Leaving Keppra = Starting Lamictal

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Brainy, Still on my first week at just 25 mg. My 'starter' kit has the following:

Per day

Week 1 25mg
Week 2 25mg
Week 3 50mg
Week 4 100mg
Week 5 200mg

Then see the doctor. I plan on calling about the blood levels. You are the second one to mention them with Lamictal and my doctor never scheduled any for me.
 
Super slow uptake on this one. Good to know that some doctors are getting smart.
 
hiya* We've been told to only go up 25 mg per week on lamictal and to watch for rash. Once we reach the 300 mg daily dosage, then 2 weeks later we take blood work. It would take us 8 weeks to get 200 @ 25 mg increase weekly. Maybe pediatrics is different.

Im not sure if thats how it works for everyone but that how we've done it. Slow and steady : ) My son never had a rash but my daughter had a mild one and we just didnt raise the dosage that week and it seemed to go well.

We're at 175 mg daily on our way to 300.. weooo... Originally we were going to stay at 150 mg but when the grand mal showed : ) we thought maybe 300 a better chance. I hope you do well on it *

joan*
 
Lamictal ....

Very slow and easy is the way to go
with this med! And nearly always begins
with a "starter" pack!

I HATE starter packs! Ever try to get those
pills out of the sealed bubbles? (Or any other
meds for that matter?)

(Insert your favorite profanity word here)

:mad:

And by the time you pop one out, usually
you have to hunt it down sometimes, for
they've managed to fly off somewhere. I
often wonder if the Companies did this on
purpose or if they have wings? I've learned
to have a towel in front of me when I attempt
to pop these things!

*sigh*

:?

If anything's going to "POP", it better be
POP TARTS!

:agree:
 
As my Neuro explained it to me.

My Neuro gave me a starter pack. (free - woohoo) That has the daily dosages in those bubble packs that Brain loves so well. The dosage increases I posted above are those in the starter pack. He stressed the importance of the slow ramp up and to watch out for a rash.

Since I am already on Dilantin, my Neuro said this starter pack goes a little faster than someone completely new to Lamictal. That might also exlain why Joan's daughter is moving more slowly. :oops: Plus I am probably twice her size.
 
Good luck Buckeye! I know the fear that comes with med change. Going through it now. But just think, you might come sailing through it.... :) So as I said, best of luck...
 
Today's the day ... for me ...

Well Buck-O, I be taking off in a
few moments to see the Wizard,
I mean Doctor, to feed the vampire
bats, I mean to have my blood
drawn and have the Lamictal
levels checked .....

:ponder:

Hmm, do they REALLY check our
levels or send them off to the lab
to feed vampire bats?

KIDDING FOLKS!

:paperbag:
 
Mom (brain/Sharon) is doing great with lamictal but I am not too happy that mom is on 3 anti-epileptic drugs now. Mom had been up to 5 before and they had been talking about adding a 4th one because mom cannot have surgery. This scares me. I just pray that this is all mom needs.
 
Don't just agree with them. Talk to the Dr.s research the drug.They can't make you take something that you feel is bad for you.
 
steve said:
This scares me.
Click to expand...

Hang in there Steve. Four is a lot of chemical for one brain
... ;-)

You have the right to question DR decisions. They may not like it, but it's not their mother they are treating.

Pass the best to Sharon,

Philippe
 
Hey, Buckeye...how goes the transition? Smoothly, I hope.

I am currently taking 1500mgx2 Keppra and 100mgx2 Lamictal and have remained seizure free. At my last appointment, my neurologist suggested upping the Lamictal and d/c the Keppra. I'm a little hesitant to do so because I am controlled with almost no side effects (knock on wood) at the moment. I understand that monotherapy is desired if possible, but I'm not sure I want to rock the boat...

Interestingly, my dose of Lamictal was not titrated up. I also didn't get one of the lovely blister packs (not too disappointed because they are quite annoying). My old neurologist just handed me a 'script for 100mgx2 daily. Luckily no rash & no side effects.

I hope everything goes well with your switchover and wish you the best!
 
Last edited:
Operator .... do we have a bad connection here?

morgan381 said:
Hey, Buckeye...how goes the transition? Smoothly, I hope.
Click to expand...

:agree:

How goes the transaction? Any updates?
Hello? Operator - Connect me back to
Ohio Buckeye please .... we are not
receiving any response!

:giveup:

I'm doing par excellent on Lamictal and I
doubt I will have to go beyond that!

 
Buck? Any word ???

How are you doing on
the Lammy?

:bump:
 
Up to 300 mg per day now

The Lamictal seems to be doing the job mentally. Only one day with some auras and much clearer thinking in general. The energy level / initiative also seems to be coming back, not every day, but more than it was.

Still keeping an eye out for a rash. This cold weather causes plenty of dry skin and may mimic a slight rash. Gotta be careful though.

The Keppra is down to 750 per day. The Neuro said I could go faster, but I am leary and want to take it down 250 mg each week. Drop to 500 mg per day next Monday. From 2000 mg 6 months ago, this is a big change.

:cheers:
 
Congrats. So nice its working. If Im not mistaken, and check on me, the potential for rash higher in the first 12 - 20 weeks. After that, if seems, unless you go on and off the drug, you should be fine. My son on 300 mg lamictal since 2006.

Good luck
joan*
 
Way to go Bucky! That sounds awesome!

:tup:
 
Thanks for sharing. I was on depakote and lamictal. I started having seizures. Just recently went off depakote. Now i am on keppra and lamictal. I am suspect so far.
 
Hello, I"m new here.
This is what I'm dealing with now.
Myclonic seizures turned into grand mal about 9 years ago. Diagnosed when I was 20. I have only had about 6 grand mals in my life until a new Dr put me on clonazepam. I was on Lamictal 300mg/day, and alprazolam for when I felt anxious or the body jerks coming on.
BTW, I would only have myoclonus first thing in the morning, and if for some crazy reason I had a grand mal (because I didn't sleep well), I would take some alprazolam and feel better. This Dr prescribed clonazepam, then for the first time i my life I had 3 grand mals, once a month for three months. So far, in Jan '09, I have not had one. The Keppra did help with the myoclonus, but the myoclonus was a warning that something big may be coming and the alprazolam made it better. The Dr said with a grin "Well! isn't that better? you had them at night and not in the morning". I was very upset, I had been seizure free until she prescribed Keppra, I was seizure free for 3.5 yrs. The Dr prescribed 500mg/am, 500mg/pm. It affected me at work.. cognitively, I cannot spell, I cannot think, I cannot remember events, I have the tip of the tongue deal going on, I feel terrible. I am also depressed and anxious. Dr knew that I have a hx of depression and anxiety, but she said try it. Lets see if it works. I called her to tell her that I felt horrible, she says.. "well, take 250mg once a day. I told her this was impossible because she prescribed 1000mg/day and the tabs were 500mg tabs. She didn't know this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How could she return my call days later without my chart in front of her????? This Dr. then said that I should break them in half and take 250am/250pm. I was on 1000/day!!
This makes me even more depressed. The wonderful Dr I had for many years left to another state, I think I've found the second best and she makes me take 100 steps backwards. I have trouble concentrating, communicating, spelling, reading, thinking!
I want to be weaned off Keppra, I have only been taking it for 2.5 weeks. Is it possible?
The Dr insists on me staying on Keppra and slowly increasing the dose again.Can this Dr be pushing Keppra on her patients for personal benefits? I'm lost. Has anyone had a similar experience? I want to stay on just Lamictal and alprazolam for my anxiety which i was doing well with. Now I have to wean off Keppra and clonazepam.
 
Epilepticon said:
Hello, I"m new here.
This is what I'm dealing with now.
Myclonic seizures turned into grand mal about 9 years ago. Diagnosed when I was 20. I have only had about 6 grand mals in my life until a new Dr put me on clonazepam. I was on Lamictal 300mg/day, and alprazolam for when I felt anxious or the body jerks coming on.
BTW, I would only have myoclonus first thing in the morning, and if for some crazy reason I had a grand mal (because I didn't sleep well), I would take some alprazolam and feel better. This Dr prescribed clonazepam, then for the first time i my life I had 3 grand mals, once a month for three months. So far, in Jan '09, I have not had one. The Keppra did help with the myoclonus, but the myoclonus was a warning that something big may be coming and the alprazolam made it better. The Dr said with a grin "Well! isn't that better? you had them at night and not in the morning". I was very upset, I had been seizure free until she prescribed Keppra, I was seizure free for 3.5 yrs. The Dr prescribed 500mg/am, 500mg/pm. It affected me at work.. cognitively, I cannot spell, I cannot think, I cannot remember events, I have the tip of the tongue deal going on, I feel terrible. I am also depressed and anxious. Dr knew that I have a hx of depression and anxiety, but she said try it. Lets see if it works. I called her to tell her that I felt horrible, she says.. "well, take 250mg once a day. I told her this was impossible because she prescribed 1000mg/day and the tabs were 500mg tabs. She didn't know this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How could she return my call days later without my chart in front of her????? This Dr. then said that I should break them in half and take 250am/250pm. I was on 1000/day!!
This makes me even more depressed. The wonderful Dr I had for many years left to another state, I think I've found the second best and she makes me take 100 steps backwards. I have trouble concentrating, communicating, spelling, reading, thinking!
I want to be weaned off Keppra, I have only been taking it for 2.5 weeks. Is it possible?
The Dr insists on me staying on Keppra and slowly increasing the dose again.Can this Dr be pushing Keppra on her patients for personal benefits? I'm lost. Has anyone had a similar experience? I want to stay on just Lamictal and alprazolam for my anxiety which i was doing well with. Now I have to wean off Keppra and clonazepam.
Click to expand...


:hello: Epilepticon!

Welcome to CWE. Sounds to me like it is in one dire mess
here - but I thought this information might be of help here:

Keppra is an antiepileptic drug available as 250 mg (blue),
500 mg (yellow), 750 mg (orange), and 1000 mg (white) tablets.

Klonopin / Clonazepam and Xanax / Alprazolam - both are
Benzos aka Benzodiazepines Family. So bascially they are
in the "same class".

So I can partially understand why the Doctor would want
to wean you off of Klonopin / Clonazepam - when you are
on Xanax / Alprazolam.

Keppra is a "wonder drug" and also a "nightmare drug". It
can be wonderful for some individuals and just the opposite
for others. Keppra was not right for me and many others;
however, Keppra has been absolutely wonderful for many
others. So there's a 50/50 coin toss.

So I can sympathize you being in a mass 'confusion' or
in a 'panic' (forgive me if I am wrong), after being used
in this 'position' for a time being.

And NO - it is NOT unusual to be in titration off of a med
only after a XX amount of time if it is not working. "WE"
may 'think' it is working, but the others can see it isn't.
The wisest move that one can make is "quit before trouble
starts". Sometimes it's "back to the drawing board".

I am not a Medical Doctor here; but your best bet would
be to sit down and ask your Doctor what is the next plan
that he/she has in mind for you. Your Doctor should be
able to go over these things and explain such the like into
details and perspectives as how's, why's, and so on. So
make a list of questions and go over it with your Doctor
and it may very well be that your Doctor may have some-
thing better in store, since there are newer medications
available which would reduce the need of having to be
on all these medications.

Good luck!



 
Thanks for sharing. I will pray all goes well. I have just weened off depakote to keppra. I take 1000 of keppra, is that much? I also am taking 250 of lamictal a day. So far so good.
 
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