Lamictal - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Pregnancy May Lower Lamotrigine (Lamictal) Blood Levels

Women with bipolar disorder are at increased risk for recurrence of illness during pregnancy. Therefore, many women with bipolar disorder elect to continue treatment with medications during pregnancy after weighing the risks and benefits of various treatment options with their physicians. Lamotrigine (Lamictal) is an anticonvulsant used to treat bipolar disorder. While the safety data on this relatively new anticonvulsant in pregnancy is limited, pregnancy registry data suggests that lamotrigine may pose less of a risk to the developing fetus than with older anticonvulsants, such as valproate (Depakote). With lamotrigine emerging as an effective and relatively safe treatment for pregnant women with bipolar disorder, more attention is now being paid to the effects of pregnancy on lamotrigine levels.

By Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD|2025-06-26T09:07:13-04:00May 5th, 2009|Anti-Epileptic Drugs, Bipolar Disorder, Mood Stabilizers, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off

Oral Contraceptives Reduce Lamotrigine (Lamictal) Blood Levels

Lamotrigine (Lamictal) has been effectively used for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. Many women suffering from bipolar disorder are of childbearing age; therefore an adequate contraception is a major concern that needs to be addressed in this population.

By Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD|2025-06-26T09:07:14-04:00October 20th, 2008|Anti-Epileptic Drugs, General, Hormone Therapy|Comments Off

Evaluating the Safety of First-Trimester Exposure to Lamotrigine (Lamictal)

Early reports suggested that women with bipolar disorder may be at lower risk for onset or relapse of this disorder during pregnancy and that some women may be able to remain well during pregnancy despite medication discontinuation. However, more recent studies have suggested that recurrence of affective illness during pregnancy is relatively common among women with bipolar disorder. Dr. Adele Viguera and her colleagues at the Center for Women's Mental Health reported that among pregnant bipolar women, relapse rates were very high (58%) in those women who discontinued maintenance treatment with lithium during pregnancy (Viguera et al 2000).

By Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD|2025-06-26T09:07:15-04:00July 11th, 2006|Anti-Epileptic Drugs, Mood Stabilizers, Pregnancy & Medications, Risk of Malformations|Comments Off

Lamotrigine and Breastfeeding

Because rates of postpartum illness are very high in women with bipolar disorder, it is generally recommended that mothers continue treatment with a mood stabilizer throughout the postpartum period to reduce their risk of relapse; however, the use of medications during the postpartum period is complicated by the issue of breastfeeding. All medications are secreted into the breast milk, although their concentrations appear to vary (Chaudron and Jefferson, 2000).

By Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD|2025-06-26T09:07:17-04:00November 18th, 2005|Anti-Epileptic Drugs, Breastfeeding & Medications, Child Outcomes, Mood Stabilizers|Comments Off