HELP meds with least side effects

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hi everyone just new here needing help if at all possible, I am on tomprimate have been for a year first few month I was fine apart from the 2 stone weight loss, but the last 2 month I am finding it hard, I am becoming more and more deprest by the day; cannot be bothered to even leave the house, I just sit and cry most of the day, no concentration, the list is endless, I see my specialist in 2 days I was hopeing for some medication reviews from people. so when I see her I can ask for some different medication, I have tried Keppra I am surprised I wasn't locked up for murder lol, they didn't suit me either made me want to shout at everyone, I am olso on lamicatal,(lamorotogine) I have been on this for 16 year but at my limit off 500mg. I would highly recommend lamicatal to anyone, I am so disappointed that I cannot go over 500mg, because once over I didn't need any other medication the lamicatal done the job on its own, but after so many years on it, it doesn't work as well,, if anyone could give me some advise I would much appriaciate it, Sorry about the spelling mistakes thats another problem I seem to be having my brain is not working as good, spelling, coordination etc . just general easy skills are slowing down. my memory is so bad, I cannot even remember how to change the thing on my laptop so it spells itself, lol its never been on because ive never needed it before lol,
 
Hi lisamarie,

Welcome to CWE! I've been on all the meds you have mentioned and none of them worked for me I broke out with a rash from the lamictal after 4 days of being on the drug. Finally my Dr. did a DNA test on me by drawing blood and getting some salvia from the inside of my mouth, by doing this they can see a persons body chemistry and the amount of enzymes in the liver and match that up to the best seizure med with the least side effect or it will show if a person is drug resistant like me. I started using cbd oil (medical marijuana) and that really helped me a lot along with taking vitamin B12 once a day to help calm my nerves.
Depression happens often when a person has epilepsy I've had my good days and bad days a lot of it has to do with hormones changing in the body. I have absence and complex partial seizures and the drug vimpat and Diamox have helped me the most over the yrs. along with taking 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with mother in it in the morning. I know it sounds crazy but it can sometimes reduce if not stop seizures for some people. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue
 
Medicine can be a touch and go thing. Just because something works great for someone it may work horribly for someone else. Some of the things that you have described from Topamax (tomprimate ) are some of the common side effects.

One side effect of Keppra is being very angry, we call it Keprage. I'm on Keppra and like you said I'm surprised I haven't been locked up for murder.

Let your neuro know what's going on and you are having trouble with it. Hopefully he'll be able to do something.

Good luck!
 
Hi lisamarie --

Is the lamotrigine you're taking extended release? If not it might be worth seeing if that can work for you at the higher dose. Another consideration: for some folks the generic (lamotrigine) doesn't work as well as the brand (Lamictal).

As for other meds, Lacosamide (Vimpat) works in a similar way to Lamictal, so it might be a candidate. Medication history and seizure type are factors to consider, so your neuro should have a sense of what will be a promising match.
 
I feel the same with the Keppra lol. the amount of mood swings i've been having are driving me insane
 
Topamax is called "Dopamax" and makes one sleepy. It made me mean instead. I think because I'm a recovering alcoholic and hated that feeling. Of course I got the kepprage with Keppra. Now I'm on (generic) Lamictal and Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal). That combo makes me sleepy. Is there a generic Lamictal time release? I'm taking it twice a day and since it makes me want to sleep for three hours after I take it it's messing up my sleep patterns. I looked at the side effects when I first started taking it got freaked out and went to the emergency room twice. The nurse at one of my visits (the other I can't remember) had never heard of a VNS and just kept refering to my magnet wristband as a bracelet and told me to take off my jewelry I kept on telling her the it was a medical device I needed. My neurologist never mentioned time released lamictal is there a generic? He mentioned Aptiom but there is no generic and it's expensive.
 
Hello. I'm also on Topiramate, or "Dopamax" as its known, along with Zonisamide. I take 400mg/day of each. Topiramate causes both short term memory & "word loss" issues. I'll often know what I want to say, and can even "see" it my mind as if its on paper, but I am unable to connect my brain & mind. I still average 1-3 breakthrough complex partials a month.
 
Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time with the different medication, no medication works the same for all of us. There are people who think keppra is wonderful because it works for them, the same with topamax but then there are a lot of us who just find they are no good to them so getting the medication that works for you is trial and error. The other thing is you have to decide if you are willing to make some sacrifices and are able to live with the side effects, the good might out weight the bad effects you feel. Just to give you an idea I take zebinix, now this makes me very tired and I sleep for 4 to 5 hours a day usually in the afternoon but tweaking the times I take it at has cut that down to about 2 hours in the afternoon. According to my neuro I have tried all the drugs there is, but I think there is still one or two out there.
 
I have taken almost every AED available for simple & complex partial seizures. The ones that I used for the longest time spans are Phenobarbital (when I only had SPs), and Dilantin (my neuro took me off of it since it can cause osteoporosis) and Topamax/Topiramate.
 
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