Package Insert: Information for the User
Lamotrigine Viatris 200 mg Chewable/Dispersible Tablets EFG
Read this package insert carefully before you start taking this medicine, because it contains important information for you.
1.What is Lamotrigine Viatris and what it is used for
2.What you need to know before starting to take Lamotrigine Viatris
3.How to take Lamotrigine Viatris
4.Possible side effects
5Storage of Lamotrigine Viatris
6.Contents of the pack and additional information
Lamotrigina Viatris belongs to a group of medications calledantiepilepticdrugs. It can be used to treat two diseases: epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
Lamotrigina is used to treat epilepsy becauseit blocks signals in the brain that trigger seizures (attacks).
Lamotrigina is also used to treat bipolar disorder.
People with bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic-depressive illness) experience extreme mood swings, with periods of mania (excitement or euphoria) alternating with periods of depression (deep sadness or desperation). In adults 18 years of age and older, lamotrigina may be used to prevent periods of depression that occur in bipolar disorder, either alone or in combination with other medications. It is not known how lamotrigina acts in the brain to produce this effect.
You should consult a doctor if you get worse or do not improve.
Do not take Lamotrigina Viatris:
If this is your case:
?Inform your doctor, and do not take lamotrigine.
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse before taking Lamotrigina Viatris:
The Brugada syndrome is a genetic disease that causes abnormal heart electrical activity. Lamotrigine may cause abnormalities in the electrocardiogram (ECG) that can lead to arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm). Consult your doctor if you have this disease.
Cases of a rare but severe immune system reaction have been reported in patients taking lamotrigine. Contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms while taking lamotrigine: fever, rash, neurological symptoms (e.g., spasms or tremor, confused state, cerebral function alterations).
If this is your case:
?Inform your doctor, who will decide to reduce your dose or determine that lamotrigine is not suitable for you.
Important information about potentially life-threatening reactions
A small number of people taking lamotrigine have had allergic reactions or skin reactions that can be life-threatening, which can lead to more serious problems if not treated. These reactions may include Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SSJ), toxic epidermal necrolysis (NET), and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). You need to know the symptoms of these reactions and be aware of them while taking lamotrigine. This risk may be associated with a genetic variant in people of Asian origin (mainly Chinese Han and Thai). If you are of such origin and have been detected with this genetic variant (HLA-B* 1502), talk to your doctor before taking lamotrigine.
?Read the description of these symptoms in section 4 of this leaflet“Reactions that may be life-threatening: consult your doctor immediately”.
Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
Antiepileptic drugs are used to treat various conditions, including epilepsy and bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder may have had thoughts of self-harm or suicide at some point. If you have bipolar disorder, you may be more likely to have these thoughts in the following situations:
If you have thoughts or experiences that worry you, or if you notice that you feel worse or develop new symptoms while taking lamotrigine:
?Consult your doctor as soon as possible or go to the nearest hospital.
It may be helpful to explain to a family member, caregiver, or close friend that you may become depressed or have significant mood changes, and ask them to read this leaflet. You can ask them to tell you if they are worried about your depression or other changes in your behavior.
A reduced number of people who have been treated with antiepileptic drugs like lamotrigine have also had thoughts of self-harm or suicide. If you ever have these thoughts, contact your doctor immediately.
If you are taking lamotrigine for epilepsy
In some types of epilepsy, during treatment with lamotrigine, seizures may occasionally worsen or occur more frequently. Some patients may experience severe seizures that can cause serious health problems. If you notice that you are having seizures more often or experiencing severe seizures while taking lamotrigine:
?Go to a doctor immediately.
Lamotrigine should not be administered to children under 18 years old for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Medications used to treat depression and other mental health problems increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and adolescents under 18 years old.
Other medications and Lamotrigina Viatris
Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have taken recently, or may need to take any other medication, including herbal medications or other medications obtained without a prescription.
Your doctor needs to know if you are taking other medications for epilepsy or mental health problems. This is to ensure that you take the correct dose of lamotrigine. These medications include:
?Inform your doctor if you are using any of these medications.
Some medications interact with lamotrigine or make adverse effects more likely. These include:
?Inform your doctor if you are using, or if you start or stop using, any of these medications.
Oral Contraceptives (such as the birth control pill)may affect the way lamotrigine works
Your doctor may recommend a specific oral contraceptive or suggest using a different method of contraception, such as condoms, diaphragm, or IUD. If you are taking an oral contraceptive, such as the birth control pill, your doctor may ask you to have blood tests to check the concentration of lamotrigine. If you are thinking of starting to use an oral contraceptive:
?Inform your doctor,who will indicate which contraceptive methods are most suitable for you.
Lamotrigine may modify the way oral contraceptives work, although it is unlikely to reduce their effectiveness. If you are using an oral contraceptive and experience changes in your menstrual cycle, such as intermenstrual bleeding or spotting between periods:
?Inform your doctor.These may be signs that lamotrigine is affecting the way your contraceptive works.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
?If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you think you may be pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication.
?If you are breastfeeding or if you plan to start breastfeeding,consult your doctor or pharmacist beforeusing this medication.Lamotrigine passes into breast milk and may affect your baby. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while taking lamotrigine. If you decide to start breastfeeding, your doctor will check your baby from time to time,since your baby may experience drowsiness, rash, or poor weight gain. Inform your doctor if you observe any of these symptoms in your baby.
Driving and operating machinery
Lamotrigine may cause dizziness and double vision.
?Do not drive or operate machinery until you are sure you do not feel these effects.
If you have epilepsy, consult your doctor about the possibility of driving or operating machinery.
Lamotrigina Viatris contains sodium
This medication contains less than 23 mg of sodium (1 mmol) per tablet; it is essentially “sodium-free”.
Follow exactly the administration instructions of this medication as indicated by your doctor or pharmacist. In case of doubt, consult with your doctor or pharmacist.
How much lamotrigine to take
It may take some time for your doctor to find the most appropriate dose of lamotrigine for you. The dose you should take will depend on:
Your doctor will ask you to start treatment with a low dose, and gradually increase the dose until you reach the most appropriate dose for you (called the effective dose). Never take more lamotrigine than your doctor has prescribed.
The recommended dose of lamotrigine for adults and children over 13 years is between 100 mg and 400 mg per day.
For children between 2 and 12 years, the recommended dose depends on their body weight, usually between 1 mg and 15 mg per kilogram of the child's weight, up to a maximum maintenance dose of 200 mg per day.
Lamotrigine is not recommended for children under 2 years.
How to take the lamotrigine dose
Take your lamotrigine dose one or two times a day, as advised by your doctor. You can take it with or without food.
Your doctor may advise you to start or stop taking other medications, depending on the conditions for which you are being treated and how you respond to treatment.
Take the chewable/dispersible lamotrigine tablets whole with a little water, or dissolve them in water.
If you chew the tablet:
You may need to drink a little water to help the tablet dissolve in your mouth. After swallowing, drink a little more water to make sure you have taken all the medication.
To dissolve the medication (make a liquid medication):
If you take more Lamotrigine Viatris than you should
In case of overdose or accidental ingestion, contact your doctor, pharmacist, or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone: 91 5620420, indicating the medication and the amount ingested.
If you take more lamotrigine than you should, you may be more prone to severe side effects that can be fatal.
Someone who has taken too much lamotrigine may have some of the following symptoms:
If you forgot to take Lamotrigine Viatris
Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed doses.Take the next dose at the usual time.
If you forget to take multiple doses of lamotrigine:
Ask your doctor for advice on how to start treatment again. It is essential to do this.
Do not stop taking lamotrigine without your doctor's advice
You must take lamotrigine for as long as your doctor recommends. Do not stop treatment until your doctor advises you to.
If you are taking lamotrigine for epilepsy treatment
To stop taking lamotrigine, it is essential to gradually reduce the dose over approximately 2 weeks. If you stop taking lamotrigine abruptly, you may experience a relapse of epilepsy symptoms or the condition may worsen.
If you are taking lamotrigine for bipolar disorder treatment
Lamotrigine may take time to act, so it is unlikely that you will feel better immediately. To stop taking lamotrigine, you do not need to reduce the dose gradually. However, before interrupting treatment with lamotrigine, you should consult with your doctor.
Like all medications, this medication may cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.
Reactions that may potentially threaten life: consult your doctor immediately.
A small number of people taking lamotrigine have had allergic reactions or potentially serious skin reactions. If left untreated, these reactions can worsen and even be fatal.
These symptoms are more likely to occur during the first few months of treatment with lamotrigine, especially if the initial dose is high or if the dose is increased too quickly, or if you are taking lamotrigine with another medication called valproate. Some of these symptoms are more common in children, so parents should be especially vigilant.
The symptoms of these reactions include:
Many of these symptoms can be signs of less severe side effects.However, you should be aware that they can potentially threaten life and lead to more serious problems, such as organ failure, if left untreated. If you notice any of these symptoms:contact your doctor immediately.
?Contact your doctor immediately.Your doctor will decide if you need to undergo tests to assess liver, kidney, or blood function and may instruct you to stop taking lamotrigine. If you have developed Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis, your doctor will advise you never to take lamotrigine again.
Lymphohistiocytosis hemophagocytic (LHH)(see section 2. What you need to know before starting Lamotrigine Viatris).
Very common side effects (affect more than 1 in 10 people)
Common side effects (affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Uncommon side effects (affect up to 1 in 100 people)
Rare side effects (affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
This can be caused by inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). These symptoms usually resolve when treatment is stopped. However, if symptoms persist or worsen, contact your doctor.
Very rare side effects (affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
Frequency not known (cannot be estimated from available data)
Other side effects
Reporting of side effects
Ifyou experience any typeofpossibleside effects,consult your doctor or pharmacist, even ifthey do notappearin this leaflet.You can also report them directly to the Spanish System for Pharmacovigilance of Medicinal Products for Human Use: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting side effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medication.
Keep this medication out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medication after the expiration date that appears on the packaging or blister, after CAD or EXP. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
This medication does not require special storage conditions.
Medications should not be disposed of through drains or trash.Deposit the packaging and medications you no longer need at the SIGRE collection pointat the pharmacy. If in doubt,ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and medications you no longer need. By doing so, you will help protect the environment.
Composition of Lamotrigina Viatris
The active ingredient is lamotrigine. Each chewable/dispersible tablet contains 200 mg of lamotrigine.
The other components are: microcrystalline cellulose (E-460I), mannitol (E-421), sodium carboxymethylcellulose Type A (from potato), anhydrous colloidal silica, blackcurrant flavor, magnesium stearate (E-470B), povidone, and sodium saccharin (E-954).
Appearance of the product and contents of the packaging
Lamotrigina Viatris is presented in the form of round, white to off-white tablets with a bisected edge. On one side, LY is engraved over the number 200.
Each package contains blisters of 30 tablets.
Holder of the marketing authorization and responsible for manufacturing
Holder of the marketing authorization
Viatris Pharmaceuticals, S.L.U.
C/ General Aranaz, 86
28027 - Madrid
Spain
Responsible for manufacturing
McDermott Laboratories Ltd. t/a Gerard Laboratories Ltd.
35/36 Baldoyle Industrial Estate
Grange Road, Dublin 13
Ireland
or
Mylan Hungary Kft
Mylan utca 1
2900 Komárom
Hungary
Last review date of this leaflet:March 2025
The detailed information on this medication is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS).https://www.aemps.gob.es/
Have questions about this medication or your symptoms? Connect with a licensed doctor for guidance and personalized care.