Introduction: This study analyzes the effectiveness and safety of lamotrigine in the treatment of bipolar II disorder. Patients and methods. Seventeen patients with DSM-IV bipolar II disorder with a history of poor response to lithium or other mood-stabilizers gave their consent to be treated with lamotrigine. Th ey we re followed-up for 6 months and assessed with the Young Mania Scale (YMRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) and the modified version of the Global Clinic Impresion Scale for Bipolar Disorder ( CG I-BP-M).
Results: Twelve patients completed the study. Three patients dropped out due to side effects (two because of mild rash, which vanished after treatment was discontinued and one because of vomiting) and two due to lack of efficacy. The mean dose of lamotrigine for patients completing the study was 202.1 64.4 mg/day. There was a significant improvement in HDRS-17 scores (p= 0.004) and the depressive (p=0.002) and overall (p= 0.002) subscales of the CGI-BP-M.
Conclusions: This study confirms previous findings concerning the antidepressant profile of lamotrigine and its potential effectiveness in bipolar II disorder.