joint pain

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zombelina

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Has anyone experienced joint pain as a lamotrigine side effect? I have been on it for years but just started having pain in my fingers, wrists, ankles, and toes over the last year or so. I'm still fairly young. My primary doesn't seem concerned about it - she just said to wear better shoes. :ponder:
Please don't mention any really scary causes for the joint pain. I can't handle that at the moment :) .
 
I don't see what shoes have to do with wrists and fingers? Primary care doctors aren't the best doctors to see about neurological drugs, you're better off seeing your neurologist if you can. They will be more familiar with the side effects of these particular drugs. It also wouldn't hurt to look up the side effects of these drugs yourself.

A brief search shows that joint pain is not uncommon with lamotrigine, however you have not shared the dose you are on or whether your dose has been changed recently. These are importantly considerations.

Hope this helps!
 
Don't do what I did for a long time and assume everything is related to our epilepsy. We can have other health issues that have nothing to do with our epilepsy or meds.

I have been suffering from joint pain, fatigue, and numbness for a long time. It's really bad when I have flare ups. I finally went to a rheumatologist and got diagnosed. I have Sjogren's Syndrome and fibromyalgia. They are both autoimmune diseases. Sjogren's is similar to Lupus. First I told my PCP about my symptoms and said that I think I may have fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Preliminary blood work showed that I may have rheumatoid arthritis and/or lupus so he sent me to a rheumatologist. My rheumatologist did much more extensive blood tests along with a physical exam. I also had x-rays on my hands and feet. He diagnosed the fibromyalgia through exam. It does not show in blood work. The blood work showed that I have Sjogren's. I am now on medication for Sjogren's and once my body adjusts and we are sure that I am not allergic to the medication, I will be put on medication for the fibromyalgia.

I have been reading about how diet effects autoimmune diseases. Certain foods make the inflammation worse.
 
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I haven't experienced that side effect myself (I'm going on 9 years on lamotrigine). But it's definitely a listed side effect. Does the pain come and go? Do OTC pain relievers help?

Worth looking at other possible causes for the joint pain such as the autoimmune disorders Music36 mentions. Certain kinds of epilepsy have an autoimmune component and can co-occur with things like lupus.

Another thing to look at is dietary changes. Sometimes eliminating nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc.) from the diet can help reduce susceptibility to RA-related joint pain.
 
Thanks everyone. I’ve just had so much other stressful stuff going on with my health lately, and I don’t think I can currently emotionally handle going through more testing for yet another problem. I was just hoping to be able to convince myself for the short term that this is possibly just a side effect. Is it possible for a side effect to show up years after starting a medication?
 
I know exactly how you feel about having too many health problems and can't deal with them all. But, it is best that we get the right diagnosis and treatment ASAP else it just gets worse. We also need to be proactive in educating ourselves about our illnesses. I was just diagnosed a couple of weeks ago, so I am still quite upset and having a hard time accepting. I was just on the national website for Sjogren's. I watched a video, did some reading, and found out there is a local support group that I think I will go to. I need to learn as much as I can. I've been suffering from chronic pain and fatigue along with other symptoms for a long time. Now, I finally am doing something about it. As I learn about it, I'm coming to realize a lot of things going on with my body are all related to my new diagnosis'.
 
I posted in a new thread yesterday but remembered I asked this question several months ago. At that time, I was having other symptoms in addition to the joint pain, and since then more problems have developed, but I never thought they might all be related.

My spine doctor encouraged me to see a rheumatologist about the numbness, tingling, and pain I've been having. The rheumatologist believes that some of my pain is from early onset osteoarthritis (and he's not sure why I have that, but does show up on MRIs), and that the rest of the tingling, numbness, and pain is from fibromyalgia.

I don't have fatigue though, which seems to be one of the major components of fibromyalgia. The doctor thinks that may be because I have been on a low dose of Lyrica for many years now. I'm a little doubtful about that explanation, but I wanted to get others' opinions as well. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you for encouraging me to see a rheumatologist. Music36, I hope you are doing well with your chronic pain.

Is there any link between fibromyalgia and epilepsy? I've done a quick search, but only see a link between fibromyalgia and PNES.
 
Hi Zombelina,

Lyrica is one of the drugs prescribed for fibromyalgia, so what the doctor said does make sense. I know that fibromyalgia often coexists with other painful conditions (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.). I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome years ago. I also have suffered from migraines most of my life, but I don't get them that often these days. Fibromyalgia can also be genetic and my mother has it. I have osteoarthritis, as well.

I also suffer from chronic back pain. I have had back problems since I was a teenager, but it has gotten a lot worse in the past 10 years and it just continues getting worse. It is worse now than a couple of years ago. I'm at the point now where it is debilitating. I finally went to a pain specialist a month ago b/c of my back. I had an MRI on my back last year. I have degenerative disc disease in both my lumbar and cervical. The MRI also showed arthritis in my spine and a syrinx in my spine. I am scheduled for an injection in my back in 10 days which may help the pain. I am nervous about getting the injection, though. I don't want any new problems to arise. I take painkillers as least as possible b/c they have bad side effects and can be addictive. I put an ice pack on my back sometimes. It can help with inflammation and pain.
 
Sorry to hear that your back pain is getting worse. I have back pain as well from an injury - I have herniated/bulging discs, spinal stenosis, arthritis, bone spurs etc in the lower back, so I feel your pain so to speak. I don’t look forward to the inevitability of it getting worse. I noticed that when I was on the keto diet earlier his year my radiating pain and numbness in my legs was so much better. So I’m thinking of trying some way to eat an anti-inflammatory diet again, but one that is less restrictive than the ketogenic. Have you tried any diet changes? I hope the injections help - I’ve had some that have been very helpful and some not so helpful.
 
Hey Zombelina --

There does seem to be a connection between some kinds of epilepsy and autoimmune disorders. And fibromyalgia can have similar systems or co-appear with autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), polymyalgia rheumatica, or another inflammatory or autoimmune disorder. So there may well be a link.

I hope an anti-inflammatory diet will help. Below are some general suggestions for treating auto-immune symptoms (consult your doc, of course).

1. Check for hidden infections — yeast, viruses, bacteria, Lyme, etc. — with the help of a doctor, and treat them.
2. Check for hidden food allergens with IgG food testing or or an elimination diet.
3. Get tested for celiac disease.
4. Get checked for heavy metal toxicity. Mercury and other metals can cause autoimmunity.
5. Fix your gut -- nutrients such as fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin D, and probiotics can potentially help calm your immune response.
6. Exercise regularly — it’s a natural anti-inflammatory. With your back pain, non weight-bearing exercises (like some kinds of swimming) might be worth a try.
7. Practice relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, and deep (diaphragmatic) breathing. (Stress makes the immune response worse).

Good luck!
 
Zombelina,

I have some stenosis, as well, and slight scoliosis. The pain in my lower back radiates into my buttocks and hips. The pain shoots down my leg (sciatic) sometimes, as well. The pain in my upper back and neck radiates down my arm into my hand. The pain management specialist wants to start off with an injection in my lower back for arthritis pain and see if that has an effect or not.

I did research on anti-inflammatory diet when I was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome earlier this year, but I haven't changed my diet. I have already done some major diet changes because of my stomach problems. I eliminated a lot of foods and beverages and greatly decreased others. I don't feel like doing more changes at this point. I have to admit I am addicted to chocolate and I can't see ever giving that up. Although, I did decrease my consumption.
 
Thanks for all the great advice, Nakamova! I'm going to read some more about the IgG food testing and look into your other recommendations as well.

I have also heard that turmeric capsules can be beneficial for inflammation, but they are rather expensive considering you are supposed to take many of them a day to get a good response. I may try it though.

Music36, I hear you on the chocolate! I'm addicted too. Let me know how the injection goes. I've read articles saying that people with lower back problems that radiate to the legs improve more from steroid injections than do people whose pain is only in the back itself.
 
I am having an MRI this week, as well as a blood test for C-reactive protein, rheumatoid arthritis factor, and sed rate westergren. The doctor said those are markers of inflammation.
 
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