Dr John Kruse
@drjohnkruse·16.8K subscribers·484 videos
Lamictal (Lamotrigine) for ADHD
Posted
February 15, 2026
Views
1,976
Likes
73
Comments
31
Engagement
5.26%
February 15, 2026
1,976
73
31
5.26%
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Lamotrigine was chosen for its anti-folate properties, turned out to be a decent antiseizure medication and was then repurposed and approved to treat bipolar disorder, particularly bipolar depressions. In the US it is the most widely prescribed mood stabilizer and #2 for seizures. This popularity arises despite not knowing how lamotrigine works in the brain, and is due largely to being much less likely than its competitors to cause problematic side effects. While lamotrigine does act as a sodium and calcium channel blocker, and has moderate serotonin-3 blocking ability, it is not clear if any of these mechanisms of action explain its benefits. While lamotrigine has been examined in individuals with both ADHD and epilepsy, and ADHD and bipolar disorder, and appears to be safe, it is not clear that lamotrigine directly lowers ADHD symptoms, or whether improvement in ADHD symptoms in these open studies came from treating the seizures or the mood disorder.
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Free link to my Medium Article on Lamictal for ADHD:
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References:
Mood Stabilizers for Treating Emotional Dysregulation in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with or Without Comorbid Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (2025)
Risk of Ventricular Arrhythmia and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Among Older Patients Using Lamotrigine for Epilepsy (2025)
Effects of lamotrigine on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in pediatric epilepsy patients (2017)
The Challenge of Pharmacotherapy in Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy-ADHD Comorbidity (2017)
Lamotrigine for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder comorbid with mood disorders: a case series (2013)
Full Chapter list:
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Psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author John Kruse, MD, PhD presents practical, actionable, well-researched information about treatment options that scientists and clinicians recommend for adult ADHD and other mental health conditions.
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