Abstract
Lamotrigine is a newer antiepileptic drug useful as oral adjunctive therapy in refractory epilepsy. Indian data on use of lamotrigine is limited. This study was conducted to evaluate add-on lamotrigine in Indian children with epilepsy. Twenty children (median age 90 months) receiving lamotrigine as add-on therapy for mean 26.7 (19.1) months, were followed for a median period of 7.9 (6–10) months. Follow-up was done every two weeks. The most common seizures types were either generalized tonic-clonic (6, 30%) or myoclonic (8, 40%). The average dose used was 3.86 mg/kg/day (with concomitant valproate). Good response (>50% reduction) or complete seizure control was seen in 72% patients. Side effects were seen in 27.5% patients and were ‘mild’ in more than half of these. Lamotrigine was stopped in two patients due to adverse reactions, which resolved on stopping the drug. Lamotrigine was observed to be an effective, add-on, broad-spectrum antiepileptic with ‘mild’ side effects in Indian children.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
17th Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines. Review of the available evidence on Lamotrigine for epilepsy for the WHO model list of essential medicines. Geneva, March 2009. Available from URL: http://www.who.int/selection_medicines/committees/expert/17/application/lamotrigine_inclusion.pdf. Accessed on 6 January, 2010.
Marson AG, Al-Kharusi AM, Alwaidh M, Appleton R, Baker GA, Chadwick DW, et al.; SANAD Study group. The SANAD study of effectiveness of carbamazepine, gabapentin, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, or topiramate for treatment of partial epilepsy: an unblinded randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2007;369:1000–1015.
Zubcevic S, Cengic A, Catibusic F, Uzicanin S. Use of lamotrigine in medically intractable epilepsies in children. Med Arh. 2008;62:162–164.
Chen SJ, Chang KP, Wong TT, Kwan SY, Hsu ML, Wang CC. Lamotrigine adjunctive therapy in children with refractory epilepsy: a medical center study. Acta Paediatr Taiwan. 2006; 47:123–126.
Vigneswari G, Sofiah A, Hussain IH. Lamotrigine as an add-on therapy in intractable paediatric epilepsy — the Kuala Lumpur Hospital experience. Med J Malaysia. 2001;56:359–364.
Sethi A, Chandra D, Puri V, Mallika V. Gabapentin and lamotrigine in Indian patients of partial epilepsy refractory to carbamazepine. Neurol India. 2002;50: 359–363.
Kalra V, Seth R, Mishra D, Saha NC. Add-on clobazam in refractory childhood epilepsy. Indian J Pediatr. 2010;77:263–266.
Besag FM, Wallace SJ, Dulac O, Alving J, Spencer SC, Hosking G. Lamotrigine for the treatment of epilepsy in childhood. J Pediatr. 1995;127:991–997.
Schlumberger E, Chavez F, Palacios L, Rey E, Pajot N, Dulac O. Lamotrigine in treatment of 120 children with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 1994;35:359–367.
Buoni S, Grosso S, Fois A. Lamotrigine treatment in childhood drug resistant epilepsy. J Child Neurol. 1998; 13:163–167.
Coppola G, Pascotto A. Lamotrigine as add-on drug in children and adolescents with refractory epilepsy and mental delay: An open trial. Brain Dev. 1997;19:398–402.
Farrell K, Connolly MB, Munn R, Peng S, Mac-William LM. Prospective, open-label, add-on study of lamotrigine in 56 children with intractable generalized epilepsy. Pediatr Neurol. 1997;16:201–205.
Guerrini R, Dravet C, Genton P, Belmonte A, Kaminska A, Dulac O. Lamotrigine and seizure aggravation in severe myoclonic epilepsy. Epilepsia. 1998;39:508–512.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jain, R., Mishra, D. & Juneja, M. Add-on lamotrigine in pediatric epilepsy in India. Indian Pediatr 48, 55–58 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-011-0025-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-011-0025-x