Lamictal & Vimpat Questions

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momof3boys

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Since trying the Vimpat and Lamictal, both had very bad side effects for me, I wrote down how I was doing during each time I was on the medications. I saw alot of emotional changes with each one. With the Vimpat, I was angry, frustrated, and got to a stage where I didnt care no more about anything. So I was taken off of that.

With Lamictal, besides having the bad acne, and swollen glands, which my PCP said was an allergic reaction, I had alot of emotional stress when I was on it. I was on it for 16 days and I had days where I would break down and cry for no reason. I would get mad over the stupidest little things and feel like I just wanted to walk out and not come back again.

Its been a week now since I was taken off the Lamictal, and Im now only on Keppra. 2500mgs daily.

Ive noticed a huge difference in the emotional side of me. Within 3 - 4 days of being only on Keppra, I no longer have the angry, crying outbursts, and I feel normal once again.

My dr said the emotional outbursts were due to the Keppra. Now that Im only on Keppra, its gotten better. I would think if it was the Keppra causing all the emotions, I would still be struggling with the emotions and it wouldnt be getting better.

So I just wondered if anyone here has been on Lamictal or Vimpat and saw a change in your emotions, and if you got off, did it get better?

I see my neuro on the 25th, but I want to make sure if it is due to the other medications, I point this out to him when I see him.

Thanks!
 
I took Lamictal about 12 years ago, but it didn't cause depression, anger, etc. for me, nor did it help with seizures. But I don't remember what other meds I was taking along with it. Lamictal, like some other AED's, are also used for bi-polar disorder, so for me the Lamictal did help with my moods. I'm currently taking 3000 mgs. of Keppra, along with Topomax and Zoloft.

From www.drugs.com Vimpat side effects:
Seek medical attention right away if:
behavioral changes (eg, aggression; agitation; anger; anxiety; hostility); confusion; dark urine; decreased coordination or loss of balance; double vision or other vision changes; fainting; fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; fever, chills, or persistent sore throat; mental or mood changes (eg, new or worsening depression); new or worsening seizures; severe or persistent drowsiness, tiredness, or weakness; shortness of breath; suicidal thoughts or attempts
 
With the Vimpat, I had the depression, suicidal thoughts (at the end of it) and alot of being angry all the time. They did try to decrease my dose to 50mgs from 100mgs, but I still had the angry outbursts, and just wasnt myself. Thats when they decided to take me off of that. I went for about five days only on Keppra and then added on Lamictal. My emotions were just all over the place. I recall after being on the Lamcital for a week, talking with my dr about the outbursts with my emotions, and he said it was the Keppra. He wanted to wean me off the Keppra slowly, but continue with the Lamictal. It wasnt but a week after that, that my primary care dr said I was having an allergic reaction with the Lamictal, and I stopped it. Now my neuro didnt think that was the case at all, but said to just stop taking the Lamictal and keep taking the Keppra at 2500mgs daily. But now that Ive only been on just the keppra, all the emotions have stopped. No more crying, angry spells, feeling like I just dont care, etc. So it was just within that time period of going from one medication to another that I was feeling like that.
 
Everyone reacts differently. It sounds to me like you are OK with the Keppra but the other meds were causing problems.

Can you stay on Keppra alone?
 
Well the past 8 days Ive been on Keppra alone and so far so good..... I have a follow up appointment scheduled with my neuro on May 25th. From the sounds of it, he doesnt think I have epilepsy at all. But it just doesnt make sense that in March when I had my VEEG done, he walks in telling us there are epileptic spikes on the VEEG, and that I do have epilepsy, he thinks the grand mals I had before, my last one was in 2000, he thinks I have outgrown those and was left with smaller seizures. What I experienced during the VEEG didnt register as Epileptic seizures, but he did say they could easily be simple partial seizures there are too deep to be picked up.

Now two months later he is just throwing out the fact that there were epileptic spikes on the EEG, and even saying they could be simple partial seizures, and saying I dont even have epilepsy.

Now my first question to him when I see him next would be.... If you claim I dont have epilepsy, then why are you keeping me on Keppra? He was trying to not give me details a few weeks ago as to why he was wanting to wean me off the keppra. He just said that the lamictal would help treat the partial seizures better, and also help with the emotional stuff that was coming from the Keppra. Not even two weeks after he told me that, I find out from him that the real reason he was taking me off Keppra was because in his eyes I dont have epilepsy, and he was going to treat me for anxiety attacks with the Lamictal.

So, for now, Im still on the 2500mgs of Keppra each day. I take a vitamin B each morning too. Other than that, Im doing ok for now. If anything should come up between now and when I see him next, I will have to contact him.
 
So far my emotions haven't changed with the Vimpat, but I'm about to up my dose again, as I lower my dose of the depakote, again.

But a note on what Cint said about Vimpat--my heart rate has been insanely low.

I went to my regular dr the other day, for a follow up regarding a terrible seizure like 2 months ago, and the nurse couldn't find my heart rate. Tried twice with the machine on both arms, finally the doctor did with the old fashioned pump. It ended up being something like 67/58. And I always run low, but I am concerned. Especially because that was at the end of the day, after chasing around my students all day, you'd think the pressure would be way too high, lol.

It's aggravating he's saying you don't have it and keeping you on medicine, definitely. Demand some answers. You've had so many ups and downs lately, you deserve a break.
 
So far my emotions haven't changed with the Vimpat, but I'm about to up my dose again, as I lower my dose of the depakote, again.

But a note on what Cint said about Vimpat--my heart rate has been insanely low.

I went to my regular dr the other day, for a follow up regarding a terrible seizure like 2 months ago, and the nurse couldn't find my heart rate. Tried twice with the machine on both arms, finally the doctor did with the old fashioned pump. It ended up being something like 67/58. And I always run low, but I am concerned. Especially because that was at the end of the day, after chasing around my students all day, you'd think the pressure would be way too high, lol.

It's aggravating he's saying you don't have it and keeping you on medicine, definitely. Demand some answers. You've had so many ups and downs lately, you deserve a break.

Thats weird that your blood pressure would be so low. Did your dr show any concern? I didnt notice anything like that while I was on the Vimpat. I was on it for like three weeks or so. I mostly saw a huge difference in the emotions and just how I was with myself, my kids, my husband... which then turned into everything! It wasnt a good thing at all!

Yeah, when it comes to my neuro dr saying one thing in March, taking me on and off medications, and then telling me he doesnt think I have epilepsy at all! Im going to ask why he thinks I dont when my VEEG said I did!? I have alot of questions written down and I will be asking every one of them when I see him on the 25th!
 
Yeah, when it comes to my neuro dr saying one thing in March, taking me on and off medications, and then telling me he doesnt think I have epilepsy at all! Im going to ask why he thinks I dont when my VEEG said I did!? I have alot of questions written down and I will be asking every one of them when I see him on the 25th!

:agree: That's what you need to do, And don't let him give you short answers. If he doesn't think you have epilepsy, do ask him about the VEEG.

momofthreeboys said:
I find out from him that the real reason he was taking me off Keppra was because in his eyes I dont have epilepsy, and he was going to treat me for anxiety attacks with the Lamictal.

And ask why have you had seizures since you were 18 months. Do children that age have anxiety attacks?
 
:agree: That's what you need to do, And don't let him give you short answers. If he doesn't think you have epilepsy, do ask him about the VEEG.



And ask why have you had seizures since you were 18 months. Do children that age have anxiety attacks?

yeah my mom brought that up to me last night when she called to ask how I was doing. She said over the years Ive had so many EEG's, and all come back with slowing in my left temporal lobe. We even have copies of every test my pediatric neuro did explaining how I have epilepsy, all the seizures Ive had, what kind they were, many times Ive had to be in the ER when I was a child due to having lots of complex partial and grand mal seizures. In march, he said he can plainly see I have epilepsy, but he just wasnt going to get his grand mal he wanted me to have. So thats when he came up with the conclusion that its possible I could have outgrown the grand mal seizures.

But another thing to consider, is that I went for 10 days with seizures and medications and then on the 11th day I had it bad. When I was doing the VEEG, I went for 3 days with no medications, and put back on Keppra on the 4th day. My dr didnt see in the dr notes I had signed for him to get, what took place during that time when I was off all those days of my medications.

He saw all this after my VEEG was done. He even said to my mom he wished he would have kept me in the hospital longer to see what could have taken place. Anyway, I think he pretty much jumped over alot of steps he could have taken.

I will be asking him alot of questions! I hope he doesnt get mad over me asking so many!
 
I will be asking him alot of questions! I hope he doesnt get mad over me asking so many!

If he does get angry, then it is time to seek another dr. Remember, who's paying who?
 
If he does get angry, then it is time to seek another dr. Remember, who's paying who?

Yeap, youre right. :) When you first meet a dr, they are so outgoing and there to answer any questions you may have. That was back in November. Then march comes, he comes into my hospital room each morning during the VEEG, and at the end confronts me to tell me his findings. Still nice and calm, very good at explaining things. It wasnt til around a month later, in April that he shows me this other side of him. In my opinion, it was like he was getting frustrated with all these medication changes. He kept trying to tell my mom and husband, each time I had a seizure, and was only put on Keppra... He kept saying thats all I needed. Due to seeing the Epilepsy spikes. He didnt think I had it in me to produce a grand mal, and the Keppra should be enough. But he also should have taken into consideration that my level wasnt built up to where it needed to be after only being put back on the Keppra for two days, and then starting to have seizures again. But I gave it another couple of weeks, and things just got worse. Thats when he threw in the towel and said to try me on the Vimpat and lamictal. I just feel like he's not wanting to listen to me, and he thinks he knows whats going on with me... in his opinion its not even epilepsy now, its all anxiety attacks.

I'm eager to see how he is going to respond to the fact that the psych dr he so badly wanted me to get into ASAP canceled on me and I wont be seeing her til May 31st. But then also the "anxiety attacks" that he said I was experienceing, are now gone. :) If things continue how they are now, I will probably be canceling the appointment with the psych dr.
 
Hi, i just started the vimpat and lamictal, after going thru keppra 200mg and lamictal 50gm twice a day. That had worked out for years. I however had a seizure and it was decided that we should change the med because it was a better one. My seizures for the most part isnt too bad, i can sense it comming and have alot of time to get somewhere safe and call someone. It is bad when i black out.

Now im on Vimpat 200mg a day and Lamictal 200mg. I notice there are alot of side effects that im am experience that I have not with the Keppra, one is my mood has changed im not as angery as i was when i was on keppra. Another is im getting more emotional, things make me want to cry, that never happend before. One other I would call it a complication is I have angzyaty attacks, my heart just races at an extremely high rate, and its hard to control. It does however, prevent me from blacking out durning a seizure, thats the plus side i think. Watching a seizure isnt something i like doing, especially since its painful and you cant control it no matter how hard you try. Vimpat lessens my senses for the auras, so im not sure if im having an attack as easily anymore. I still have time to know but it cuts the time in half. possibly if i go higher it might control it all together but would render me useless. lol.

Well right now thats my experience with the vimpat vs keppra. Which one i like better is kind of a toss up. Keppra held my seizures better, but vimpat dosnt let me black out from them and im fine after a while. Keprra lets me go into the full black out mode. Like with any meds theres side effects i guess it up to you to get use to them. Well good luck.
 
Hi, i just started the vimpat and lamictal, after going thru keppra 200mg and lamictal 50gm twice a day. That had worked out for years. I however had a seizure and it was decided that we should change the med because it was a better one. My seizures for the most part isnt too bad, i can sense it comming and have alot of time to get somewhere safe and call someone. It is bad when i black out.

Now im on Vimpat 200mg a day and Lamictal 200mg. I notice there are alot of side effects that im am experience that I have not with the Keppra, one is my mood has changed im not as angery as i was when i was on keppra. Another is im getting more emotional, things make me want to cry, that never happend before. One other I would call it a complication is I have angzyaty attacks, my heart just races at an extremely high rate, and its hard to control. It does however, prevent me from blacking out durning a seizure, thats the plus side i think. Watching a seizure isnt something i like doing, especially since its painful and you cant control it no matter how hard you try. Vimpat lessens my senses for the auras, so im not sure if im having an attack as easily anymore. I still have time to know but it cuts the time in half. possibly if i go higher it might control it all together but would render me useless. lol.

Well right now thats my experience with the vimpat vs keppra. Which one i like better is kind of a toss up. Keppra held my seizures better, but vimpat dosnt let me black out from them and im fine after a while. Keprra lets me go into the full black out mode. Like with any meds theres side effects i guess it up to you to get use to them. Well good luck.

Im on day 10 now of being just on the Keppra, and Im like a completely different person from when I was on Keppra and Vimpat, or Keppra and Lamictal. With the Vimpat, My moods were all over, and the further along I went, the more depressed I got. With the lamictal, I def saw an increase in anxiety attacks. Now I didnt bring this up to my dr because I havnt spoke to him since still being on the Lamictal. But just a few days after quitting it, I could tell a huge difference in the emotions, and I was crying over everything before! My head would hurt so often when my emotions were going up and down, it was something I just couldnt handle. Im so happy now, and the side effects of Lamictal and Vimpat was something I just couldnt handle.

I hope the medications work for you and if you are experiencing side effects, I hope they get better as time goes on for you. In my case, they just got worse.

My next step is to see the dr in 9 days and see what he says to do next. :)
 
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