately 20\% reduction in steady-state serum/plasma concentrations if dosage is not escalated.

Is Lamictal an anti-seizure?

Lamotrigine (Lamictal) Lamotrigine is another anti-seizure medication we psychiatrists have borrowed from the neurologists. They have been using it now for about 10 years. Surprisingly, several different research studies have shown that in addition to mood stabilizing effects, lamotrigine has clear antidepressant effects as well.

Does lamotrigine work for bipolar I?

Surprisingly, several different research studies have shown that in addition to mood stabilizing effects, lamotrigine has clear antidepressant effects as well. Unfortunately, it does not have reliable anti-manic effects, so it’s not enough, alone, for Bipolar I.

What are the side effects of lamotrigine?

The main side effect concern (besides this one, there are amazingly few) for lamotrigine is not really a side effect but an allergy: this medication can cause a serious skin rash, about 1 time in a thousand patients. Starting the medication very slowly decreases the likelihood of this rash.