Managing Keppra / lamotrigine mix

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Studiosixty

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Hello all,

just come back from an appointment with my neurologist.

I've been on 300mg of lamotrigine but in the last three months siezures have been breaking through much more regularly so he's said to start taking Keppra as well.

I've read some of the posts about keppra and they seem pretty scary, but fingers crossed the side effects will be minimal.

My question is this, does anyone who's experienced this combination have any thoughts on how to manage it to keep side effects down.

The lamotrigine made me very tired by otherwise fine.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated

:-)
 
Welcome Studiosixty

I've never been on lamotrigine but I know for keppra a lot of people use vitamine B6 to counter its side effects.

Meanwhile you might want to do a search at the top of the page for "lamotrigine Side-effects" or just "lamotrigine" and see what you get.
 
I'm on 25mg twice a day of lamotrigine ramping up to 100mg day, and 500mg twice a day of keppra, admitedly I'm coming off keppra because I was one of the freaky million to one who's liver didn't like it.

I find that I am slightly more tired since starting the lamotrigine, but other than that I've found no difference.

On keppra when the dose went up I got extremely tired for a few days til I got used to it. I take B vitamin complex which has helped with the 'attila the hun' moments.

Also I had bad guts when the keppra dose went up until I got used to them, but everyone is different!

Hope that helps some
 
Woo hoo im with you on the tired front, im on lamotrigine 300mg and having TC breaking through so starting keppra now. First few doses have literally wiped me out, im like bagpuss sleeping all day and coming up for food. appreciate the advice with vitamin B6, is an over the counter dose enough or do i need a doctor super dose ?? Am very scared of the longgggggg list of keppra side effects and would love to hear from anyone with positive stories to tell regarding this drug and the lamotrigine/keppra tag team.

Kepp smiling
 
Hi Hazel, I have been on both lamotrigine and keppra for a few years. For the first year I was still having tonic clonics at least 3 times a month. But when I started MMJ every day, they went away. I did have a small, nocturnal seizure after 1.5 years. For me pharmaceuticals alone help but combined with MMJ I do not seize. My goal is to see if I could move away from big Pharma more.
 
I'm on both along with Depakote and Tegretol.

I get very tired but I'm not sure which med/meds could be causing it because it's a side effect of all them. I have many of the side effect of all of them. I do get angry about things pretty easy and I know it's because of the Keppra. Sometimes I can calm myself down but other times it just comes out and I'll start yelling at people.

People react differently to meds though so just because it's a side effect of one of them doesn't mean that you might have it. If you start having side effects that you can't deal with talk to you're neuro about it. Your neuro might change the dosage because sometimes it will help and other times they might take you off of it and try a different med.
 
zonisamide

Hi, I'm not sure if I am doing this right. I have read your comments valeied about side effects you (I) get and to talk to your neurologist. December 2016/January 2018 I was having a great deal of trouble regarding side effects, some of them noted on the American websites. I was really happy to read them but because the FDA and the English IMRA (think I've got the name right) do not share information these were not included in the PIL with the drug. The GP and my neurologist did not think that anything was wrong. I knew it was zonisamide but the medical practitioners (even the epilepsy nurses) would not help me. I could not say to them that I had to come of this AED.

As you can see I am still very angry. The icon I have used relates to the neurologist. I am being very good as I have not added the neurologist name or the hospital even though he is in England.
 
Janus said:
Hi Hazel, I have been on both lamotrigine and keppra for a few years. For the first year I was still having tonic clonics at least 3 times a month. But when I started MMJ every day, they went away. I did have a small, nocturnal seizure after 1.5 years. For me pharmaceuticals alone help but combined with MMJ I do not seize. My goal is to see if I could move away from big Pharma more.
Click to expand...
Hi Janus, you have said that after taking lamotrigine after 1.5 years. I started taking lamotrigine late February 2017. I was ok but after 1 year I began having episodes where I wasn't fully controlled. It was heartening to hear that these Anti Epilepsy drugs worked for a time for you but later things started getting worse and your medication needing increasing. The reason for my post is that this has happened to me and the neurologist that I was consulting did not consider that this does happen. Thank you for posting this and I hope you are on course for a better controlled life.
 
Janus said:
Hi Hazel, I have been on both lamotrigine and keppra for a few years. For the first year I was still having tonic clonics at least 3 times a month. But when I started MMJ every day, they went away. I did have a small, nocturnal seizure after 1.5 years. For me pharmaceuticals alone help but combined with MMJ I do not seize. My goal is to see if I could move away from big Pharma more.
Click to expand...
Hi Janus, what is MMJ? I suppose the reason why I have not heard of this is because my epilepsy (hopefully) is controlled. I am taking lamotrigine 125mg twice daily.
 
Hi Debbie -- MMJ is "Medical Marijuana". :)

Like you, I had a terrible time on Zonisamide! And my seizures are now controlled by lamotrigine, at a similar dose to yours.

Cheers!
Nak
 
zonisamide & lamotrigine

Hi Nak,

Yep, it was truly horrible. Its nice to hear from you. I did not get any help from my neurologist. How was yours?

Deb
 
Well it was almost ten years ago that I was on zonisamide and miserably so. I was just at the point of contacting my neuro to say I wanted to switch when I had a massive seizure which made the point moot. At that point my neuro agreed that the med wasn't working right for me, and I transitioned off the zonisamide and onto lamotrigine.
 
I am currently on Lamictal and Keppra although my seizures which were controlled for a while have returned so my doctor is looking to supplement it with Aptiom. I seemed to tolerate Lamictal fairly well with the exception of a little hand trembling but was supplemented with Keppra which made me very moody and tired although it wore off a little biit I think more so then my wife so be careful with it. I am currently on 600 mg lamictAl and 2250mg Keppra
 
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