Health care providers prescribe Lamictal to control certain types of seizures in people with epilepsy.
Seizures are uncontrollable electrical disruptions in the brain that occur suddenly. A seizure can alter your behavior, movements, and awareness. Suffering two or more unprovoked seizures at least 24 hours apart is known as epilepsy. Seizure types vary drastically in their range of symptoms and severity. On average, a seizure lasts from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
While Lamictal cannot cure epilepsy, it can help patients manage seizure symptoms caused by the disorder.
In addition to its use in controlling seizures, health care providers prescribe Lamictal as a treatment for bipolar symptoms in adults.
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that causes periods of mood swings that range from depression to manic highs. Lamictal specifically helps manage periods of mania, characterized as agitated, hyperactive, or irritated mood episodes. Mania is commonly followed by depressive episodes that can cause intense sadness, isolation, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts. Lamictal slows brain activity that can aggravate these manic episodes, helping patients managing bipolar disorder maintain mental balance.