9394. Lamotrigine
Description
Lamotrigine is a common anticonvulsant drug. Lamotrigine used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorders. Considering the high toxicity of the drug and the need for its long-term use, it is very important to choose an effective and at the same time safe dose. The most effective way to select a dose is to study the levels of the drug in the blood.
The assay is used to guide dosage adjustments in patients who need long-term lamotrigine and should switch to another brand of lamotrigine. It is very important to use it if lamotrigine is to be given to pregnant women or children.
When and who needs the test?
- monitoring the concentration of the drug in the blood;
- evaluation of drug interactions (with the simultaneous appointment of other anticonvulsants that affect the concentration of lamotrigine in the blood);
- diagnosis of overdose;
- detection of regime violations;
- in the presence of physiological or pathological causes of changes in pharmacokinetics - age-related features, pregnancy, liver disease, kidney disease, gastrointestinal tract;
- when changing the brand / manufacturer of the drug.
Biological material
- Venous blood
Preparing for a blood test
In order to exclude factors that may affect the test results, we recommend to follow the preparation rules:
- an important condition for laboratory tests is to take blood on an empty stomach.
- 6-12 hours before the test, you should avoid eating, drinking alcohol, smoking, and limit physical activity. Drinking...