Lamotrigine--an effective mood stabilizer?

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature regarding the use of lamotrigine as a mood stabilizer, and to discuss its efficacy in treating this condition. DATA SOURCES: Data were obtained from MEDLINE, Micromedex, and Cochrane collaboration searches from January 1985 to July 1998. DATA SUMMARY: There are insufficient data to confirm that lamotrigine is an effective mood stabilizer. There are no controlled studies, and the current evidence is from case studies and open trials. Furthermore, only one study shows any evidence of effectiveness in the manic phase, although this may be because the data tend to relate to a treatment-refractory population. CONCLUSIONS: From the current evidence, lamotrigine cannot be recommended as a mood stabilizer except when conventional therapies have failed.

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