Lamictal vs tegretol

[MadameJ]

Here is my question and perhaps you have input:

I was recently diagnosed with temporal lobe seizures and my doc put me on lamictal. I will be entering my third week of the meds Monday and I have noticed an increase in acne and mild hair shedding. I am only on 25 mg and worry that tomorrow when I start to 50 mg, my hair will increasingly fall out.

My doc is hesitant to change my meds but after reviewing my history and condition he recommends tegretol as a second choice. When going to the pharmacy to pick up my new meds, they weren't there... but the pharmacist and I were chatting about my situation. He said that off the record, he wouldn't change to the med bc of the side effects.

As I am aware and ontop of things, my doc is going to consult with colleagues at ohsu.

Limictal seems to be the best, considering my age, 33,
but I don't want to go bald.
Tegretol seems old school and perhaps not as well updated?

Any advice?

[nicholasscott21]

madamej

I've posted before about how I had a breakdown on Lamotrigine, I switched to Tegretol and this is working well for me. Initially the neourologist did not want to put me on Tegretol because I had a heart attack some time back and the tegretol effects the heart in some way but I was happy to switch. I am also on Clonazepam which dose not interact with Tegretol so well but GPs and patients really have to way up the pros and cons and decide on the best option for them. Good luck whatever you decide

[Aubrey]

Hm. I went the other way - Tegretol to Lamictal. Lamictal works better for me than Tegretol and for me the side effects are more bearable. Some people who are on Tegretol long term for tonic-clonic epilepsy develop absence seizures, and it is hard on the liver. But every person's body is different. And, as you have discovered, Lamictal has side effects, too. Just because a drug has been around longer does not mean it is less (or more) reliable. Tegretol may end up being a better choice. A number of people on here prefer it to Lamictal.

[MadameJ]

Just seems to hard of a decision to make. Sucks!

[momof3boys]

I had been on tegretol (carbatrol, another form) for over 12 years, along with Keppra and did well. In March of this year, after having a video EEG, they took me off the Carbatrol, and put me back on the Keppra. But I was having some break through seizures the first couple of months after the video EEG, and they tried to add the Lamictal, and wean me off the Keppra. I was only on it for about two weeks, but it was a horriable experience for me taking Lamictal. First came the acne on my jaw line and chin area. Nothing major, but it wasnt something I liked. Then came the swelling glands, and I increased my dose. My neurologist said it wasnt from the Lamictal, and that I had a sinus infection, to go to my primary care dr to get some tests done. So the next day I made an appointment with my primary care dr, and they ran some blood tests, and all came back normal. I had no infections, etc. But once my dr heard that I was just recently put on Lamictal, she said I was having an allergic reaction to the medication. Swelling of the glands is a serious reaction and needed to be reported right away. She had me contact my neurologist and tell them the results. He still couldnt believe it. I was taken off the Lamictal, and just within the first few days of not being on it, I saw a huge improvement in the acne clearing up. My glands on both sides of my neck were not as sore and the swelling was going down alot. I was only on Keppra at 2500mgs at the time, and i was having auras, but my dr didnt think it was that concerning. I went for three weeks til I saw my dr again, and they increased my Keppra to 3000mgs, and I went to Keppra XR. That was May 31st, and since then Ive been doing well.

For some people, the Lamictal works great! But for others, it can cause problems.

[MadameJ]

See, this is what I am afraid of! I have only been on it for 2 weeks so I haven't given it a fair trial but I feel like if reactions are already Happening at 2 weeks then what will happen when I up my dose.

I spoke with someone else on here and she said her hair loss stopped after a while...so will this happen for me too!?

Acne, it sucks, but I can live with it!

I just don't know what to do! I called my dr and he said the same thing, I don't know. So, he will contact some specialist and get more advice.

I think keppra is the one I can't take bc I have a history of kidney stones !?

Thanks for sharing, this is what I need.

[momof3boys]

See, this is what I am afraid of! I have only been on it for 2 weeks so I haven't given it a fair trial but I feel like if reactions are already Happening at 2 weeks then what will happen when I up my dose.

I spoke with someone else on here and she said her hair loss stopped after a while...so will this happen for me too!?

Acne, it sucks, but I can live with it!

I just don't know what to do! I called my dr and he said the same thing, I don't know. So, he will contact some specialist and get more advice.

I think keppra is the one I can't take bc I have a history of kidney stones !?

Thanks for sharing, this is what I need.

Yeah the first thing I noticed when I started taking the Lamictal was the acne. It started out looking and feeling just like acne, But as time went on, and I increased my dose, the acne became more like sores. They got so bad that they would crack open and bleed. I was in so much pain. But I didnt think nothing of it, til the glands on my neck started to get sore, and it got to the point where I couldnt sleep on my side at night because of how bad they hurt when I put any pressure on my neck. It was that day that I looked in the mirror and couldnt believe what I was seeing! My neck looked HUGE! I knew I had to run this by my dr. Now before I even started taking Lamictal, and my drs nurse informed me he wanted me to try the Lamictal, My mom wanted me to ask them if me being allergic to sulfa medications would interferr with taking the Lamictal? Im allergic to sulfa medications, and she had heard of some people who were allergic to sulfa medications may not tolerate the Lamictal too. But I asked and they said the two were not connected, as to what my drs office knew of. But all these problems started off very quickly after starting the Lamictal. They got worse the more I increased my dose.

After all this happened and I got to sit down with my dr and let him know how things were going after being taken off the Lamictal, he was kind of speechless. He said that lamictal is used to treat people with seizures, but also give a boost of energy, but for me it made my emotions go all over the place, and then having the acne or sores, and the swelling glands, etc it just made things worse... he said I was a very rare case, he never heard of a person being on Lamictal have such a bad reaction. But like he told me, he cant go by what the text book says, and everyone reacts differently to each medication. I think he judged me at first by thinking I was going nuts and it was all in my head. But after seeing things on paper and talking to other drs, he realized he cant tell a patient that its not impossible to have a different reaction to a medication that he knows most people wont or should have.

If youre having alot of problems with it, I would def be looking at talking to someone about. Heck you can call up your pharmacy and if you have any concerns with your symptoms, you can run it by their pharmacist. I did that when I was having some reactions and they told me the same thing my primary care dr said, that I needed to be seen ASAP due to what they were reading on their screen, it said I was having a reaction to the medication.

[MadameJ]

Wow, you really went through some stuff!!!I am sorry; that must of been hard.

Thanks and I guess I should follow my instinct.

And I did talk to my pharmacist and he said I should stay on lamictal bc tegretol was worse.

it is up to me to find the right one.

[momof3boys]

Thanks, I knew something was up, but yeah, when it came to those side effects I was experiencing, I got alittle frustrated that my dr was trying to blame it on something else. Im just glad I no longer have to deal with that! I hope things start to clear up and you get better soon!

[Nakamova]

I was having a lot of doubts about the Lamictal, thinking I should have chosen Keppra instead, but then after about 2 months, some (not all) of the side effects faded. Initially Lamictal affected my hair, and also my sleep (very restless, with vivid dreams and nightmares). And I would have headaches -- not migraines, but very annoying ones that would hang around for a few hours. Those side effects all went away. I'm left with the chin acne (which is relatively mild -- it drives me nuts, but no-one else notices , and blurry vision on and off throughout the day. I'm doing a lot of squinting, but haven't had to get glasses.

[MadameJ]

I know, it is a hard decision this is why my dr is going to help me. He is great! Seriously, thank you so much for all your comments.

[momof3boys]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the headaches and vivid dreams with the Lamictal! I was having some crazy dreams with that medication! I have dreams, but the kind of dreams I was having while taking that were just flat our weird, and what was even more odd is that when I woke up, I would remember everything that I had dreamed. Some mornings I had to really wonder if it was a dream, it just felt so real! But once I got off the Lamictal, all that went away. I had a few nights where I couldnt get to sleep til almost 2 or 3am. It was horriable!

Im glad your dr is going to help you! I hope he can give you some good answers and find a solution to all those nasty side effects!

[MadameJ]

I know, I get the dreams to.

[Deb12345]

Hello,
I have nearly always been on Lamictal and touchwood it’s worked for me. As far as I know I haven’t had any side effects from it. I hope you get the right medication sorted in the end. Take Care.
Debbie

[MadameJ]

Me too. Waiting for doc to call back!!!

[Deb12345]

I have my fingers crossed for you.

[MadameJ]

Just changed my Meds to keppra and will start tomorrow. I do hope I have made the right choice!?

[Nakamova]

You can get up to a working dose of Keppra very quickly, so you should know relatively soon if it's doing the trick for seizure control. Keep notes on any changes in how you are feeling, just in case it may be a med-related side effect. Good luck! I hope it's a winner.

[MadameJ]

Yeah, it seems that the biggest issue with keppra is mood changes like turning into a grump butt.

My whole issue with whether or not the meds work is tough! I didnt get my auras often only once every month or every other month and have had only one generalized seizure.

I have been reading on here that a lot of folks get or got them daily.