Anyone tried Vimpat?

[resaebiunne]

Over the past couple of months my edoc has increased the dose of Lamictal (which I also take for bipolar symptoms). I've collected logs now for the past 4 months and it actually shows that my seizures have become more frequent as the dose was increased. After my appointment this morning, my edoc is weaning me down to the dose set by my psychiatrist. In addition, he is putting me on Vimpat. The brief research I looked at suggests that Vimpat is used for partial onset seizures, but in my case I have primary generalized seizures (not sure if that matters).

Has anyone used Vimpat? Should I be concerned with any possible side effects?

On another note, it was mentioned to me that with two failed medications that I am now a candidate for a VNS implant. Edoc says that he wants to try the Vimpat before going down the surgery path. Here's hoping the Vimpat works.

 

[Porkette]

Hi resaebiunne,

I've been taking vimpat for 3 yrs. and it has reduced my complex partial and absence seizures a lot. Some of the side effects of vimpat can be a rapid heartbeat when you aren't doing anything, if it continues call your Dr. and let the Dr. know that it's still going on. Other side effects are dizziness for a couple of seconds, and I felt more sleepy until I got used to the drug. If you have to take an antibiotic be sure that you tell your Dr. that you are taking vimpat because some antibiotics can make the drug toxic. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[Topcat]

Have they got a generic for it yet?
When I took it it cost me around $150 a month and didn't help me.
Everyone is different so maybe it will help you.

 

[resaebiunne]

Have they got a generic for it yet?
When I took it it cost me around $150 a month and didn't help me.
Everyone is different so maybe it will help you.

It's hard to find out this information for some reason. The patent seems to have expired (?) which means a generic could be available "late this year or early next year". Others are saying a generic won't be available until 2020.

In any case, I'm up to probably $300-$400 a month in copays myself. Part of this is because my edoc wanted to see if I was any better with brand name medication. I think it might be time to call up OptumRX and ask for the generics where possible. It's just too expensive

 

[BIGMAN131307]

Vimpat was the 2nd to last new AED I tried before my RTLS. That was over three years ago. I only took if for a couple days. The only side effect I experienced was a bad rash on arms, legs, and stomach. After I stopped taking it, the rash went away.


From what I can find there is a generic available.

Generic Name: lacosamide (la KOE sa mide)
Brand Names: Vimpat

https://www.drugs.com/vimpat.html
http://www.vimpat.com/

 

[masterjen]

resaebiunne:
what other seizure medications have you tried? Personally I don't think that just because two didn't work that it is a reason to consider VNS (unless this is something you really want). There are other new ones out there, like Aptiom and Fycompa for example. Fycompa in particular acts in an entirely different way (ie. on different receptors in the brain) than other medications do. There is another new one out, I have been told, that is related to Keppra but different enough that it has been found to not have the some of the side effects that Keppra has (or at least a much lower risk of these side effects).

 

[CQ:)]

My neuro put me on Vimpat last year which was an add onto keppra abd tegretol. For me the vimpat didnt work as it messed with my moods and I ended up being really emotional on it (I've been on tegretol for 14 years and Keppra for 8 years and had no issues on either of those meds). I tried the vimpat for 3 months but wasn't coping with the mood issues so spoke to my neuro and he took me straight of it.

We are all different when it comes to meds so I hope it helps you.

 

[resaebiunne]

resaebiunne:
what other seizure medications have you tried?

Depakote (several years ago; didn't work). Lamictal has made my seizures worse as the dose increased, although I still need it as a mood stabilizer. The Keppra seems to work in that I've not had any grand mal seizures since last summer.

Personally I don't think that just because two didn't work that it is a reason to consider VNS (unless this is something you really want).

I'm just saying what my edoc told me. I realize the VNS might be risky but if it works well then it's worth it. Anyway, if the vimpat works I'm not going to mess with it. I don't want to spend forever trying different medications. New drugs have less studies and are more expensive when there are no generics. The "newness" of a drug can make it hard or impossible to get when dealing with insurance.

 

[Porkette]

Hi resaebiunne,

Make sure the dosage of vimpat isn't to high I started at 400 mg. a day and that was triggering seizures so my Dr. lowered the dosage to 300 mg. a day and that stopped all the extra seizures I was having along with stopping the complex partial, myoclonic, and decreased the absence seizures also. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[Kgartner]

My daughter has had good success with Vimpat - it has completely prevented her complex partial or tonic clonic seizures for the almost 2 years she's been on it. However, she does continue to have simple partials, although right now they are fairly infrequent (several times a month; in the past they have been almost daily). It does make her tired, and she feels that it affects her thinking and memory, but she hasn't had any of the really bad side effects from it even on the max dose of 400mg/day.

As far as I know there is no generic version yet. We pay a copay of $300/month for it.

Good luck!

 

[resaebiunne]

Thanks to all of you for the responses.

I'm slowly ramping up the vimpat and it's already making me tired. It's a good thing I stayed at home today (never mind the huge storm that's coming through). If the vimpat works I will be a happy camper!

 

[CQ:)]

Thanks to all of you for the responses.

I'm slowly ramping up the vimpat and it's already making me tired. It's a good thing I stayed at home today (never mind the huge storm that's coming through). If the vimpat works I will be a happy camper!

When my neuro put me on Vimpat he did it slow, started of at I think 50mg for 2 weeks then increased it to 100mg. I always allow myself at less 2 weeks for any side effects but with some meds I allow longer especially when I have to increase the dosage as I go.

 

[seizuregirl]

I've started vimpat about 3 or 4 months ago after being taken off 1 of the 2 meds i was last on, up to 200mgs now and so far so good on it compared with the past meds I've taken!

My mood has stabilized, and no more double vision, as of yet, like I had with the last 2 med combination I was on, which is great since that means no more headaches, hopefully.

 

[Sabbo]

Hello.
I'm on Vimpat, & have been taking it since Sept 2014--if I recall correctly. My neuro added it when he had me drop Dilantin. I currently take 400mg/day divided into 2 doses. I still getting breakthrough Complex Partials, averaging 1-3 per month. I am unaware of any generic versions currently being available, as our insurance would immediately switch to it from the name brand form.

 

[txtiger]

My epileptologist started me on Vimpat at 100 mg/day I think almost 4 years ago. He titrated me up to 400 mg/day about 5 months ago after I started having more breakthroughs, including a complex partial. I've also been on Keppra or Keppra XR for probably 14 years. I have not had any negative side effects with the Vimpat, although I have had two breakthrough simple partials since I've been on the increased dose.

I hope it works well for you. Good luck.

 

[Cez]

I'm on both Lamictal and Vimpat,

Vimpat has worked extremely well in combination to control my seizures. I now only really have them when I'm asleep. However I have found that I now suffer quite badly from mania, my neurologist says this is because they both have a similar mechanism of action and amplify each others side effects.

Despite it being great it has induced a prolonged QT interval on my ECG which looks like I will have to stop taking it as this can cause potentially fatal arrhythmia's. Which is gutting as I'm pretty much out of meds to try. Good luck, I hope it all goes well, its important to have a cardiac check up when you first start this med though as it can cause some unpleasant side effects.

(I should state I'm not and doc and everyone is very different in how they react! )

 

[Sabbo]

I forgot to add that I also take 400mg of Topamax daily, as well as 1mg of folic acid.

 

[resaebiunne]

Well, just an update. I've been on the dose of Vimpat that my neurologist ramped me up to (300mg/day) for maybe 1.5 weeks now. So far no noticeable difference according to my journal. Just like with the maxed out dose of Lamictal, I'm still having 10-15 seizures a day. Hopefully the Lamictal hasn't caused any permanent damage.

I will say that about 2 weeks ago I blacked out for a few seconds after lunch while walking back to the lab where I work. (Not sure how I could still walk through that).

I'm going to speak with my epileptologist and psychiatrist to get off the Lamictal completely and find something else in its place that won't aggravate my seizures. As if things weren't progressing slowly enough, I think this puzzle is getting worse.

 

[Nakamova]

Sorry to hear this. The medication merry-go-round is no fun.

 

[Sabbo]

My dose of 400mg/day along w/ 400mg/day of Topamax (generic--thanks to insurance) doesn't do much difference, either. I still average 1-3 Complex Partials monthly, same with my Simple Partials. I've even had seizures within hours taking meds!!