Zonisamide out of my system?

[sjconner]

I started zonisamide (25mg 2/day in addition to my lamotrigine 200 2/day) about a week ago. I called my neuro about the side effects I was having ... lost weight (don't weight enough to start with), depression, tired, second guessing myself, felt like everything was going wrong. Yesterday afternoon, he took me off of it. So I took my last dose yesterday morning. I already feel better. I thought the half life was long. Am I really feeling better because the drug is leaving my body or relief that I am going to feel better?

 

[masterjen]

Could be a little of both. A week isn't a very long trial of medication and not much time to allow your body to get used to it, so you must have been feeling terrible to be taken off of it so soon. I had the same thing happen when one of my medications was increased at night: I'd get to sleep but then wake a couple of hours later with racing mind, weird thoughts, restlessness, etc. I stopped taking the increase after just 3 or 4 nights; no way I was willing to persist for a longer trial. Two nights back at the usual dose and I was sleeping fine.

 

[Nakamova]

:agree:
The half-life of zonisamide is 50 to 62 hours. But you were on a relatively small dose, so after 24 hours you're down to a very low, sub-therapeutic level -- not enough to keep messing with your system. Individual metabolic factors can also affect clearance time -- e.g., if you were drinking a lot of water and peeing a lot, the zonisamide would flush out a little faster than normal.

I had a bad time on zonisamide, but it took me 6 months too realize how it much it was affecting me. Congrats on dumping it and feeling better!

 

[sjconner]

At 5' 8" and 110 pounds I cannot lose any weight and lost several pounds in a week. I realized it was really bad when I doubted and started questioning everything and wanted to crawl under the covers and cry. I am usually a really upbeat, positive, and confident person. I even questioned whether I should even call the neuro to ask about the meds and the way I was feeling. I felt like it was all in my head and that I was whining about something that wasn't happening or was really minor.

I really wanted this to work. I am starting to pick up the intractable/refractory label. I think I am going to get to have a weeklong vacation at the Swedish Medical Center in Colorado. It is a long way from Montana.