800-330-LEGAL
(800-330-5342)
Lamictal (Lamotrigine) Lawyer
Personal Injury Lawyers - Representing People Nationwide
The anticonvulsant lamotrigine is marketed as Lamictal by GlaxoSmithKline, and is also available as a generic drug. It is used to treat the following disorders:
- partial epileptic seizures
- primary and secondary tonic-clonic seizures
- seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
- bipolar type I
The mode of action by which lamotrigine works is not well understood. While some believe that lamotrigine is a sodium channel blocker, it does not share similar side effects with other anticonvulsants that inhibit sodium channels. Others believe that it works by restoring the balance of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
Lamictal has been thought to have few side effects compared with other anticonvulsants, and treatment with it does not require blood monitoring in monotherapy (therapy in which only lamotrigine is used). But in September 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert pronouncing that new information suggested that babies exposed to Lamictal during the first three months of pregnancy may have a higher risk of being born with a cleft lip or palate. Babies with cleft lip or palate have a gap in the upper lip or roof of the mouth.
The alert recommends that pregnant women or women thinking of becoming pregnant talk with their physicians prior to taking Lamictal. Those already taking Lamictal should consult with their doctors before discontinuing its use.
In January 2008 the FDA then issued another alert warning of the potential for an increased risk of suicidal behavior and suicidal ideation in those who take antiepileptic drugs (including Lamictal). The alert recommends that all patients who are starting or currently taking any antiepileptic drug be closely monitored for changes in behavior that could denote the emergence or worsening of depression or of suicidal thoughts or behavior.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of taking Lamictal, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a qualified pharmaceutical injury attorney for an evaluation of your case.