Need advice

[sjconner]

On Friday I started tegretol in addition to the 200mg 2xday lamotrigine. About an hour after taking one of the two 50mg doses, I have double vision and unsteadiness. If I focus I can see fairly well and walk a semi-straight line. We start our new class next week. I teach at a residential program for "at-risk" 16-19 year olds. I am not sure I can teach in this condition. Any chance the side effects will mellow in a week? :/

I have tried lamotrigine, topamax, keppra, klonopin, zonegran, and neurontin by themselves and in combination. So far lamotrigine has been the only one that my body can tolerate and kinda, sorta works, sort of, maybe. I know that there are a ton of different meds and I have only tried a small portion of the possibilities.

How long should I suck it up hoping that the side effects will get better and still keep functioning. I don't want to be a baby or a whiner. My employer knows about my seizures but not about the meds and side effects.


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[Nakamova]

Tegretol sites suggest that the dizziness and double vision are common when first starting but will go away as the brain adjusts. If you can tough it out for a week or two you may see some relief. But if you can't, or if the side effects are getting worse, let your doc know. Maybe there's a smaller dose of Tegretol you could try?

 

[lindsayschu2]

Everyone is different, but I found Tegretol easy to tolerate. I'm sure I had initial side effects but they went away. I think you are on a pretty low dose now (I'm on 800 mg a day and my nuero says that's not a high dose), so maybe give it a little while unless the side effects are intolerable? I just added Topamax and had similar side effects for maybe a week and a half, and those went away too.

 

[kirsten]

When I have reactions as severe as yours when starting a new med, my doctor usually brings the dosage down a little temporarily until I get used to them. It works pretty well. After that, it takes about two or three weeks for the worst of the drowsiness to go away. Obviously you can't make any changes without talking to your doc but you could make that suggestion to him.

 

[sjconner]

He had me start the day before at 100mg twice a day. I called from The Pizza Hut bathroom because I was doing the drunk sailor with double vision. I could barely walk. I think that episode might have from something else ... I have had that on lamictal and on lamictal with klonopin. Those episodes were a bit different than now. (Placement of second image, onset, and how they resolved)


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[kirsten]

When I was still having tonic clonics, the only thing that gave me the drunk sailor walk was status. They always admitted me and put me on a drip for a few days. I was usually cured (in my opinion anyway) within a night of the drip. After that I'd wonder around the hospital parking lot doing work and smoking cigarettes. Drove the neuro crazy.

 

[Belinda5000]

I'd give it 2-3 weeks for side effects go away that 's what it takes with me.
Tegretol different for everyone how much u on? Have u talked to ur neuro about the dizziness not being about walk a straight line? If u haven't u should
My doses are split 300,300,300 for Tegretol makes big diffrece.

Belinda

 

[sjconner]

Yesterday's episode was hard to get through but not nearly as bad as the 3 previous ones. It was very different in a lot of ways than those 3 as well. Today I had a bit of lightheaded/dizzy but nothing like yesterday. I read that fat increases absorption of tegretol; so today I had eggs instead of peanut butter for breakfast. Maybe that is the key.