What Is Logem Used For?

Logem contains lamotrigine and belongs to a group of medicines called anti-epileptic medicines. It is used to treat epilepsy in patients over 2 years of age.

Primary Uses

Logem treats epilepsy, a condition where you have repeated seizures (fits). It is generally used initially in addition to other medicines for treating epilepsy including partial or generalised seizures and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

How It Works

It is thought that Logem works by changing the levels of some chemicals associated with seizures.

How to Take Logem

Logem may be swallowed whole, chewed or dispersed in a small volume of water (at least enough to cover the whole tablet). It can be taken with or without food.

Dosage Instructions

It may take a while to find the best dose of Logem for you. The dose depends on your age and weight, whether you’re taking other medications, and whether you have kidney or liver problems. Your doctor will prescribe a low dose to start and gradually increase it over a few weeks until you reach a dose that works for you. Never take more than your doctor tells you to, and don’t increase the dose more quickly than instructed. Women taking hormonal contraceptives may need a higher maintenance dose.

What If You Miss a Dose?

Take it as soon as you remember and then go back to taking it normally. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when you’re meant to. Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you.

Available Tablet Strengths

Side Effects

Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.

Common Side Effects

These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:

• dizziness
• movement problems such as tics, unsteadiness and jerkiness
• tremors
• skin rash
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• feeling drowsy or tired
• blurred or double vision
• rapid, uncontrollable eye movements
• trouble sleeping
• feeling sleepy
• irritability, aggression or agitation
• hallucinations, confusion
• increased activity in children
• joint, back or stomach pain
• respiratory or lung problems
• depression
• loss of memory
• liver problems
• diarrhea
• dry mouth

Important Warnings

There are reports of severe, potentially life-threatening rashes associated with Lamotrigine treatment, particularly in children. Logem should be discontinued at the first sign of rash unless the rash is clearly not medicine related.

Who Should Not Take Logem

Do not take Logem if you are allergic to any medicine containing lamotrigine or any of the ingredients listed. Do not take after the expiry date or if packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.

Medical Conditions to Discuss

Tell your doctor if you have: a history of allergy or rash to other anti-epileptic medicines, liver or kidney disease, Parkinson’s disease, or if you have ever developed meningitis after taking lamotrigine.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Tell your doctor immediately if you become pregnant or are planning to become pregnant. Logem may affect your unborn baby, but it’s still important to control your fits during pregnancy. Studies show decreased folic acid levels during pregnancy when Logem is used, so a daily 5mg folate supplement is recommended before becoming pregnant and during the first 12 weeks. Logem can pass into breast milk and may affect your baby.

Drug Interactions

Some medicines may interfere with Logem and affect how it works. You may need to take different amounts of your medicine, or you may need to take different medicines.

• valproate and carbamazepine (used to treat epilepsy and mental health problems)
• hormonal medicines like ‘the pill’ or HRT
• other anti-epileptic medicines like phenytoin, primidone or phenobarbital
• OCT2 substrates such as dofetilide
• rifampicin (antibiotic for infections including tuberculosis)
• medicines used to treat HIV infection
• risperidone (used to treat mental health problems)

Alcohol & Driving

Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Logem affects you. Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol.

Alcohol

Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol while taking Logem.

Driving and Operating Machinery

Logem may cause dizziness and drowsiness in some people and affect alertness. Make sure you know how you react to Logem before you drive a car, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or light-headed. You may notice feeling dizzy, tired or unsteady in the first few weeks of treatment, and may have slight vision problems. During this period, you should not operate machinery or drive a car.

Storage

Store Logem tablets below 25°C. Keep your tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them – if you take the tablets out of the pack, they will not keep well. Store in a cool dry place away from moisture, heat or sunlight. Do not store in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car or on windowsills. Keep where young children cannot reach it – a locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half meters above the ground is a good place to store medicines.

Overdose Information

If you take too much Logem, you may be more likely to have serious side effects which may be fatal. Symptoms of overdose can include rapid, uncontrollable eye movements, clumsiness and lack of coordination affecting your balance, impaired or loss of consciousness, fits or coma. If you think that you or anyone else has taken too much Logem, urgent medical attention may be needed. Immediately phone the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26) for advice, contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital, even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.

Frequently Asked Questions