Developing side effects after being on medication for awhile

[bernbern]

Is it possible to develop side effects from the medication after being on it for awhile?

I have being on Trileptal for 9 months now and when I started on it I would have some motion sickness for about a month that went away. However, lately there was a stomach bug that ran through our house that lasted for a couple weeks between everyone. I got it and wasn't hungry, couldn't eat because it would make my stomach hurt, etc. I am just not now being able to eat without issue.

Since then, I am wondering if this did something with the medication and my body. I am having some difficulty focusing my eyes, stomach burning, headaches, etc. All listed side effects of the Trileptal. My dosage has not changed, same manufacturer.

Can you suddenly develop side effects from a medication you have been taking for a while?


EDIT: I did just go for an MRI with contrast because I was paranoid of a brain tumor with the sudden development of headaches with vision issues. MRI was normal.

 

[masterjen]

I don't know if it theoretically is possible to develop side effects after being on medication once you've been on it for a while, but it has happened to me. I had increased the dose of a medication, and had no side effects but it also didn't seem to have any benefit. Six weeks into the dose increase I suddenly had severe side effects from the medication one day. It seems that something "kick-started" something, and the increase has since seemed to have some benefit.

 

[Dignan]

The answer to your question is yes, even if some neuros fail to admit it. I took Tegretol for 2.5 years before I started getting periodic rashes that would come and go. Before that I had no side effects.

My doc at the time claimed that it wouldn't happen after 2 years, but rather if the medication was to blame it would have happened from the beginning. (I don't know if even believed me, since the rashes would fade by the time I got through the waiting room to show him) He kept suggesting that the rashes must be the result of something new I was doing. (Like eating new foods, using new detergents, etc - which of course I wasn't doing anything different)

Anyway, this went on for 9 crappy months, and I had to ultimately fire the doc and find a new neuro. The new doc immediately changed me from Tegretol to Dilantin, and... surprise!!.. the rashes went away.

So, this is a long way of saying that you can take a drug for a good long while, and suddenly the side effects can appear.

 

[Gillette]

I would say yes too, for the reason of I was on Tegretol for over a year. I was going great guns on it, starting to feel like my old self again and the dose was finally right too. Then a rash appeared and wouldn't go away, it was itchy as hell and my body was on fire! It was spreading everywhere! I went to my G.P. but it ended up a locum who cheekily said I had dust mites that were irritating my skin. I advised her that I had never had a problem before and was house proud and changed bedding regularly and steam cleaned the mattress when the bedding was changed too with a hand held steamer (I have a dog and rather paranoid).

Anyway, she sent me away with steroid cream and another cream for mites which made the rash worse. After 5 days which is the time she told me to give it a chance to work, I was beside myself in pain. The only relief I could get was a cold shower which felt boiling was euphoric!

I ended up in emergency at the local hospital as my husband was getting really worried. After seeing 3 different doctors it turned out that my liver was struggling to cope with the medication and the only way it could show is with the rash.

I was changed over slowly to Keppra from there which didn't work on its own and topamax was added to help along side it and still on it. The rash took 4 weeks to disappear completely.

 

[Bernard]

Is it possible to develop side effects from the medication after being on it for awhile?
...

Yes. Most AEDs require you to maintain a "therapeutic blood syrum level" of the medication. They don't work like aspirins (taking effect shortly after swallowing and lasting for just a few hours). AEDs are metabolized in the liver (or kidneys) and stay in your blood stream for a good while.

There are many things that can affect the blood syrum levels either up or down (even just eating grapefruit). If your blood syrum levels get too high, you can experience "toxicity" - generally expressed as side effects.

I'd suggest getting your blood syrum levels checked (your doc can arrange for the test). If they are in the therapeutic range, then your doc might consider switching you to another med. If the blood syrum is out of range (too high or too low), you might figure out how to bring it back in line and see if the side effects abate.