Lamictal rash and sore throat?

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy Forums

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy forums - a peer support community for folks dealing (directly or indirectly) with seizure disorders. You can visit the forum page to see the list of forum nodes (categories/rooms) for topics.

Please have a look around and if you like what you see, please consider registering an account and joining the discussions. When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no ads, access to members only (ie. private) forum nodes and more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

Miss M

New
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Hi.

Has anyone else experienced that 'dangerous' rash and sore throat that i was warned about when i went onto Lamictal? The rash is kinda like small dark red birth marks. I had about 30 of them on my legs.

I went off it due to this but have since had the rash and sore throat with no Lamictal so would really like to go back on it.

Any help would be great.

Thanks.

Miss M.
 
The only thing i could suggest would be that you go to your doc's and find out what the rash is before you make any decisions. I'm on Lamictal too, and my doc told me that it could be dangerous if you get the rash.
 
Miss M -- see your doctor right away, and let them know that the rash is caused by the Lamictal. The rash can potentially develop into a various serious condition called Stevens Johnson syndrome, so don't delay getting treatment.
 
My daughter began to get splotches with Lamictal and sore throat with trileptal.
Both were discontinued by doctors over the phone. Do you have ativan in case of a serious side effect of med reduction such as status epilepticus?
 
When i got the rash while on Lamictal i made an emergency appointment with my neuro. I showed him the rash and he wasn't convinced that it was from the lamictal, even though i had googled it and seen that the rash was exactly the same. However, he did take me off it.

After a couple of other meds that didn't work he increased my Epilim. I had already been on 1000mg for years with no problems. When he increased it by another 500 i got the rash and sore throat again. I phoned him and told him that i had the symptoms again. Now this doctor is fantastic in every way - but - he told me it had nothing to do with the meds and to go and see a - dermatologist !!!!

My psych was horrified as it was her who warned me about the rash etc. So, i am still on the 1500 of epilim and every week or so i get a sore throat, once or twice so bad i could hardly swallow, but usually just mild. But no rash.

I was playing with the idea that i could go back on lamictal if the symptoms are happening anyways on other meds. Of course i wont do this without speaking to my neuro first but even though hes been great i think he has written this one off too quickly. The lamictal was great for my E and my depression and anxiety so would really be great if i could resume it.

Other side effects i had was clinching my teeth really hard and my jaw hurt and constant diarrhea.

Not sure what to do as i sure i am having seizures in my sleep but due to the holidays he wont be back for another 3 days. I will wait and see what happens then.

Thanks
 
Keep on top of things and definitely go to the ER if symptoms escalate. I think it's worth discussing the Lamictal with your neuro and/or getting a second opinion. The rash you had while on it is worrisome, as is the reaction to the Epilim, but sometimes if you taper onto the meds very slowly you avoid getting the allergic reaction that triggers the rash.

When I first went on Lamictal I had the problem of clenching my teeth/jaw at night, but that side effect went away after awhile.
 
My daughter began to get splotches with Lamictal and sore throat with trileptal.
Both were discontinued by doctors over the phone. Do you have ativan in case of a serious side effect of med reduction such as status epilepticus?

I would see my Doctor for this, I agree with Robin, Ativan or Valium in case of Status E.

Billy.
 
When i ceased to take the Lamictal the rash and sore throat went away even though he was sure it wasnt related.

My last 'direction' from my neuro was to stay on the higher dose of the Epilim even though i had told him about the side effects happening again and thats when he told me to see a Dermotologist (I was a bit offended at this remark) as i had been on Epilim for years with no problems and an increase of 500mg would not make a difference to the point of creating these side effects. I asked what about the sore throat and he said he didnt think that was related also.

Just yesterday i woke up with another sore throat, however no rash.

I am stuck as my neuro is the ONE person who is supposed to be in control isnt he?

I will ring his office first thing Monday morning as i am really lost what to do.

Do you guys go to your neuro or your GP for problems like this? I am new to Ep and im still finding my way through.

thanks
 
In my

Humble Opinion............go get another, 2d opinion, from another neurologist, and FAST. If that means a trip to the ER, then so be it, but get it done quick. That rash is nothing to mess around with, and I'm beginning to wonder about that sore throat.

Your body MAY have been able to handle 1000 mg of Epilim, with no problems, but it doesn't sound like it can handle 1500 mg at all. Why your neuro is being totally inflexible, I have no idea. NOT EVERYONE IS BUILT THE SAME. That's what makes us individuals, and perhaps he needs to be reminded of that???
 
When we were dealing with this the info that I read is that this particular side effect shows up many times in moist areas. So the throat is just that.

Our first neurologist told me:
1. that diet played no role in seizures. (never mentioned celiac or food sensitivities)
2. that hormones played no role in seizures. (never mentioned catamenial seizures)
3. that Rebecca's vision loss had nothing to do with her medication (tegretol). She has not had this symptom since.

Doctors are not 100% fail safe, and many only know what they have been told by the Pharma company when it comes to any particular drug. If this is an exterior symptom on a higher dose, what is being done internally?
 
Complex partial seizures and lamital

Hi. i have another thread going as since i started this one i have begun to have complex partial seizures.

As i said my neuro is away for 2 weeks so i have been dealing with the on call neuros at my hospital.

I contacted them about the blank staring seizures i am having and guess what - they read my notes and once again decided that i should go back on Lamictal and said they didn't think the rash and sore throat was a problem and that with time it MIGHT go away, but if i was to get sick then i could go into the emergency dept.

They also increased my Epilim from 1500 to 2000 even though they said both medications can be 'problematic together'.

So, this is now 3 different neuros i have consulted and all seem to think that the lamictal rash is not as dangerous as some may think.

My psych is horrified as she seen the rash and even rang them to tell them that it is in fact the lamictal rash.

I have been warned that i am not to drive but not to take caution with the meds???

All that is left for me to do is do as they say and if the rash comes back i will go back off it and stay off meds until my own neuro gets back week after next. I am wondering if its a general knowledge problem with the neuros at my hospital.

I'm really very worried about what is going to happen next - rash wise or seizure wise.
 
Any chance you can wait the two weeks until your neuro returns? The prospect of the rash seems very scary.
 
Any chance you can wait the two weeks until your neuro returns? The prospect of the rash seems very scary.

The neuro i spoke to was going to call my GP first thing yesterday morning to give him the info for the script of Lamictal - he didnt ring. So, whether i like it or not i have no meds apart from the Epilim that is not holding my seizures right now.

I will just have to wait it out until my neuro gets back.

I am very annoyed that they are stuffing me around like this. I sure as hell dont want the serious side effects that Lamictal can cause, especially since in this post Nakamova made me aware about Stevens Johnson syndrome, which i did my homework on and i feel that i was having several of those side effects.

All i can hope for is that i am seizure free for the next couple of weeks. I am not driving so thats not a worry.

thanks

Miss M.
 
GP receptionist called. The script was there waiting. However, this morning i had the first seizure since i had my surgery. (not the new complex partials i am having those are new and seperate?)

My mouth started to tingle then i felt like my jaw was hanging and i was going to dribble, it was a really weird sensation. The seizures i had due to the tumour were stroke like, they would cause my whole left side to go numb, my face even started to hang on one side as i had so many, i really did look like a stroke victim.

However i have not had any since August and thought that due to the tumour being removed i was free of them. I guess not. The surgeon did tell me that the tumour was in a very dangerous spot and the scar tissue is going to cause a fair bit of trouble, so i guess thats whats going on now.

Going back on Lamictal tonight. Only 25mg as opposed to the 200 i was on when i got the rash, so hoping the smaller dose may not cause any problems.

Im scared.
 
Good luck on the Lamictal. I know that 25mg is a pretty low dose (I'm on 200mg which is considered a low dose!) so I hope it does the trick and that you feel better.
 
Back
Top Bottom