i know most all epileptic medicines have weight gain as a side affect, I am currently taking topamax but it is a failure for me so we are having to switch from this. I took tegretol before this and i had weight gain from it, is there a medicine out there i can ask for to switch to and try that weight gain ISN"T a issue with? i know side affects for these are nightmares and this might seem like a silly one to worry with but for me it is something that concerns me. thanks!
medicine that doesn't have weight gain as a side affect
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Rae1889
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well it is more to do with how it reacts to YOUR body. some people can get one side effect that others don't. I'm on Lamictal and it has me lost a few pounds, but there are people on here who have experianced the weight gain on it. Its all to do with how your body chooses to react to the meds. you might not get the hairloss, but you go the weight gain. If things arent going well for you med wise, you should try nutrition and neurofeedback if you arent already.
I have been on Gluten free since about the weekend before xmas, and I am doing great. way less generalized tonic clonic and way more sleep and energy. Check it out in the kitchen area of this forum
I have been on Gluten free since about the weekend before xmas, and I am doing great. way less generalized tonic clonic and way more sleep and energy. Check it out in the kitchen area of this forum
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I'm surprised you didn't lose weight while taking Topamax. I'm currently on a low dosage and have lost weight. Back in the 90's I was on a much higher dosage and lost 30 lbs. while taking it. I'm currently taking Keppra also and haven't gained any weight. I was taking Trileptal and lost a few lbs.
medicines without weight gain
i am on a low dose of topamax right now. i went all the way up to 200 mg. a day and i was a emotional wreck. the low dose doesn't help at all. so far this month i have had a seizure each day. not bad ones, but still seizures. I know i can't drive till i'm seizure free for three months so i need something to help but as a writer i want something that won't leave me in a total fog each day like the tegretol did. The last neurologist suggested tripletal or keppra but didnt' give me a prescription for either, he wanted me to be in a study group for lyrica but i declined. I know they all have side affects and i know there is no miracle drug, i have been happy with topamax but now its like it has learned what it can and can't do so it don't work for me anymore. time for change i guess or a add on? I have good days where i have no spells and then i have cluster days where it's just a really bad day. explaining that to doctors is always fun. I have started keeping track of my seizures on seizure tracker.com and i have applied for disability to help me try and get help with medical bills etc. I just would like to find the right medication and not go through a roller coaster of medicines again to find what is right. i went to three neurologist and got absolutely no help from any of them so I'm going back to my regular doctor now for his oppinion hoping this time i can take what i know back with me and together we can make a choice that suits me better.
i am on a low dose of topamax right now. i went all the way up to 200 mg. a day and i was a emotional wreck. the low dose doesn't help at all. so far this month i have had a seizure each day. not bad ones, but still seizures. I know i can't drive till i'm seizure free for three months so i need something to help but as a writer i want something that won't leave me in a total fog each day like the tegretol did. The last neurologist suggested tripletal or keppra but didnt' give me a prescription for either, he wanted me to be in a study group for lyrica but i declined. I know they all have side affects and i know there is no miracle drug, i have been happy with topamax but now its like it has learned what it can and can't do so it don't work for me anymore. time for change i guess or a add on? I have good days where i have no spells and then i have cluster days where it's just a really bad day. explaining that to doctors is always fun. I have started keeping track of my seizures on seizure tracker.com and i have applied for disability to help me try and get help with medical bills etc. I just would like to find the right medication and not go through a roller coaster of medicines again to find what is right. i went to three neurologist and got absolutely no help from any of them so I'm going back to my regular doctor now for his oppinion hoping this time i can take what i know back with me and together we can make a choice that suits me better.
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I tried Zonegran, and I definitely lost weight. Unfortunately, Zonegran was not only an appetite suppressant, but it really bothered my stomach well. It gave me low blood sugar which affected my moods (made me cranky), my thinking (couldn't select the right words), and ultimately led to a tonic clonic seizure. I switched to Lamictal, which I have gained weight on -- about 10 to 15 pounds 
-- but I'm hoping to get that under control this year but arranging my diet more carefully.
-- but I'm hoping to get that under control this year but arranging my diet more carefully.Dilantin, Keppra and Lamictal all made me lose weight but to the point of almost being anorexic. I don't know if it's the drug per se' or just how my body reacts to it. I've never had a weight gain problem from the meds but I've had the weight loss. I'm sorry, because I know that must be so frustrating but unfortunately with these drugs you don't know how you will react until you try it. GOOD LUCK!
went to the doctor today and he changed my medicine from topamax to the zonegran in generic form. i will start it tomorrow along with my topamax till i wean off of it. so i should know shortly if this will work or not. His second choice to use(zonegran was my choice) was lamicatil. I don't know much about it but the few threads i have read most people did have trouble with minor weight gain problems. I'm hopeful that the zonegran will help with my seizures, but i was curious if anyone has ever had any issues between the generic form versus the name brand?
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I'm on the generic form of Lamictal and I've lost a little weight. At its lowest dosage, Lamictal acts as an anti-deppresant. Then at its next level, it acts as a seizure med. So it's really a good combo. I like it a lot.