Lamotrigine (Lamictal)

What the word means

Lamotrigine is the drug. Lamictal is the brand.

It’s a mood stabilizer, and it has a specific strength worth knowing: it’s the one most associated with preventing the depressive side of bipolar disorder, which is the side people actually spend most of their time in and the side that’s hardest to treat.

The thing everyone learns about lamotrigine is the slow start. It has to be titrated up gradually over weeks, and that isn’t caution for its own sake. Going up too fast raises the risk of a rare but serious rash that can become a medical emergency. The slow ramp is the safety measure, and it’s why the first weeks feel like nothing is happening.

Where to read the full guide

Shrinktionary defines the word.

Read the full lamotrigine guide at PsychiatryRx, which covers the titration schedule, side effects, and how it compares with lithium.

Related terms you’ll see next

• Mood stabilizer
• Titration
• Lithium
• Bipolar disorder

When to seek professional care

Any rash while starting or increasing lamotrigine needs urgent medical attention, and that isn’t an overcautious instruction. Stop and get seen. Never speed up the titration on your own, and tell your prescriber if you’ve missed several days, because restarting sometimes means going back to the beginning of the ramp. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, get help right away by calling 911, or call or text 988 in the US to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Lamotrigine (Lamictal):</strong> Lamotrigine is a mood stabilizer, sold as Lamictal, used mainly to prevent the depressive episodes of bipolar disorder. It has to be started slowly because of a rare but serious rash.</p>
  <p>&mdash; <a href="https://shrinktionary.com/terms/lamotrigine/">Shrinktionary</a>, a plain-English mental health dictionary, medically reviewed by a board certified psychiatrist.</p>
</blockquote>