Lamictal side effects

What side effects can Lamotrigine have?

Below you will find the most important information about possible known side effects of Lamotrigine.

Very common side effects:
rashes with blotchiness, itching, headache, dizziness, double vision, blurred vision, sexual excitability.

Common side effects:
Fatigue, drowsiness, sleep disorders such as insomnia, irritability, gastrointestinal discomfort such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, nystagmus (jittering), tremor, movement insecurity, involuntary movement disorders such as muscle twitching, tics and Ataxia, joint pain (arthralgia), back pain.

Occasional Side Effects:

Rare side effects:
Serious, life-threatening allergic skin and mucosal reactions such as Quincke’s edema, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and Lyell’s syndrome, conjunctivitis.

Very rare and isolated side effects:
Hypersensitivity reactions such as skin rashes with fever, lymph node disease (lymphadenopathy) and facial water deposits (facial edema), liver elevations, liver dysfunction, liver failure, movement disorders (extrapyramidal effects), motor unrest, blood picture changes such as (neutropenia, leukopenia, Anemia, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia), excessive urge to move, confusion, hallucinations, insecurity, movement disorders such as choreoathetosis, exacerbation of Parkinson’s syndrome, seizure increase, hair loss, psychosis, depression, anxiety disorders, severe skin reactions (Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis).

Special features:
The risk of severe skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis is highest in the first few weeks of treatment. If rash increases, often with blistering or concomitant mucosal wounds, therapy with lamotrigine must be stopped. The patient may never be treated with the drug again.

Apparently, taking lamotrigine in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder and other mental illnesses increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions. Therefore, the patients should be carefully monitored by the relatives.

Lamotrigine appears to increase some susceptibility to non-bacterial meningitis. It is considered a very rare side effect in the opinion of the US Food and Drug Association (FDA).

Long-term treatment with anti-epileptic drugs such as lamotrigine increases the risk of osteoporosis. If this disease already exists or if hydrocortisone or other glucocorticoids are taken at the same time, a doctor should be consulted.

What interactions does Lamotrigine show?


In combination with lamotrigine with antiepileptic drugs such as carbamazepine, phenobarbital, primidone or phenytoin, and rifampicin (tuberculosis medication), the effect of lamotrigine is reduced. As a rule, the dose of lamotrigine must therefore be increased by the doctor.

In combination with the antiepileptic drug valproic acid, however, the effect of lamotrigine is enhanced. The doctor must reduce the lamotrigine dose here.

Co-administration of estrogen-progestagen combinations to prevent lamotrigine activity decreases. Also, an impairment of the contraceptive effect of such oral contraceptives (“pill”) can not be excluded. Therefore, additional pregnancy prevention measures should be taken during treatment with Lamotrigine.

The non-opioid analgesic paracetamol shortens the duration of action of lamotrigine when co-administered.

Potential Lamictal side effects may include: