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Lamotrigine

Medication anticonvulsant / mood stabiliser mental health
Aka: Lamictal
Brands seen in Singapore: Lamictal, Lamotrix, Lamitor
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Prescribed for epilepsy and for bipolar depression
When to take
NHS: once or twice a day, with or without food
Take with
Water · NHS: swallowed whole, not chewed or crushed
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: can be used in pregnancy if needed
  • NHS: tablets and dispersible tablets both exist
  • NHS: breastfeeding is possible, with checks
Cons
  • NHS: headaches, rash, nausea, dizziness are common
  • NHS: rare serious skin reactions incl. stevens-johnson
  • NHS: the dose is raised slowly over several weeks
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset, 5,511 rows, cached in full and filtered locally) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “All 10 registered lamotrigine products carry Forensicclassification 'Prescription Only' — SIN07497P LAMICTAL TABLET 50 mg · SIN14028P Lamotrix Tablet 100mg · SIN13365P Lamitor-50 · SIN13554P Apo-Lamotrigine 25mg; strengths 5, 25, 50 and 100 mg”
  2. NHS Medicines A-Z — Lamotrigine: what lamotrigine is for · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Lamotrigine is a medicine used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. It's only available with a prescription … seizures caused by epilepsy; low mood (depression) in people with bipolar disorder.”
  3. NHS Medicines A-Z — Lamotrigine: how to take lamotrigine · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “take it once or twice a day as advised by your doctor – it can be taken with or without food; swallow tablets whole with a glass of water … do not chew or crush them”
  4. NHS Medicines A-Z — Lamotrigine: starting dose and titration · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Your doctor may prescribe a low dose to start with and increase it over a few weeks until you reach a dose that works for you.”
  5. NHS Medicines A-Z — Lamotrigine: common side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Common side effects of lamotrigine include: headaches; a rash; feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting); dizziness or drowsiness; dry mouth; diarrhoea; tiredness and problems sleeping; shaking or tremors”
  6. NHS Medicines A-Z — Lamotrigine: serious side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Possible serious side effects of lamotrigine include: a skin reaction, such as a round, slightly raised rash (erythema multiforme), painful blisters (Stevens-Johnson syndrome), or peeling skin”
  7. NHS Medicines A-Z — Lamotrigine: who can and cannot take it · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “it may not be suitable if: you have a liver or kidney condition … you've had a rash or sunburn after taking lamotrigine in the past; you have a heart condition called Brugada syndrome, or other heart problems”
  8. NHS Medicines A-Z — Lamotrigine: pregnancy and breastfeeding · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Lamotrigine can be used during pregnancy if needed … Lamotrigine can be used while breastfeeding, but it's best to check because the medicine can pass into your breast milk.”
  9. NHS Medicines A-Z — Lamotrigine: taking it with other medicines · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “epilepsy medicines, such as sodium valproate and carbamazepine; medicines used to treat mental health problems, such as risperidone; antibiotics, such as rifampicin; medicines used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); hormonal contraceptives, such as the combined pill”
  10. HealthHub (National Medication Information workgroup, SG) — Lamotrigine: what is this medication for · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Lamotrigine is used to control seizures (commonly known as fits) and as a mood stabilizer to reduce mood swings in a condition known as bipolar disorder.”
  11. HealthHub — Lamotrigine: precautions, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome warning · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Liver problems; Kidney problems; Drug allergies. For female patients of child-bearing age: Discuss with your doctor regarding family planning … monitor closely for the first 3 months”
  12. US FDA label for LAMICTAL (lamotrigine), section 2.4 Bipolar Disorder, via openFDA (GlaxoSmithKline, effective 2025-10-10) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “doses up to 400 mg/day as monotherapy were evaluated; however, no additional benefit was seen at 400 mg/day compared with 200 mg/day. Accordingly, doses above 200 mg/day are not recommended.”
  13. US FDA label for LAMICTAL (lamotrigine), Table 1 escalation regimen, patients older than 12 years, via openFDA · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Usual maintenance dose 100 to 200 mg/day with valproate alone … 100 to 400 mg/day … 225 to 375 mg/day (in 2 divided doses) … 300 to 500 mg/day (in 2 divided doses)”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.