First time user from South Africa

[Cindyangela]

Hi all,
I am 49, and have had 4 major depressive episodes. With the right meds, I
Have always returned to being fully functional. After losing my brother 18 months ago. I became semi functional, believing it was the shock of losing my brother! I have spent the last 18 months being semi functional. Not coping with pressure, lack of interest in our business, happy to sit around or do what I feel like doing! Very unlike me, I am normally a very driven and high energy,
successful woman. I took my daughter for a EEG, as she has been diagnosed with Bi Polar. At the same time I had an EEG. The Neuro diagnosed me with
Frontal TLE! Put me on 100mg of Lamictin 10 weeks ago. I was somewhat shocked.
The only sign I know of is the burning smell I get! My major concern, is the side effects I am experiencing, after telling my Psych, he added 100 mg of Nolipaxin 3 weeks ago. I Have some days better than others.
I would like to know, if anyone else has an opinion on the following symptoms? Tremor, short term memory loss, pain in my neck, knees and back, most severe in the mornings. Pins and needles, and tiredness.
What, are TLE symptoms like in general. I have never had a seizure! Just severe anxiety and major depressive episodes. By the way I have a great sense of humour normally. It's lacking today, I'm tired and in pain. Any comment will be great! Thx C

 

[Cordero]

Hi,
Sorry for the loss of your brother. I have temporal lobe seizures. The behaviors I have while going into a seizure are loss of consciousness, going into a blank stare, smacking my lips as though I'm thirsty, moving my wrists, and having a rapid heart rate. My short term memory is terrible. I'm not sure if it's the seizures or the medication that weaken it, or maybe both. My thought organization is terrible. I don't really get body aches anymore. I use to when I was taking this seizure med called Tegretol. It also left me feeling more depressed than normal. I cannot use that medication anymore because the side effects are too severe. The strange thing though, is that Tegretol can be a miracle drug for many people. Everyone responds differently to different medications. But the side effects of the medicine are a real pain. It sounds like you've really been through a lot lately and I hope things get better for you. I will keep you in my prayers.

 

[Endless]

Hi, Cindyangela,

Welcome to the forum!

I'm so sorry about your seizures, your daughter's bipolar, and the loss of your brother. That's a lot to endure all at once.

I'm on Lamictal, and I swear it's the reason my joints have become much more inflamed and painful. I have pins and needles, too, but it's from another drug called Diamox.

Here's the package insert for Lamictal which lists the side effects that showed up in the clinical trials:
http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=32038

The dailymed website has the package insert for all FDA approved drugs. Just search on any drug and it will pop up.

Epilepsy:Most Common Adverse Reactions in All Clinical Studies:Adjunctive Therapy in Adults With Epilepsy: The most commonly observed (≥5% for LAMICTAL and more common on drug than placebo) adverse reactions seen in association with LAMICTAL during adjunctive therapy in adults and not seen at an equivalent frequency among placebo-treated patients were: dizziness, ataxia, somnolence, headache, diplopia, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, and rash. Dizziness, diplopia, ataxia, blurred vision, nausea, and vomiting were dose-related. Dizziness, diplopia, ataxia, and blurred vision occurred more commonly in patients receiving carbamazepine with LAMICTAL than in patients receiving other AEDs with LAMICTAL. Clinical data suggest a higher incidence of rash, including serious rash, in patients receiving concomitant valproate than in patients not receiving valproate [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].

Monotherapy in Adults With Epilepsy: The most commonly observed (≥5% for LAMICTAL and more common on drug than placebo) adverse reactions seen in association with the use of LAMICTAL during the monotherapy phase of the controlled trial in adults not seen at an equivalent rate in the control group were vomiting, coordination abnormality, dyspepsia, nausea, dizziness, rhinitis, anxiety, insomnia, infection, pain, weight decrease, chest pain, and dysmenorrhea. The most commonly observed (≥5% for LAMICTAL and more common on drug than placebo) adverse reactions associated with the use of LAMICTAL during the conversion to monotherapy (add-on) period, not seen at an equivalent frequency among low-dose valproate-treated patients, were dizziness, headache, nausea, asthenia, coordination abnormality, vomiting, rash, somnolence, diplopia, ataxia, accidental injury, tremor, blurred vision, insomnia, nystagmus, diarrhea, lymphadenopathy, pruritus, and sinusitis.

 

[Nakamova]

Hi Cindyangela, welcome to CWE!

The symptoms of TLE vary widely depending what parts of the temporal lobe are involved, and if the seizures spread to surrounding areas. If your symptoms don't involve any loss of consciousness, then most likely you are experiencing Simple Partial Seizures

Simple Partial Seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy are usually sensory-related. They can involve memory (like déjà vu or jamais vu or amnesia). They can consist of hearing a sound, tasting a taste, or smelling a smell (like burning) that is not physically present. Sensations can also be visual or tactile (like feelings on the skin or in the internal organs) and can seem to move in waves over the body. There can also be psychological or emotional sensations: out-of-body feelings, euphoria or sadness, fear, or anger.

The tremor, fatigue and pain you are experiencing are more likely to be med side effects. Pins and needles and memory loss could be either or both. If the pains escalate or are intolerable, then let your neurologist know so that you discuss altering the dose or trying a different med altogether. Are your psychiatrist and neurologist on the same page? It's very important that they don't "cross-prescribe" meds that will interact or exacerbate your symptoms. It's possible that your depression and anxiety have been related to the TLE, in which case, you may want to at some point taper down on any psych meds to see if the epilepsy meds are having any effect.

I hope you feel better soon,

Best,
Nakamova

 

[lovemyladybug]

just wanted to say welcome , and so sorry to hear about all you've been going through , i couldnt imagine , good luck

 

[Cindyangela]

Lamictin and Nolipaxin !

Thank you kindly for your replys! I really appreciate them. As a matter of interest. It would appear, that I am having simple partial seizures. Is it necessary to take Epileptic medication? Since the meds Lamictin and Nolipaxin
Have been added, I still don't function normally and am more depressed, and have new side effects that I never had prior to these meds!!

 

[Nakamova]

One issue with not taking epilepsy meds is that the seizures -- even very mild ones -- might start to get worse. Of course if the meds are making you feeling lousy, that's a big factor too. There are other meds out there to try, but with mild seizures it may not be worth the hassle. Talk about with your neuro. If you decide to stop making anti-seizure medication, he definitely needs to know. You'll need to taper down very slowly in small increments -- that will help to reduce and withdrawal side effects.

And if you can, continue to keep a symptom/seizure diary. That way if your seizures seem to be changing -- happening more often, or lasting longer, or becoming more intense -- then you can revisit treatment options, including meds.

 

[Endless]

Cindy,

You can choose not to take meds. Untreated seizures can get worse, though. Be sure to talk it over with your neurologist so you understand all your options.

 

[marlena23]

I'm very sorry for your loss. As for lamictal, it takes some time get used to, but for me its been the only meds to control my seizures. I do get neck pain and fatigue, its difficult for me to tell what is a side effect and what is related to my fibromyalgia. Most of the pain is worse in the morning and pins and needles I assume are part of my seizures but it only happens occasionally. Talk to your neurologist or better yet an epileptologist to see if you're on the right combo of drugs. Best of luck

 

[Cindyangela]

Coming off my meds!

I am taking the step, after chatting with my Psychiatrist today. To stop the 100 mg Lamictin and the 100 mg Molipaxin, he says it's fine to sto immediately.
Perhaps my abnormal brain activity has to do with spasm??
He says I should start feeling an improvement by Monday!
Please hold thumbs that, I feel better.
Thanks for your guidance, chat soon!
C

 

[Nakamova]

It's really not a great idea to stop the Lamictin cold turkey, despite what your psychiatrist says. Please check with your neurologist before going ahead -- just to be on the safe side.

Withdrawing From Lamictal
As with most medications for seizures, stopping Lamictal [Lamictin] is not recommended without your healthcare provider's approval. Stopping the drug quickly is also not recommended. Although Lamictal is not addicting and is not likely to be abused, stopping it too quickly can cause seizures to become worse.

The most significant symptom of withdrawal from Lamictal is a seizure. Stopping the drug suddenly can increase your risk of seizures, even if you have never had a seizure before. These seizures can be especially severe and difficult to control.

In most cases, your healthcare provider will suggest that you wean yourself off the drug slowly to avoid seizures or other Lamictal withdrawal symptoms. Even if you are switching to another epilepsy medication, your healthcare provider may still recommend stopping the drug slowly. The exact way your healthcare provider suggests you stop taking Lamictal will vary, depending on your dosage, how long you have been taking it, and whether you are starting a new seizure medication.

Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider before stopping Lamictal.

 

[epileric]

I agree with Nakamova.

Actually I believe that stopping any anti-epileptic drug too soon can trigger seizures.

 

[Endless]

I agree. If you go off, go off slowly. Like reduce 25mg every two weeks, as an example.