What is Lamictal and What Are Its Uses?
Lamictal (lamotrigine) is used to treat seizures and in some cases, the mood swings of those who suffer from bipolar disorder. Lamictal is part of a class of drugs known as anticonvulsants/antiepileptic drugs. This class of drugs can remedy the frequency or severity of seizures by altering the balance of substances in the brain which can cause seizures.
What is Epilepsy?
The principal function of these drugs is to either dampen excitation in the patient or increase inhibition. Ordinarily, your brain has millions of nerve cells called neurons. The totality of your neurons is always in a combination of resting, excited or inhibited states. The junctions at which these neurons meet are called synapses, and these fire when the neuron is called upon to communicate with other neurons. Your whole brain is a network of neurons that are communicating with each other in tandem.
In essence, epilepsy is a condition that occurs when the excitatory or inhibitory circuits in the brain are imbalanced in some manner. This can either be throughout the brain or focused in a single spot—generalized or focal epilepsy. The neurons start firing off erratically with no order or reason and this results in an epileptic seizure.
Largely, what causes epilepsy is still unknown. Medical knowledge is only sufficient enough to treat the mechanism by which it occurs, as the root cause is still yet to be determined.
Lamictal for Bipolar Disorder
Because anticonvulsants can dampen hyperactivity in the brain, they are capable of treating the symptoms of bipolar disorder—chiefly mania. Lamictal, however, has notably better antidepressant effects than antimanic effects.
What Are the Side Effects of Lamictal
Lamictal tablets come in pill form for oral administration. Generally speaking, the doses are as follows: 25mg, 100mg, 150mg and a 200mg tablet. As with most medications, it is best to figure out the most effective minimal dose to mitigate side effects.
The side effects of Lamictal are dizziness, drowsiness, headache, vomiting or upset stomach. A minority of people report side effects of depression, suicidal thoughts or mood issues when using anticonvulsants for prescribed purposes. If you are experiencing any of these side effects contact your doctor immediately and inform them. It is important to remember that all anticonvulsants have slightly different effects on the brain.
Lamictal Prescription Assistance Program
Millions of people in America are either underinsured or uninsured. They have some illness or condition which requires maintenance and prescription medication is not affordable for them. Prescription medication prices have been going up year to year and this has left many people without access to life-altering medications that they require. The Rx helper was founded to address this challenge that many Americans face today. We help qualify patients with minimal to no coverage so that they can get the help they need. We offer access to brand name drugs that are discounted through manufacturer programs. If you’d like to learn more about these discounts, visit our contact page to get in touch with us, or give us a call at 1-(888)-233-4303.
