Lacosamide Dosage: An Introduction
The dose of
lacosamide (
Vimpat®) your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- How you respond to lacosamide
- Other medications you are taking
- Other medical conditions you may have.
As is always the case, do not adjust your dosage unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
The recommended starting dose of lacosamide for treating partial-onset
seizures is 50 mg twice daily. Your healthcare provider may increase your dosage at weekly intervals as necessary. Most people end up taking 100 mg or 200 mg twice daily. Higher doses are usually not recommended. In studies, a lacosamide dosage of 600 mg total per day was not any more effective than lower dosages and produced more side effects.
An injectable form of lacosamide is available for short-term use when oral administration is not possible (such as for certain hospitalized patients). It is administered intravenously (by IV) twice a day.
Lower dosages may be recommended for people with liver or kidney disease.
General Dosage Information for Lacosamide
Some considerations for people taking lacosamide include the following:
- Lacosamide comes in tablet form. It is usually taken by mouth twice a day.
- This medication can be taken with or without food.
- Lacosamide also comes in an injection form that can be administered by IV for use in short-term situations when oral medications cannot be taken.
- For the medication to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed. Lacosamide will not work if you stop taking it.
- As with other seizure medications, do not stop taking lacosamide without your healthcare provider's approval.
- If you are unsure about anything related to your lacosamide dosage, please talk with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
