Monday, November 7, 2011

Important Safety Information About LAMICTAL

Prescription LAMICTAL XR Extended-Release Tablets are not for everyone.
LAMICTAL XR may cause a serious skin rash that may cause you to be hospitalized or to stop LAMICTAL XR; it may rarely cause death. There is no way to tell if a mild rash will develop into a more serious reaction. These serious skin reactions are more likely to happen when you begin taking LAMICTAL XR, within the first 2 to 8 weeks of treatment. But it can happen in people who have taken LAMICTAL XR for any period of time. Children Bali Mojo between 2 to 16 years of age have a higher chance of getting this serious skin reaction while taking lamotrigine. LAMICTAL XR is not approved for use in children less than 13 years old.
The risk of getting a rash is higher if you take LAMICTAL XR while taking valproate [Depakene* (valproic acid) or Depakote* (divalproex sodium)], take a higher starting dose of LAMICTAL XR than your healthcare provider prescribed, or increase your dose of LAMICTAL XR faster than prescribed.
LAMICTAL XR can also cause other types of allergic reactions or serious problems that may affect organs and other parts of your body like the liver or blood cells. You may or may not have a rash with these types of reactions.
Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following: a skin rash, hives, fever, swollen lymph glands, painful sores in the mouth or around your eyes, swelling of your lips or tongue, yellowing of your skin or eyes, unusual bruising or bleeding, severe fatigue or weakness, severe muscle pain, or frequent infections. These symptoms may be the first signs of a serious reaction. A healthcare provider should examine you to decide if you should continue taking LAMICTAL XR.
LAMICTAL XR may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500. Call a healthcare provider right away if you have worsening depression, any unusual changes in mood or behavior, or thoughts or actions about suicide or self-harm, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you (see Medication Guide).
LAMICTAL XR may rarely cause aseptic meningitis, a serious inflammation of the protective membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, rash, unusual sensitivity to light, muscle pains, chills, confusion, or drowsiness.
Meningitis has many causes other than LAMICTAL XR, which your doctor would check for if you developed meningitis while taking LAMICTAL XR.
Do not stop taking LAMICTAL XR without talking to your healthcare provider. Stopping LAMICTAL XR suddenly may cause serious problems.
Always check that you receive LAMICTAL XR
Patients prescribed LAMICTAL have sometimes been given the wrong medicine because many medicines have names similar to LAMICTAL, so always check that you receive LAMICTAL XR.
Taking the wrong medication can cause serious health problems. When your healthcare provider gives you a prescription for LAMICTAL XR:
  • Make sure you can read it clearly.
  • Talk to your pharmacist to check that you are given the correct medicine.
  • Each time you fill your prescription, check the tablets you receive against the pictures of the tablets in the Medication Guide that comes with your prescription.
Attention Patients and Caregivers: Always check that you receive LAMICTAL XR.
Patients prescribed LAMICTAL have sometimes been given the wrong medicine in error because many
medicines have names similar to LAMICTAL.
You should not take LAMICTAL XR if you have had an allergic reaction to lamotrigine or to any of the inactive ingredients in LAMICTAL XR.
Common side effects include dizziness, tremor, double vision, nausea, vomiting, trouble with balance and coordination, and anxiety. Other common side effects that have been reported with another form of lamotrigine include headache, sleepiness, blurred vision, runny nose, and rash. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. Also, tell your healthcare provider if you have any changes in your menstrual pattern, such as breakthrough bleeding, while taking LAMICTAL XR and birth control pills. These are not all the possible side effects of LAMICTAL XR. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Lamictal for bipolar disorder


In today’s modern world, there are many measures that can be taken by a doctor and a patient to ensure that conditions such as bipolar disorder are kept at bay. With bipolar  there are many ways of helping sufferers through “a rough road.”
Lamictal for bipolar disorder like Topamax and Trileptal help to Viagra Plus stabilize moods and keep severe depression and bouts of mania at bay. According to   many doctors Lamictal tends to be one of the most effective drugs on the market to keep the symptoms of bipolar disorder under control, and more importantly, there are not too many side effects to worry about. The most common side effect reported is the occasional headache, apart from this, it is very unlikely that a patient will experience any problems at all.
It is vital that when a person seems to show the symptoms of bipolar disorder that this be sorted out. Doctors have reported that if the condition remains untreated then a person could go on to have between 5 and 10 mania attacks during their lifetime and unfortunately, there is a 15 percent risk of death by suicide if it remains untreated.
Lamictal for bipolar disorder is very effective for treating mania, depression and most importantly, helping a patient in terms of suicidal thoughts and as a result, the drug has stopped the most suicidal of people doing harm to themselves.
Once bipolar disorder has been diagnosed, then the doctor will go on to select the best course of treatment, in terms of taking lamictal, it is considered that the drug can succeed – even with the most difficult of cases.
Bipolar disorder is a problem that occurs with many people from the age of 21 (children can sometimes be affected) and there is no way of knowing who will be subjected to the symptoms but once it has been diagnosed then this is the road to recovery for a patient.
When taking Lamictal for bipolar disorder there is a lot that you and your loved ones can do to help with your recovery. The first is to maintain a healthy lifestyle – keep regular sleeping patterns, and most importantly, reduce stress. Secondly, always let your loved ones know about the condition because any signs of a relapse could be serious and it is important for them to know what to look for.
Lastly, many sufferers like to learn more about the illness from the internet and some may want to join self-help groups.This in itself can build confidence because meeting with other people will mean that you have not gone through the ravages of manic depression on your own. Others have had similar experiences, and by sharing, you will begin to feel like your old self again.