What should you know about lamotrigine skin rash?

Lamotrigine can cause a range of skin reactions. A simple rash may be limited and itchy, while a severe drug reaction can involve skin pain, dusky patches, blisters, peeling, fever, facial swelling, or sores affecting the mouth, eyes, or genitals. The serious pattern can start with tiredness, sore throat, or burning eyes before the skin changes become obvious.

A rash in a person taking lamotrigine is not automatically a severe reaction, and it does not prove that the medicine is the cause. Other conditions include [Atopic Dermatitis](/conditions/atopic-dermatitis/), [Contact Dermatitis](/conditions/contact-dermatitis/), and [Ringworm](/conditions/ringworm/). Clinical examination is needed to separate them.

Call the prescriber or an urgent medical service as soon as a new rash appears. Ask what to do about the next dose; do not make a restart or dose change without medical instructions. Bring the medicine packet, the treatment start date, photographs of changing areas, and a complete list of medicines and supplements. Avoid experimenting with new creams before review.

Use emergency services for trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face or tongue, faintness, widespread blisters, skin peeling, severe skin tenderness, eye pain or vision changes, or sores in the mouth. Prompt assessment is also needed for fever with a rapidly spreading rash. A clinician may need to assess the skin, mucous membranes, and general health together.

Ask whether this could be a [Drug Rash](/conditions/drug-eruption/), whether lamotrigine should be withheld, which symptoms mean emergency care, and how the suspected reaction should be documented. Ask about a safe plan for managing the condition lamotrigine was prescribed to treat.