A big lamictal ridden sigh

[toro]

Long time no post, but here I am.

Seizure free - auras, sp, everything for 6+ months. Baby daughter due in 4 months (in the husband, so I'm not pregnant). I just got my drivers privilege back a few weeks ago. Couldn't be better.

Then, out of the blue yesterday I started getting the beginnings of auras. Usually the aura starts, then repeats a couple times, then I smile, become confused and can't talk (sp). I stopped counting today after 15.

So I got my scrip refill on Sunday, right before they started, I called the pharmacy, checked the pills... it all looks OK.

The aura starts - a quick flash of a memory and an awkward, nervous feeling - but doesn't repeat or progress... Sometimes another will start and stop a minute or so after the last. I realize auras are seizures, I'm just not sure if these qualify as auras as they fizzle out and don't repeat.

Has anyone ever gone through this before? It's sort of like having one second long panic attacks all day long if I'm around anything familiar to me (work, books, thoughts of family, etc.)

Anyway...

 

[Nakamova]

It sounds like you are having simple partials (memory flash, awkward feeling) that become complex partials (confusion, unable to speak). If simple partials generalize (spread) into complex partials or tonic-clonics, then you can consider them to be auras. If they stay as simple partials, then they are "just" simple partials.

All that aside, I'm sorry that you've had this recent round of breakthrough seizures after a 6-month respite. Any guesses as to what might have triggered them, or does it seem a complete mystery? Just out of curiosity, are you taking the brand lamictal or the generic lamotrigine? If it's the generic, do you know who the manufacturer is? (The manufacturer should appear in tiny print somewhere on the bottle).

 

[toro]

It's generic. I'm going to find out the brand/company because I'm guessing this may be the cause

 

[Nakamova]

After a lengthy seizure-free period, I experienced some "blips" over the last few months. There's no obvious reason for why I would suddenly start having issues now, but I know that "Zydus", the manufacturer of my generic lamotrigine doesn't seem to have a great reputation for consistency from batch-to-batch. If your pharmacy is flexible, ask if they will order the generic from Teva Pharmaceuticals instead. They have a better reputation.

 

[bandmom]

My daughter didn't do as well on generic lamotrigine as the Lamictal brand. We didn't really pay attention to variations between generic manufacturers, but that's good to know, Nak.

toro, The memory flash part of your aura sounds like what my daughter refers to as a deja vu feeling. The doctor's always question exactly what she means by "deja vu". Maybe memory flash is a better description.

 

[toro]

It's hard to describe. I say memory flash because a lot of times it is actually thoughts/song parts/memories I know aren't real. It's kind of like experiencing déjà vu of an internal thought that just popped in your head.

Also, my manufacturer is Cadista apparently