Lamictal XR?

[epilepticloner]

Okay so I've been having seizures for who knows how long, because every doctor I went to said that I was just being a teenager when I said that I was sort of zoning out - "Being a teenager"? Try absence seizures. I was on lamictal for about a year and was up to I want to say like 200mg in the morning an night (400 total) and I was still having seizures - like 12 a day as far as I could tell (which means there really was a lot more.) My doctor put me on the new Lamictal XR over Christmas though and I've been doing extremely well. I still have seizures but they have GREATLY decreased. Has anyone else switched? How are you doing on it?

[Crystal11]

I currently take Keppra XR 3000mg, Tegretol XR 400mg and Lamictal 200mg per day. The Keppra and Tegretol being XR makes a big different in seizure control for me.
I was on regular Keppra but the Tegretol XR was great- I would never have too much trouble with it, but I could always feel when the Keppra would ware off. The Tegretol was at a steady level in my blood keeping it stable all day and night. But the Keppra would go in and then run out throughout the day. So I asked for XR of Keppra and have not had troubles. We added Lamictal which isn't XR (Even though I asked) and I still have seizures but not as frequently and most of the times they are shorter and not as intense. I have complex partial seizures and now drop attacks from messing up my meds- which is a no-no.
Now I am getting more migraines which I believe is to the meds. I will find this out more after getting off of Tegretol XR. It stopped working and so we added the Lamictal so we could drop the Tegretol soon.
I hope things go well. For some reason, I have drop attacks every time I get to lowering my dose of Tegretol XR.

Anything XR is extended release and it also takes longer to get out of your system. I found this out the hard way- while just reducing my Tegretol, not stopping it totally. I had a bad seizure on the 3rd day of lowering it. I think I was only on 200mg instead of the prescribed 600mg a day. I went to the E.R. and my neurologist asked "Do you know why you had a bad seizure on the 3rd day?" I told her no. She said "It takes exactly 3 days for Tegretol XR to come out of your system."
I had no idea what so ever- I just was so care-free about it think that the Keppra XR would be find to help me while reducing it.
Not a good idea. I've adjusted it myself a few times without too many troubles. After a few more times of reducing Tegretol XR by only 200mg and thats it, I noticed increase in drop attacks or Atonic seizures. So I am not doing that anymore.
Just yesterday, I had a seizure and fell over on my poor guide dog who was working on my left side as always. I fell so quick that no one could hold onto me or do anything what so ever.
Umbro was to my left guiding me, and because he was pulling me, I think its why I fell to my left instead of my right like in the past. I fell on him, not hurting him thank God, and he rolled over on to his left side into a bush and side of the curb. I fell on my knee and was hurting but didn't care. I was huging my little boy, my guide dog, and crying. I was so hurt, feeling wise, about hurting him. I checked him over and realized he was okay- but I was not. I cried for a little while, on the side walk, in front of people driving by, with my twin Sis and friend. I didn't care if anyone saw me, I just could not believe it happened.
I happen to be a very very very stubborn Aries LOL and so my lessons have to be taught harshly to me for me to realize things.

Umbro is fine, I am fine now but scared quite a bit. I will be talking with my neurologist. I admitted to my reducing my own meds on my own- and they didn't care much for that- and they have the right to be.
But I don't know how I'm going to get off of Tegretol XR when I'm already on Lamictal and Keppra XR and still have drop attacks everytime I reduce it..
Kinda scary!

Take care,
Crystal and her guide Umbro

[Nakamova]

It's great that it's made a difference for you! In my case, I'm sticking to the non-XR version, because I seem to metabolize the med slowly, and minor variations in blood levels don't put me at risk. But if your levels fluctuate, and those fluctuations trigger or allow seizures to happen, then the XR version seems to be the way to go.