Switching from TEGRETOL to LAMICTAL

[keaze]

I have been diagnosed with frontal nuptial epilepsy. I have been having seizures at night where i would hit the bed (or the people in bed with me, yes it's very troubling for the girlfriend as you can imagine), and grunting, and talking very angrily while it happens, although i'm still asleep and i don't realise i'm doing it.
I also was having mini episodes during the day, where my head would kinda freeze and i would stare at a fixed point midway between my eyes and the floor. My face is very rigid and i have a grave expression. If someone asks me whats wrong are you okay, i answer something in a very mean way, once again i do not control what i'm saying at that moment. It will last about 30 seconds.

I've been on carbamazepine (tegretol) 300 x2, for 5 years. It's been controlling my epilepsy pretty well, but also giving me a lot of side effects. Diziness, sleepiness, double vision, big stomach cramping, difficulty breathing. I've lowered the meds to try and get rid of those side effects, as they are now aggravatingly tampering with my social life. The side effects diminished somewhat, and i'm less in space but have been having minor episodes from time to time. When i get them during the day they are very rare but last significantly longer. Maybe one minute.

I'm considering changing medication to lamictal. I've heard it brings less side effects. But from what I'm reading they might not be quite as good to control epilepsy. A lot of people are having seizures while they're on lamictal.

What I'd like to know is have anyone ever done that switch? I might not be as lucky as to find people who actually did, so maybe if you take one of those two meds you could share a bit of your history with them?

Thanks..

[Nakamova]

Hi keaze, welcome to CWE!

I've never been on Tegretol, but I am on Lamictal. It's not perfect, but the side effects have been tolerable, and my seizures (grand mal) are controlled. I'm sure others will chime in with feedback on the meds.

In the meantime, here's a thread on Lamictal you might be interested in:
Lamictal opinions/ALL. Good & Bad Sought
And one on getting off Tegretol:
Getting off Tegretol-need advice

Best,
Nakamova

[momof3boys]

I was on Tegrotal (Carbatrol) for years, since March of this year. I was put on that back when I was 18, Im now 30. In march I had my first Video EEG and at the time I was on Keppra XR and Carbatrol. After completing the video EEG, the dr didnt put me back on the Carbatrol but left me on the Keppra XR. I lost alot of weight, and noticed that I wasnt on "edge" with things like I was with the Carbatrol. Its been a good change.

After returning home, I had some seizures, but at the time didnt know that they were due to abrupt withdrawal, from being taken off my seizure medications for the video EEG. My dr tried me on Vimpat and Lamictal, along with the Keppra and neither medications worked. The vimpat made me feel very angry, depressed, etc. The lamictal I broke out with what looked like acne, but then developed into sores around my jaw line, and then I had an allergic reaction by having really bad swollen glands. So I was taken off both of those medications and Now Im just on Keppra XR. Ive been seizure free for months now. I go back at the end of August for a follow up appointment.

But those were my experiences with the medications.