Hi
This info if based on children on this drug , but the contra side effects are the same.
Each person reacts differently to medicines and so your child will not necessarily suffer from every side effect mentioned and may not experience any side effects. If you are concerned, please ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. In general, lamotrigine appears to be very effective in controlling epileptic seizures in many patients, and apart from possible skin rash, it is considered to be safe and free from serious side effects.
The most common side effect is a skin rash that occurs in 1 in every 300 children under 12 taking lamotrigine and in 1 in every 1000 children over 12 and adults. The rash is more likely to develop if your child is also taking Sodium Valproate, another anti-epileptic medicine. This is less likely to happen if the medicines are introduced and increased slowly. If the rash appears, it nearly always develops within eight weeks of starting treatment, and affects the body, face, mouth where blisters may occur and legs or arms. A high temperature and a feeling of being generally unwell may also develop alongside the rash. In a small number of cases, the rash and general illness may rarely be severe, but generally improves when lamotrigine is stopped. If your child develops a rash, please tell your doctor immediately, but do not stop taking the medicine.
A rare side effect is drowsiness. If a child becomes drowsy it is usually when the medicine is first started. If your child is excessively tired or drowsy, please tell your doctor.
Another uncommon side effect is dizziness or tremor (shakiness). If this happens, it is also usually when the medicine is first started. However, it can develop later if the dosage is too high for your child, and blurred vision may develop alongside the dizziness. If your child develops dizziness, please tell your doctor.
Other rare side effects include blurring or double vision or an upset stomach.
Lamotrigine and other medicines
- Paracetamol (Calpol® or Disprol® amongst others) and most other over-the-counter (OTC) medicines can be safely taken with lamotrigine. OTC medicines are those that can be bought without a prescription.
- Antibiotics can be taken with lamotrigine.
- Lamotrigine can be taken safely with other anti-epilepsy medicines.
- There is a very important interaction between sodium valproate and lamotrigine. Sodium Valproate causes the levels of lamotrigine to be much higher and so the dose of lamotrigine used with sodium valproate is much lower.
Phil x