Unexpected outcome (positive or negative) including adverse drug reactions
Lamotrigine overdose associated with generalised seizures
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scottish Poisons Information Bureau, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA, UK
Correspondence to:
s.waring{at}ed.ac.uk
This report describes the occurrence of generalised seizures in a 42-year-old woman who presented to hospital after deliberate lamotrigine overdose. Seizure activity was promptly terminated after intravenous benzodiazepine administration, and the patient subsequently made a complete recovery. Serum lamotrigine concentration was 30 mg/l at 1.3 h post-ingestion, which is substantially higher than the therapeutic reference range; the estimated elimination half life was 18.3 h. This case reminds us that lamotrigine toxicity may provoke generalised seizures in susceptible individuals.
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