Two medicines, side by side
Lamotrigine vs pregabalin
Lamotrigine and pregabalin are both labeled for seizures and epilepsy. Drugs@FDA records approvals of lamotrigine since 1994 and of pregabalin since 2004. Pharmacies paid $0.0268 per lamotrigine 25 mg tablet and $0.0571 per pregabalin 100 mg capsule (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Lamotrigine's other strengths are brand-only: $2.86 per mL (Subvenite 10 mg/mL suspension). Only the lamotrigine label carries a boxed warning.
Check it at the source: the lamotrigine FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 10, 2025); the pregabalin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 15, 2025).
Highlights of the lamotrigine record
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) · label of October 10, 2025
SERIOUS SKIN RASHES LAMICTAL can cause serious rashes requiring hospitalization and discontinuation of treatment. The incidence of these rashes, which have included Stevens-Johnson syndrome, is approximately 0.3% to 0.8% in pediatric patients (aged 2 to 17 years) and 0.08% to 0.3% in adults receiving LAMICTAL. One rash-related death was reported in a prospectively followed cohort of 1,983 pediatric patients (aged 2 to 16 years) with epilepsy taking LAMICTAL as adjunctive therapy.
Used for
From the label: indicationsLAMICTAL is indicated for: Epilepsy–adjunctive therapy in patients aged 2 years and older: • partial-onset seizures. • primary generalized tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizures. • generalized seizures of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 27, 1994
- Generic labelers
- 49 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0268 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 10
Highlights of the pregabalin record
Pregabalin (Lyrica) · label of April 15, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsLYRICA is indicated for: • Management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy • Management of postherpetic neuralgia • Adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial‑onset seizures in patients 1 month of age and older • Management of fibromyalgia • Management of neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury LYRICA is indicated for: • Neuropathic pain associated with diabetic […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 30, 2004
- Generic labelers
- 52 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0571 per capsule
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 5
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Lamotrigine label of October 10, 2025, Pregabalin label of April 15, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do lamotrigine and pregabalin differ on the record?
Only the lamotrigine label carries a boxed warning.
How each works, in its label's words: Lamotrigine, “The precise mechanism(s) by which lamotrigine exerts its anticonvulsant action are unknown.”; Pregabalin, “LYRICA (pregabalin) binds with high affinity to the alpha 2 -delta site (an auxiliary subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels) in central nervous system tissues.”
Generics: lamotrigine since 2006; pregabalin since 2019 (Drugs@FDA).
DEA schedule: lamotrigine none; pregabalin CV.
| Lamotrigine | Pregabalin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Seizures and epilepsy, Bipolar disorder | Nerve pain and fibromyalgia, Seizures and epilepsy |
| Pharmacologic class | Anti-epileptic Agent, Mood Stabilizer | n/a |
| How it works (label) | The precise mechanism(s) by which lamotrigine exerts its anticonvulsant action are unknown. | LYRICA (pregabalin) binds with high affinity to the alpha 2 -delta site (an auxiliary subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels) in central nervous system tissues. |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | 12.3 Pharmacokinetics Pregabalin is well absorbed after oral administration, is eliminated largely by renal excretion, and has an elimination half-life of about 6 hours. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 27, 1994 | December 30, 2004 |
| First generic approved | June 21, 2006 | July 19, 2019 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 49 labelers | 52 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0268 per tablet (Lamotrigine 25 mg tablet) | $0.0571 per capsule (Pregabalin 100 mg capsule) |
| 12-month price change | -12% | -15% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 10 | 5 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 130,994 | 270,624 |
| DEA schedule | none | CV |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
Do their labels mention each other?
Pregabalin label, drug interactionsSpecifically, there are no pharmacokinetic interactions between pregabalin and the following antiepileptic drugs: carbamazepine, valproic acid, lamotrigine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, and topiramate.
Pregabalin label, drug interactionsNo pharmacokinetic interactions were observed between LYRICA and carbamazepine, gabapentin, lamotrigine, oral contraceptive, phenobarbital, phenytoin, topiramate, and valproic acid.
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to lamotrigine
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions