1. Oral contraceptives reduce lamotrigine plasma levels.
- Author
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Sabers A, Ohman I, Christensen J, and Tomson T
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Anticonvulsants pharmacokinetics, Denmark, Drug Interactions, Female, Glucuronosyltransferase metabolism, Humans, Inactivation, Metabolic, Lamotrigine, Male, Retrospective Studies, Sweden, Triazines pharmacokinetics, Anticonvulsants blood, Contraceptives, Oral, Combined pharmacology, Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal pharmacology, Triazines blood
- Abstract
The mean steady-state plasma concentration of lamotrigine (LTG) was 13 micro mol/L in 22 women taking LTG in combination oral contraceptives (OC) compared with 28 micro mol/L among 30 women on LTG who did not take OC (p < 0.0001). The LTG dose/body weight/plasma concentration was 2.1 L/kg/day in women on OC compared with 0.8 L/kg/day in women without OC (p < 0.0001), indicating that LTG plasma levels are reduced by >50% during OC co-medication. It is advisable to monitor LTG plasma levels in conjunction with initiation or withdrawal of OC in women on LTG therapy.
- Published
- 2003
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