Two medicines, side by side
Lamotrigine vs risperidone
Lamotrigine and risperidone are both labeled for bipolar disorder. Drugs@FDA records approvals of lamotrigine since 1994 and of risperidone since 1993. Pharmacies paid $0.0268 per lamotrigine 25 mg tablet and $0.0368 per risperidone 0.25 mg tablet (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). In FDA's classes, lamotrigine is a mood stabilizer and risperidone an atypical antipsychotic.
Check it at the source: the lamotrigine FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 10, 2025); the risperidone FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 28, 2026).
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 risperidone record
Risperidone (Risperdal) · label of May 28, 2026
INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. RISPERDAL is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis. [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] WARNING: INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning.
Used for
From the label: indicationsRISPERDAL is an atypical antipsychotic indicated for: Treatment of schizophrenia ( 1.1 ) As monotherapy or adjunctive therapy with lithium or valproate, for the treatment of acute manic or mixed episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder ( 1.2 ) Treatment of irritability associated with autistic disorder ( 1.3 ) 1.1 Schizophrenia RISPERDAL (risperidone) is indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 29, 1993
- Generic labelers
- 37 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0368 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 5
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Lamotrigine label of October 10, 2025, Risperidone label of May 28, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do lamotrigine and risperidone differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, lamotrigine is a mood stabilizer and risperidone an atypical antipsychotic.
How each works, in its label's words: Lamotrigine, “The precise mechanism(s) by which lamotrigine exerts its anticonvulsant action are unknown.”; Risperidone, “The drug's therapeutic activity in schizophrenia could be mediated through a combination of dopamine Type 2 (D 2 ) and serotonin Type 2 (5HT 2 ) receptor antagonism.”
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: lamotrigine since 2006; risperidone since 2008 (Drugs@FDA).
| Lamotrigine | Risperidone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Seizures and epilepsy, Bipolar disorder | Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia |
| Pharmacologic class | Anti-epileptic Agent, Mood Stabilizer | Atypical Antipsychotic |
| How it works (label) | The precise mechanism(s) by which lamotrigine exerts its anticonvulsant action are unknown. | The mechanism of action of risperidone in schizophrenia is unclear. The drug's therapeutic activity in schizophrenia could be mediated through a combination of dopamine Type 2 (D 2 ) and serotonin Type 2 (5HT 2 ) receptor antagonism. |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | The apparent half-life of risperidone was 3 hours (CV=30%) in extensive metabolizers and 20 hours (CV=40%) in poor metabolizers. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 27, 1994 | December 29, 1993 |
| First generic approved | June 21, 2006 | June 30, 2008 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 49 labelers | 37 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0268 per tablet (Lamotrigine 25 mg tablet) | $0.0368 per tablet (Risperidone 0.25 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -12% | -13% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | 131,095 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to lamotrigine
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions