What Is Lamotrigine Used For? (Cont.)

How Does Lamotrigine Work?

Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that causes brief changes in how the brain's electrical system works. This change in brain activity can lead to a seizure (see Epilepsy Symptoms). It is not known exactly how the drug works for treating epilepsy. Studies suggest that lamotrigine may work by affecting sodium channels in the brain, preventing the abnormal activity from spreading to other areas. This action could help control seizures.
 
Currently, it is not known how lamotrigine works to treat bipolar disorder.
 

Lamotrigine Uses in Children

Lamotrigine is approved for controlling seizures in children with epilepsy as young two years old. It is not approved to treat bipolar disorder in children. Talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of using the drug in children.
 

Off-Label Lamotrigine Uses

On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend lamotrigine for something other than epilepsy or bipolar disorder. At this time, using the drug to treat absence seizures (also known as petit mal seizures) is considered an off-label lamotrigine use.
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;