Could side effects start as early as two weeks?

[momof3boys]

I ask this because since Ive been taking the Vimpat, My moods have changed from good to really bad! Im getting angry all the time, and over the past few days Ive been breaking down in tears, and this morning I even had the thought of not wanting to ever wake up again!

Today is day 18 for me. Ive been on the 100mg tables for 11 days now. When I spoke with my nurse about the possible side effects, I was on the vimpat for about a week then. She said at that time the vimpat would need to be in my system longer to cause any side effects to occur.

Im just terrified at how my mood has changed over the past few days. Going from crying spells, to angry behavior, and thoughts of not wanting to even wake up? My mom keeps telling me to hold on alittle bit longer. I think she is so hoping this medication does the trick for me. But I cant stand to feel this way!

Could being on the Vimpat for 18 days cause all this so soon? I dont want my nurse to think Im nuts!

 

[Nakamova]

Yes. In my experience even tiny amounts of these meds have an effect on the brain and body.

It's your call to make -- and I urge you to go ahead and make it ASAP. Those mood changes sound dramatic and extreme. The Vimpat site says:

You may have thoughts about suicide while taking Vimpat. Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

 

[Cint]

Im just terrified at how my mood has changed over the past few days. Going from crying spells, to angry behavior, and thoughts of not wanting to even wake up? My mom keeps telling me to hold on alittle bit longer. I think she is so hoping this medication does the trick for me. But I cant stand to feel this way!

Could being on the Vimpat for 18 days cause all this so soon? I dont want my nurse to think Im nuts!

Yes, it could cause a mood change in just a few days, so the nurse is the one who's nuts. Please tell your dr. what this drug is doing to you. It is bringing up those awful thoughts and they need to know ASAP!

 

[momof3boys]

Thanks so much!

I just got off the phone with my mom and she said she would like to see me stick to the medication alittle longer, but like i told her, its just getting worse. The past few days my husband has been concerned and how bad things are geting. Im breaking down over nothing and this morning, just topped it off with how angry, irritable, etc I was feeling! Ive never experienced things like that before!

My mom said to call tomorrow, but Im going to try to call their office today and see if anyone can help me. I just dont want to be on this medication any longer than I have to! I hate this feeling!

 

[momof3boys]

Ok, their office didnt answer, but on a voicemail they had a urgent care number, So I called there and spoke with the dr that was oncall. It was the PA that my dr has with him during some of his appointments.

I told her all the mood swings and behavior changes and she said by now the level should be close to where it would be normal for my system. And with the behaviors getting worse the past few days, she said to go back to 50mgs twice a day, instead of 100mgs twice a day. she said to try that for a week, and if things get worse, to call and I will be taken off of the Vimpat.

Im just so glad I called. ....

Ok, I better get something in my stomach before I get a stomach ache! I just got done taking the Vimpat 50mgs and Keppra XR.

Im praying things turn out better!

 

[Nakamova]

I'm so glad you reached the PA! Let us know how you feel on the 50mg dose.

 

[Jan4you]

OH my dear this is YOUR Brain/body.. do what U think is right ok hon?

Your mother is not the one ON the drug and neither is the staff.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.. its talk/screaming at you that something is wrong.

It difficult to be in the middle of the "expert" providers..family and YOU.

A good doc will NOT force you to keep taking a treatment/med that is NOT agreeing with you.

I fought hard for my husband who had seizures his whole life since age 6..I witnessed how his mind was going as a result of too many meds or the wrong meds.. ONE doc listened and wow we saw the difference immediately after he was taken off and another med replaced it.

Hang in there..good you have this forum,

HUGS MY DEAR ONE~stick to whatever YOUR gut is saying to you!!

Jan

 

[momof3boys]

Im glad I got ahold of someone too! I know my mom means well by wanting me to stay on the Vimpat, (she just is so hoping for a medication that will work, she keeps telling me to give it more time) but after experiencing the mood swings and now the feelings of just not caring about anything, I cant just ignore these signs and keep taking the Vimpat.

Like I told my mom, the PA said to try the lower dose for a week and if things improve, great! But if not, then I will have to be taken off of it. My only concern is that if the 50mg takes the feelings away.. or less'ens them... will the dose of 50mgs twice a day be enough to keep my seizures from occuring? And also the fact that I keep having the numbness and tingling feelings in my hands and feet. That first started when I was taken off all medications and since Ive been put back on only the Keppra XR and now the vimpat, its has gone away some what, but not completely.

 

[Jan4you]

You also on Keppra? That is known for causing the mood changes even more.

Has your doc talked to you about Keppra? That is the med the works for some but for others causes some significant changes in mood and behavior. My husand had early signs of dementia on Keppra (now that was HIM, not you) and the doc took him off immediately.

Good luck in the search~

Jan

 

[Cint]

Glad you got ahold of the dr. on call. As Jan said, listen to your body. You know better than anyone what is going on inside your body/mind, although some (like your mom) mean well, they don't live with this brain monster, we do.

Be careful of a lot of these AEDs, as they can cause memory problems, mood swings.

 

[momof3boys]

You also on Keppra? That is known for causing the mood changes even more.

Has your doc talked to you about Keppra? That is the med the works for some but for others causes some significant changes in mood and behavior. My husand had early signs of dementia on Keppra (now that was HIM, not you) and the doc took him off immediately.

Good luck in the search~

Jan

yeah Ive been on Keppra for a long time now... over 10 years. Ive had no problems with the Keppra Rage. I was having alot of headaches though. Back in November 2010 I was switched to the Keppra XR and have had no headaches since then! I was put on the Vimpat almost 3 weeks ago and for the past 4 or 5 days Ive noticed Im alot more angry, sad, irritable, and today I woke up feeling like I just dont care at all about much anymore. My husband brought it up to me last night that Ive been really emotional the past few days and said to keep an eye on it. It wasnt til after this morning that I realized I better be making a call to the drs to check in on this. Since November 2010, Ive also been taking a complex B Vitamin, which Ive seen has really helped make me feel better. Just taking one of those a day has been very helpful. If I had the emotional problems before getting on the Vimpat, then I would have checked in with the dr before, but being that Its not been quite three weeks since starting the Vimpat, I had to be sure and check with them on the side effects of the Vimpat and the mood changes.

Glad you got ahold of the dr. on call. As Jan said, listen to your body. You know better than anyone what is going on inside your body/mind, although some (like your mom) mean well, they don't live with this brain monster, we do.

Be careful of a lot of these AEDs, as they can cause memory problems, mood swings.

Yes, I explained that to my mom. She said she could see where I was coming from. She just so badly wants to see me be on a medication that can help me, and not want me to have to get back on Carbatral.

 

[mel239]

In reading your various posts,Im just glad you have family members to share with.Other than obvious seizure related hallucinations and memory problems that I write down for my epi,and some of the neater hallucinations that I share with my 21yr old son,I share nothing about feelings,side effects with anyone except on here-after nearly 3 yrs I will never get passed the stigma of family or friends looking at me like im crazy and Ive decided I would sooner go without any chance of ssi help than reveal in detail my day to day life for the hundredth time.Im not going to be put away,lose my kids or have my accounts frozen by the courts due to any mental incapacity whether it be from seizures themselves,the side effects of meds or the psych problems that go along with them.Im a single parent and Im not going to battle the legal system in addition.

 

[Katgirl]

Hi all...While I'm new to "joining" forums, I've been reading them often over the past four years to gain knowledge. One thing I've noticed throughout is not everyone experiences the exact side effects from every medication or what you read on the label isn't factual or inclusive. Everyone's body and chemistry is different, so naturally, medication can also react differently.

That said, I've been on Vimpat for 6mos. Initially, I experienced aggressive behavior, headaches, blurred vision, "REALLY BAD NIGHTMARES," and even accelerated blood pressure. This was within the first four months. Within the last two, it has improved dramatically. But that's ME. I was also on Topamax for four years prior to Vimpat and was having seizures with every increase of the drug. While the drug was wreaking havoc on my body and obviously lowering my seizure theshold, some people, including my prior Neuro, swear by it. But luckily, my new Neurologist changed my meds.

You have to listen to your body. It's the best indication to determine the correct drug for you. Due to the harshness of the drug, you probably will experience "some" side effects, but it isn't healthy to feel as depressed as you're describing, particularly on that low dose. I'm on 300mg of Vimpat.

 

[momof3boys]

I was trying to stick it out for at least a month of being on the full dose, but the past five days or so was a living nightmare. I was just bursting into tears, and getting angry over little things. Then came the "Not wanting to care anymore" feeling. I started to feel "trapped" and felt like nothing I was doing for myself or my kids mattered anymore. Yesterday morning I woke up feeling like I just didnt want to live no more. Ive never had that feeling before. The mood changes in thepast week went from bad to worse. I could tell something was going on, but like my mom kept saying, "give it more time". As each day passed by, My husband could see my outbursts were getting worse. I just wanted to be left alone half the time and when the kids were around me, I would be in a terriable mood. Thats when I told myself I cant live like this no more. Being on the 100mgs for 11 days, and seeing the mood changes get worse, I just had to call and get the drs opinion on if this is normal or if I should stick it out and wait to see if it gets better?

Describing the mood changes to her and the way I was feeling, she said it wasnt normal for things to get worse. She recommended I go to the lower dose for the next week and see how I feel. Today I havnt had any angry or sad mood changes. But my husband has been home too. He has monday and tuesday off from work, and this week he also has taken off wednesday due to me having a dr appointment for my PCOS that day.

But, like I keep telling my mom, I have to take it day by day and see how things go.

 

[Loopy Lou]

I had EXACTLY the same problems on Vimpat. I stuck it out for about 4 months, and have only just came off it this week, admittedly much faster than i was supposed to. I had only got up to 200mg by the time i couldn't take anymore. I went down to 100mg a day and then two weeks later just stopped it yesterday.

I'm still taking my Keppra (3000mg a day), and i go to see the neurologist at the beginning of May, when i'll most likely be put on another med to go with the keppra.

It was getting scary, the stuff i was feeling with the Vimpat. When i told my nurse about it she talked to the neurologist and he said that i needed to get off it.

I'm still feeling pretty angry and impatient and emotional at the moment because it's not out of my system yet, but i did notice i was feeling a little better about a week after cutting my dose down to 100mg a day. So i'm not quite as bad, i just can't wait for this drug to be out of my system.

 

[momof3boys]

I had EXACTLY the same problems on Vimpat. I stuck it out for about 4 months, and have only just came off it this week, admittedly much faster than i was supposed to. I had only got up to 200mg by the time i couldn't take anymore. I went down to 100mg a day and then two weeks later just stopped it yesterday.

I'm still taking my Keppra (3000mg a day), and i go to see the neurologist at the beginning of May, when i'll most likely be put on another med to go with the keppra.

It was getting scary, the stuff i was feeling with the Vimpat. When i told my nurse about it she talked to the neurologist and he said that i needed to get off it.

I'm still feeling pretty angry and impatient and emotional at the moment because it's not out of my system yet, but i did notice i was feeling a little better about a week after cutting my dose down to 100mg a day. So i'm not quite as bad, i just can't wait for this drug to be out of my system.

Heck I didnt even get to day 18 of the medication before I couldnt take it no longer! I just felt terriable! Im on day 3 of being on 50mgs and I can see a difference in just not being angry as much. They told me to try this for a week and see how things go. I just dont know if this is going to hold my seizures or not.