Vimpat fyi

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paradise survivor

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For anyone taking Vimpat or starting, I have discovered (the hard way) that it is VERY time sensitive! I was switched from Keppra (extended release) to Vimpat a few months ago. All was going fairly well in the begining however I started to quickly slide into a dark, dark place. After three weeks of debilitating depression and constant insomnia my doctor recommended taking the Vimpat earlier in the evening rather than at bedtime...problem was, I never remembered. My levels were all over the map. The spiral was devastating and I was ready to throw out all meds and walk away from life. My husband took control of the situation and set alarms on my phone for exactly 12 hour intervals for the Vimpat. Within 48 hours the black cloud was lifting. I am now on a strict regimine for Vimpat and phenabarbitol as well as sleep schedule. I will keep you all posted as to my progress. I will say the Vimpat has given me the best control I have EVER had since my diagnosis in 1997 ( I was a late bloomer). Once again...Thank God for my husband! Loved ones who care for us with E... you do make a difference, even when we ourselves have lost hope:e:
 
paradise survivor said:
For anyone taking Vimpat or starting, I have discovered (the hard way) that it is VERY time sensitive! I was switched from Keppra (extended release) to Vimpat a few months ago. All was going fairly well in the begining however I started to quickly slide into a dark, dark place. After three weeks of debilitating depression and constant insomnia my doctor recommended taking the Vimpat earlier in the evening rather than at bedtime...problem was, I never remembered. My levels were all over the map. The spiral was devastating and I was ready to throw out all meds and walk away from life. My husband took control of the situation and set alarms on my phone for exactly 12 hour intervals for the Vimpat. Within 48 hours the black cloud was lifting. I am now on a strict regimine for Vimpat and phenabarbitol as well as sleep schedule. I will keep you all posted as to my progress. I will say the Vimpat has given me the best control I have EVER had since my diagnosis in 1997 ( I was a late bloomer). Once again...Thank God for my husband! Loved ones who care for us with E... you do make a difference, even when we ourselves have lost hope:e:
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Im glad things are getting better for you. :)

I was put on Vimpat in March of this year and was on it for less than a month. The first side effect I saw with it was not caring anymore. I worked my way up to 100mgs twice a day, and my drs got concerned about how depressed I was getting, and cut me back to 50mgs twice a day. It didnt help, so I was taken off of it. Im on Keppra XR at 3000mgs a day now, and doing great! :)
 
P.S. THREE BOYS!! God bless you! Mommyhood is tough enough:clap:my two kids were 11 and 15 when I was diagnosed. You are a rock:hi5:
 
Thank you! I try my very hardest each day to take care of those three little boys! :)

I was dx'd with Epilepsy at around 18 months old. My mom said I had seizures as an infant, looking back to those days, but didnt see them as being seizures til they got really bad and was dx'd by a pediatric neuro as being epilepsy. I grew up going from one medication to another. I started having irregular periods around the age of 13-15 yrs old. I went for months without periods. Finally at the age of 18, I went to a dr who tested me and said I have PCOS. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Drs before told me I would never be able to have children of my own. But this dr I am still seeing today, made things better for me! She put me on glucophage XR to help my cycles become regular. I was also put on birth control pills to help with that.

Then god gave us our first miracle. When I was still on the birth control pill, and glucophage, we concieved our first son in September 2003. I didnt find out I was pregnant til December 2003 when I was almost 3 months along. Since then, we've had two more sons, May 2005 and November 2006. They keep me very busy! :) I recently had my first VEEG and if it wasnt for my dr having me try it, I would still be on the Carbatrol and Keppra XR. Luckly, I got to get off the Carbatrol and now the Keppra XR is holding me over!

Im eager to see what the dr says at the end of august when I go back to see him. last I heard, He was wanting to try to get me off the Keppra XR. I dont know if I want to go along with it, it was a nightmare for two months, March through May of this year, after being cold turkey'd for the VEEG and having seizures after til my levels were back to where they were. Plus trying two different medications along with that, the side effects were terriable. I dont know what will be next for me.
 
I know what you are talking about:agree: I have had enough tests that I am my own night-light. My primary-care doc just shakes his head when I come in the door and it took me six neuro's before I found the right one. My kids have enough stories to keep them in therapy for years and my husband will be cannonized by next year....other than that..I'm fine..really:paperbag:
 
im seeing my neuro next week and hoping to come off vimpat , but i know it is time sensitive w/me too , it was worse at first but it's still not good , if i dont take it at the normal time i get really irritated , start pacing getting shaky , and cant think right , then about an hour after i take it i get what we now call the "vitches " ( i start itching like crazy all over and it usually lasts 2 or 3 hours ) and since starting it my hair has gotten more & more brittle and and has started falling out , so it has to go ! im glad you have been able to make it work for you , hopefully it continues to work
 
Just curious, did you gain weight as well?So far I still have my hair but my doc did suggest taking the Vimpat earlier in the day so I take it at 6a.m. and 6p.m. promptly. I am two days into this and it has made a monumental difference, I will keep you posted:pop:
 
paradise survivor said:
Just curious, did you gain weight as well?So far I still have my hair but my doc did suggest taking the Vimpat earlier in the day so I take it at 6a.m. and 6p.m. promptly. I am two days into this and it has made a monumental difference, I will keep you posted:pop:
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no weight gain for me , just the hair loss , vitches , and weird stuff when im supposed to take it
 
I know I sound like a broken record but are you taking the vimpat at 12 hour intervals? Was insomnia part of the side-effects you experienced? I'm trying to find a pattern and or learn something...which ever comes first:ponder:
 
paradise survivor said:
I know I sound like a broken record but are you taking the vimpat at 12 hour intervals? Was insomnia part of the side-effects you experienced? I'm trying to find a pattern and or learn something...which ever comes first:ponder:
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no i'm taking it every 24 hours ( at night , but i take it several hours before bed ) and no insomnia hasnt been a problem for me ( anymore i cant get enough sleep ! )
 
You should see my bedtime ritual...turn down the air-con so it is cooler at night, put on the eye mask so no light, put in ear plugs so no sound....it is a production to say the least! My poor husband creeps into bed so as not to disturb:paperbag: then the afternoon rolls around and I could sleep thru an atomic bomb, I'm sooo tired! Go figure?:ponder:
 
paradise survivor said:
You should see my bedtime ritual...turn down the air-con so it is cooler at night, put on the eye mask so no light, put in ear plugs so no sound....it is a production to say the least! My poor husband creeps into bed so as not to disturb:paperbag: then the afternoon rolls around and I could sleep thru an atomic bomb, I'm sooo tired! Go figure?:ponder:
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yeah thats ridiculous ! you probably need to call a doctor , but heres a thought ( my husband and i were working different shifts a few years ago and then they put him on swing shifts for a while & we were planning a move so needless to say there was alot going on and our sleep got soooooo messed up . well when things got back to normal my sleep didnt and someone suggested this and i tried it and it worked like a charm ( seeing as you are able to sleep just the wrong time of day , this may work for you too ) say tonight you would normally go to bed at 10 , dont go to bed stay up till tomorrow night , that way when your bed time comes tomorrow you'll be exhausted , wait a week and do it again ( the idea is when you do this your so exhausted your finally able to go to sleep and then your body gets used to going to sleep during the time your supposed to be asleep ) it may work it may not but i did it for about a month ( of course i was doing the 24 awake periods 2 times a week ) and it worked beautifully . just a suggestion but make sure ( if you do ) that you dont need to drive or do anything that could be dangerous if you fall asleep , which of course now i have kind of a different problem I CANT GET ENOUGH sleep ( i think it's the meds though )
 
Unlike a few on here I don't get to take either Keppra or Vimpat. I get to take both!!! I get irritable right before the 7am or 7pm dose. The combination has given me a food allergy which was fun to learn.....oranges, grapefruit, tangerines!! I had to make some food changes and learn to read labels more. Find out very odd food facts like A1 steak sauce is made with oranges, as is most steak sauces and there are many BBQ sauces as well.

Although I have a better understanding of lab rats now...........:ponder:
 
Don't know what the deal is but I am still having some trouble adjusting...I have been really good about the new regimine of exact times, sleep, and light excersize, however my fuse is short and a bit raw. I am trying to keep it under control but it is tough. I am not jumping the pier but it still is not my usual charming self...I hate meds :ponder: of course I hate E more...Hey, excuse me..I ordered the 'easy' life...I'd like to see the manager please...:roflmao:
 
You needed to speak up. All they heard was I would like an order of the E life.

Vimpat took almost a year to adjust to for me but I did adjust.
 
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