Lamotrigine is not currently subsidised by the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) for BPII, meaning that this medication costs more than some others available.
Short-term
- It is unclear if lamotrigine is effective at preventing hypomanic/mixed episodes, meaning that you may need to take add-on medication/s to deal with these symptoms.
- Within the first 2 months of starting lamotrigine, people may experience:
- Benign (or non-serious) rash
- 8-9 in 100 people (8-9%)
- Serious (Steven-Johnson’s like) rash.
- 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 1000 people (0.01-0.1%)
This rash requires hospitalisation and involves stopping medication. This rash is rare but can cause death (< 5 in 100 people who develop it and do not stop medication or receive proper treatment).
- When starting lamotrigine, it may take 2-3 months to reach the working (therapeutic) dose. Dose increases need to be done slowly to avoid developing rash.
- Within the first 4 months of taking lamotrigine, people may experience side effects, such as headache, nausea/vomiting, infection and dizziness.
In the first 2 months of starting lamotrigine, it is important to remain alert as most rashes develop during this time.
If you notice any signs of a rash, don’t take your next dose of lamotrigine and immediately contact your GP or psychiatrist for consultation. This may help you to avoid the complications associated with serious rash.
Mid-term
- Within the first 18 months of taking lamotrigine to prevent relapse, people can commonly also experience:
- Headache
- 18 in 100 people (18%)
- Nausea/vomiting
- 17 in 100 people (17%)
- Infection
- 12 in 100 people (12%)
- Dizziness
- 8 in 100 people (8%)
For most people, side effects in the medium term are mild to moderate in intensity and do not stop them taking lamotrigine.