Lamotrigine making me sick

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steve1958

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Hi,
I have been taking Phenytoin since 1986
Recently my DR informed me that the drug company has stopped making it and the only other source is way too expensive.
So he started me on Lamotringe
However after just 3 days I am feeling nauseas
Have a headache, and I am having problems with my vision
Any suggestions greatfully received :)
 
I had the headache and nausea as well, and they passed after a week or so. Actually everytime my dosage was upped, I had those problems, but I don't really have any of them anymore. As for the vision changes, I haven't noticed any problems... Actually, that's wrong, one of my eyes was fuzzy, but that has gone away as well. Hopefully you'll have the same results :)
 
Thanks RunningGirl
I spent ages looking through the Forum and the Internet only to find lots of negative feedback about this drug,
so its really uplifting to know that it does get better.
Thankyou
 
Just got back from the Drs
He suggested holding back on the Lamotrigine till he speaks to the neurologist.
Looks like I am off work for the rest of the week :(
 
I've been on Lamotragine for a couple of years. Everyone reacts differently to it. In general it's known as the AED (anti-epileptic drug) that has the least affect on cognitive ability. In other words, you have the best chance of being able to think like your can off AEDs. That's one of the reasons lamical is so popular.

Here's a link to the package insert for Lamotragine (lamictal). Look under adverse reactions and clinical trials to see side effects. It's not an all-inclusive list, but it has the recognized side effects.
http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=60763#nlm34084-4

In general with all the medications I've been on, some side effects passed, some didn't. Some side effects are almost as bad as the disorder itself. I've constantly asked myself "what's worse, the seizure disorder or the drugs?"

I've always given each drug a fair try - at least a few months. Then if the side effects are either not tolerable or are not getting better I ask the doctor to find an alternative. Of course if it's one of the serious side effects I talk to the doctor to stop the drug immediately.
 
Endless said:
I've been on Lamotragine for a couple of years. Everyone reacts differently to it. In general it's known as the AED (anti-epileptic drug) that has the least affect on cognitive ability. In other words, you have the best chance of being able to think like your can off AEDs. That's one of the reasons lamical is so popular.
.
Click to expand...

This. It's part of why I don't want to switch to.other medications. I feel like mysel instead of a zombie (though my memory sucks sometimes but that could be the epilepsy ).

Sent from my Vortex using Tapatalk 2
 
Some of the side effects can go away after the body adjusts. So it can take patience, and also an individual judgement call about what is "tolerable" and what isn't. If the restless sleep, dizziness, and headaches I experienced at first had persisted, I may not have stayed on the Lamotrigine. It's basically tolerable now, but I can still hardly wait to try a taper, maybe next year...

Steve, I found that (called Paracetamol in the UK) helped with my Lamotrigine headaches.
 
steve1958 said:
Hi,
I have been taking Phenytoin since 1986
Recently my DR informed me that the drug company has stopped making it and the only other source is way too expensive.
So he started me on Lamotringe
However after just 3 days I am feeling nauseas
Have a headache, and I am having problems with my vision
Any suggestions greatfully received :)
Click to expand...
I recently had a dosage increase; I had headache, nausea, and loss of appetite for a couple of days afterward. I use ice packs for my head/eyes, ginger tea for the nausea, and set a clock 3x days to force myself to eat. Fortunately, I didn't get the dreaded 'rash' (Stevens-Johnson syndrome). I am fortunate for very little side effects on Lamictal (as the others on the forum mentioned). Tried Depakote(TM) ER for a little while and was 'behind the hit parade' a lot. It takes longer to load the dose, but it's well worth it! Lamictal, I think, is the first line of defense b/c of a low side effect profile (although, it doesn't seem like it temporarily :( ). It'll be OK, you have good support here!
 
For me, the medication was bad! I was on it for two weeks... and within days started to feel terriable. I had bad sores appear in my chin area... which went around my mouth area and the side of my face. They started out looking like acne, but when my dose went up, they got worse, cracked open and bled. It wasnt a pretty site. Then also came the swollen glands in my neck area. HUGE. I couldnt sleep at night due to how bad they hurt. My neuro said I had a sinus infection and said that there was no way the lamictal would cause the "acne" outbreak. But after going to my primary care dr, she confirmed that I was indeed having a severe allergic reaction to the medication, and i had to stop it right away. within days of stopping it, everything got so much better.

But just because I had a bad experience with it, doesnt mean it wont work for you. Its been since April-May 2011 when I tried it, so I cant recall all of the side effects I had for the two weeks I was on it. But those two were the ones I remember the most.
 
momof3boys said:
For me, the medication was bad! I was on it for two weeks... and within days started to feel terriable. I had bad sores appear in my chin area... which went around my mouth area and the side of my face. They started out looking like acne, but when my dose went up, they got worse, cracked open and bled. It wasnt a pretty site. Then also came the swollen glands in my neck area. HUGE. I couldnt sleep at night due to how bad they hurt. My neuro said I had a sinus infection and said that there was no way the lamictal would cause the "acne" outbreak. But after going to my primary care dr, she confirmed that I was indeed having a severe allergic reaction to the medication, and i had to stop it right away. within days of stopping it, everything got so much better.

But just because I had a bad experience with it, doesnt mean it wont work for you. Its been since April-May 2011 when I tried it, so I cant recall all of the side effects I had for the two weeks I was on it. But those two were the ones I remember the most.
Click to expand...
I am SO happy that you went to the PCP--it sounded like it might have been the beginning of the dreaded 'rash' (Stevens-Johnson), which the primary thing to look for w/Lamictal. Not many peo develop it, but I kno my mom developed an allergic reaction similar to yours. It's always good to have a 2nd opinion, I've learned.
 
I saw my Dr yesterday.
The outcome is I am off the Lomotrigine and back on Phenytoin.

The phenytoin works for me, so I am happy again :)
 
Chelsea said:
I am SO happy that you went to the PCP--it sounded like it might have been the beginning of the dreaded 'rash' (Stevens-Johnson), which the primary thing to look for w/Lamictal. Not many peo develop it, but I kno my mom developed an allergic reaction similar to yours. It's always good to have a 2nd opinion, I've learned.
Click to expand...

Yeah i was suprised to hear from my neuro that he disagree'd with my primary care dr. But he went along with it. All I know is that whatever it was, it went away after stopping the lamictal. That was one of the worst things to go through when it came to side effects of a seizure medication!
 
Thank you.

I am glad I found this site.
It helps talking to others that have had similar experiences.

I think there is a lot more knowledge here than I would have got from my Dr
 
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