Mental Sharpness..?

[annarosa]

Hi all

I may have to change my meds....from Lamictal to another. Does anyone have any experience of lack of mental sharpness and acuity from meds other than Lamictal?

I ask because I have a intellectually challenging job and I worry about a decline in performance.

How does it manifest itself?

Thanks!

[epileric]

Hi annarosa,

I hate to disappoint you but all anti-epileptic drugs have the side-effect of slowing mental capacity. The way they control seizures is by slowing the firing of neurons so that it is less likely for one to misfire & cause a seizure. That will almost always have some effect on cognitive behaviour.

Of course everyone reacts differently to Anti-epileptic drugs. The ones that slow my cognitive function may have no effect on someone else that way at all. Sadly, it's been my experience that the ones that have no (or minimal) side-effects also don't help my seizures much.

Also be aware that it is very possible that you may not feel as mentally sharp but you may be performing at the same level you always did. That has happened to me before.

As for how it manifests, we all think differently so it manifests differently in everyone.

I hope this helps but be aware that if you are functioning at a similar capacity mentally and your seizures are controlled then you are one of the luckier people here.

[madalenegm]

i completely understand what you mean , i've been on sodium valporate and lamortrigine, both of them have made me feel a bit spaced and slow.

[annarosa]

Thanks all! Actually I have been on lamotrigine for 15 years all ok until
About a month or two ago when I started feeling vague and a little dizzy and lacking co ordination ...it's come on all of a sudden.

But you're right in a way it doesn't affect my performance the way I would have expected.

Perhaps this is toxicity...? Buying certainly don't want to get meds which make it worse.

Reay helpful feedback - thanks again.

[epileric]

I don't know if it's toxicity, a lot of people that have had no side-effects before have suddenly & out of nowhere gotten side-effects they've never had before. Also

It might be a good idea to get your blood levels done & make sure that everything is in order but it doesn't sound like anything to stress about.

[Nakamova]

Hi annarosa --

I agree with Eric -- it might be worth checking your Lamotrigine levels just to see if something has changed. perhaps your metabolism has slowed, or something else is going on. Are there any other changes in your life that might explain the dizziness? Any other meds that might interact with the Lamotrigine, or illness or lifestyle issues that may be playing a role?