Before taking lamotrigine,
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to lamotrigine, any other medications. or any of the ingredients in the type of lamotrigine tablets you will be taking. Ask your doctor or pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the ingredients.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and atazanavir with ritonavir (Reyataz with Norvir); lopinavir with ritonavir (Kaletra); methotrexate (Rasuvo, Trexall, Trexup); other medications for seizures such as carbamazepine (Epitol, Tegretol, others), oxcarbazepine (Oxtellar XR, Trileptal), phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton), phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek), and primidone (Mysoline); pyrimethamine (Daraprim); rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, Rifater); and trimethoprim (Primsol, in Bactrim, Septra). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
tell your doctor if you are using female hormonal medications such as hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, injections, implants, or intrauterine devices), or hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Talk to your doctor before you start or stop taking any of these medications while you are taking lamotrigine. If you are taking a female hormonal medication, tell your doctor if you have any bleeding between expected menstrual periods.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had an autoimmune disease (condition in which the body attacks its own organs, causing swelling and loss of function) such as lupus (condition in which the body attacks many different organs causing a variety of symptoms), a blood disorder, other mental health conditions, or kidney or liver disease, or ascites (swelling of the stomach caused by liver disease).
tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking lamotrigine, call your doctor.
tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. If you breast-feed during your treatment with lamotrigine, your baby may receive some lamotrigine in breast milk. Watch your baby closely for unusual sleepiness, interrupted breathing, or poor sucking.
you should know that this medication may make you drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
you should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways and you may become suicidal (thinking about harming or killing yourself or planning or trying to do so) while you are taking lamotrigine for the treatment of epilepsy, mental illness, or other conditions. A small number of adults and children 5 years of age and older (about 1 in 500 people) who took anticonvulsants such as lamotrigine to treat various conditions during clinical studies became suicidal during their treatment. Some of these people developed suicidal thoughts and behavior as early as one week after they started taking the medication. There is a risk that you may experience changes in your mental health if you take an anticonvulsant medication such as lamotrigine, but there may also be a risk that you will experience changes in your mental health if your condition is not treated. You and your doctor will decide whether the risks of taking an anticonvulsant medication are greater than the risks of not taking the medication. You, your family, or your caregiver should call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: panic attacks; agitation or restlessness; new or worsening irritability, anxiety, or depression; acting on dangerous impulses; difficulty falling or staying asleep; aggressive, angry, or violent behavior; mania (frenzied, abnormally excited mood); talking or thinking about wanting to hurt yourself or end your life; withdrawing from friends and family; preoccupation with death and dying; giving away prized possessions; or any other unusual changes in behavior or mood. Be sure that your family or caregiver knows which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor if you are unable to seek treatment on your own.