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Taking LAMICTAL

Getting Started with
LAMICTAL

Follow Your Treatment
Plan with LAMICTAL

Side Effect Information

Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs) About LAMICTAL
(with Dr. Thompson)

About Bipolar Disorder

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Getting Started with LAMICTAL

If your healthcare provider thinks you should take LAMICTAL, it is easy to get started. LAMICTAL is available in easy-to-follow 5-week kits.

To help give LAMICTAL the best chance of working for you, take it exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. And as you begin treatment, there are a few things to keep in mind:

What to expect in the beginning

When you start taking LAMICTAL for your bipolar I disorder:

Your healthcare provider may start you on LAMICTAL whether or not you are currently having a mood episode. Remember, LAMICTAL is used to delay episodes, not to treat episodes that are already happening.
Like many medications, LAMICTAL must be started at a low dose and gradually increased over several weeks. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on how much LAMICTAL to take and when to take it.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms, side effects, or problems.Together you can help make sure your treatment plan works for you.
If you are taking LAMICTAL to help prevent extreme mood swings, you may not experience the full effect for several weeks. Occasionally, the symptoms of depression or bipolar disorder may include thoughts of harming yourself or committing suicide. Tell your healthcare provider immediately or go to the nearest hospital if you have any distressing thoughts or experiences during this initial period or at any other time. Also contact your healthcare provider if you experience any worsening of your condition or develop other new symptoms at any time during your treatment.

If you are thinking about suicide:
- Call 911. Get help right away before you act on these thoughts.
- Talk with your doctor.
- Do not stay alone.
- Call the National Hopeline Network at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433).
- Please call your doctor or therapist for additional information.
For more information about taking LAMICTAL, please see the Patient Information Leaflet for LAMICTAL.

The name means everything

Always check that you receive the correct medication. Patients prescribed LAMICTAL (lah-MICK-tall) have sometimes been given the wrong medication in error because many medications have names similar to LAMICTAL. Taking the wrong medication can cause serious health problems. When your healthcare provider gives you a prescription for LAMICTAL:

Make sure you can read it clearly.
Talk to your pharmacist to check that you are given the correct medication.
Check the tablets you receive against the pictures of the tablets below. The pictures show actual tablet shape, and the wording describes the color and printing that is on each strength of LAMICTAL.

LAMICTAL is available in multiple tablet strengths:
illustration of LAMICTAL tablets in the 25 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, and 200 mg strengths.

illustration of LAMICTAL tablets in the 25 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, and 200 mg strengths.


	"I was concerned about starting a new medication. My doctor answered my questions and gave me an easy-to-follow 5-week sample kit for LAMICTAL."

Important Safety Information about LAMICTAL

Prescription LAMICTAL Tablets are not for everyone. Most people who take LAMICTAL tolerate it well. Common side effects with LAMICTAL include dizziness, headache, blurred or double vision, lack of coordination, sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, tremor, and rash. LAMICTAL may cause other side effects not listed here. If you develop any side effects or symptoms you are concerned about, or if you need more information, call your doctor.

Although most patients who develop a rash while receiving LAMICTAL have mild to moderate symptoms, some individuals may develop a serious skin reaction that requires hospitalization. It is not possible to predict whether a mild rash will develop into a more serious one. Rarely, deaths have been reported. These serious skin reactions are most likely to happen within the first 8 weeks of treatment with LAMICTAL. Serious skin reactions occur more often in children than in adults.

Rashes may be more likely to occur if you: take LAMICTAL in combination with valproate (brand names are Depakene® (valproic acid)* and Depakote® (divalproex sodium)*), take a higher starting dose of LAMICTAL than your doctor prescribed, or increase your dose of LAMICTAL faster than prescribed.

If you experience any of the following with or without a skin rash, tell your doctor immediately: hives, fever, swollen lymph glands, painful sores in the mouth or around the eyes, or swelling of lips or tongue. These symptoms may be the first signs of a serious reaction. A doctor should evaluate your condition and determine if you should continue taking LAMICTAL.

Serious blood problems or liver problems have been reported with LAMICTAL, so tell your doctor if you develop symptoms such as unusual bruising or bleeding, severe muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, yellowing of the eyes or skin, and/or frequent infections.

You should not take LAMICTAL if you had an allergic reaction to it in the past.

LAMICTAL is indicated for the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder to delay the time to occurrence of mood episodes (depression, mania, hypomania, mixed episodes) in adults treated for acute mood episodes with standard therapy. The effectiveness of LAMICTAL in the acute treatment of mood episodes has not been established.

*Depakene (valproic acid) and Depakote (divalproex sodium) are registered trademarks of Abbott Laboratories.

Patient Information Leaflet for LAMICTAL® (lamotrigine)

Complete Prescribing Information for LAMICTAL

Complete Prescribing Information is provided in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF). To view these documents, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have it and you are unable to or do not wish to download Acrobat Reader, but still wish to receive complete Prescribing Information, please click here.

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