Lamotrigine for schizophrenia

My son has schizophrenia that has been difficult to treat; I have heard that lamotrigine might be useful. Any suggestions?

Schizophrenia is generally quite responsive to the available antipsychotic drugs- the biggest problem is their adverse effects that are not well tolerated. Lamotrigine has been used in some schizophrenics but the results have not been impressive. The behavior changes were mild but the drug also induced severe nausea and headache. At present lamotrigine is not recommended for treatment of schizophrenia outside of clinical trials. You need to find a decent psychiatrist who knows the antipsychotic drugs well. Do not go to a therapist-they know little about drugs and in fact know more about BS than anything else. There are many newer antispsychotic drugs that can be combined with anticonvulsants for better efficacy. Good luck.