potiga

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Belinda5000

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I talked with my neuro about it this morning. and he's talking about putting me on this drug for my seizuers since they have been increasing. He is going to call me again tomorrow since my next appointment is in November.:twocents::soap:
 
My memory is half shot so I don't know if this is going to give you any sort of help/advice or not. And I'm not sure if I have the information in this answer completely right.

I know for sure when it first came out in 2011 my neuro was considering putting me on it because he'd heard some good things about it.

This is where what I remember becomes a little hazy about things. I think that he thought if I went on it there was a good chance that I'd be able to stop taking some of the meds that I'm currently on.

The reason that he didn't put me on it was because he really didn't hear or know much about it. I don't think he's brought it up again since that visit so I don't know if he may have heard bad things about it or not or just want's to wait and learn more about it. I don't even think I've brought it up to him either because I forgot all about it until now that you said it's name.
 
I am taking Potiga. I can handle only 100 mgs a day because it makes me sooo shaky and causes bloating for me. My neuro has had me try to go up to 300 mgs. a day, but my body rejects it. One very serious warning for Potiga is that it can cause retinal abnormalities and vision loss, but I guess that would be from a much higher dosage. My neuro had me go to my optometrist for an eye exam when I first started taking the med and 6 months after.

Warning from the FDA:

WARNING: RETINAL ABNORMALITIES AND POTENTIAL VISION LOSS

~Potiga can cause retinal abnormalities with funduscopic features similar to those seen in retinal pigment dystrophies, which are known to result in damage to the photoreceptors and vision loss.

~Some patients with retinal abnormalities have been found to have abnormal visual acuity. It is not possible to determine whether Potiga caused this decreased visual acuity, as baseline assessments are not available for these patients.

~Approximately one third of the patients who had eye examinations performed after approximately 4 years of treatment were found to have retinal pigmentary abnormalities. An earlier onset cannot be ruled out, and it is possible that retinal abnormalities were present earlier in the course of exposure to Potiga. The rate of progression of retinal abnormalities and their reversibility are unknown.

**Potiga should only be used in patients who have responded inadequately to several alternative treatments and for whom the benefits outweigh the potential risk of vision loss. Patients who fail to show substantial clinical benefit after adequate titration should be discontinued from Potiga.

~All patients taking Potiga should have baseline and periodic (every 6 months) systematic visual monitoring by an ophthalmic professional. Testing should include visual acuity and dilated fundus photography. Additional testing may include fluorescein angiograms (FA), ocular coherence tomography (OCT), perimetry, and electroretinograms (ERG).

~If retinal pigmentary abnormalities or vision changes are detected, Potiga should be discontinued unless no other suitable treatment options are available and the benefits of treatment outweigh the potential risk of vision loss.
 
valaried,
thanks for the links and they told me plenty.I couldn't take it because I take Tegretol and have heart problems.It says not to if you take carbamazapine and Tegretol and carbamazapine there is only a little difference between the two and I'm prone to depression another reason I couldn't take it.:twocents:
 
I am taking Potiga. I can handle only 100 mgs a day because it makes me sooo shaky and causes bloating for me. My neuro has had me try to go up to 300 mgs. a day, but my body rejects it. One very serious warning for Potiga is that it can cause retinal abnormalities and vision loss, but I guess that would be from a much higher dosage. My neuro had me go to my optometrist for an eye exam when I first started taking the med and 6 months after.

Warning from the FDA:
Hi Cint,

I can't understand it because if your body can only take 100mgs and any higher your body rejects the med, then your neuro should work with pulling you off it...I would have been taken off it by now :huh:
 
I can't understand it because if your body can only take 100mgs and any higher your body rejects the med, then your neuro should work with pulling you off it

:agree:
 

Cint I'd really express to your neuro you want to come off the med because with a lot of medications our liver's work over time to keep up with them also...my bloods are tested regular regarding my liver as mines doing over time on my tegretol release.

P.S Your avatar expresses how a good many of we feel :tup:
 
I have and we are working on it. My blood levels are checked on a regular basis as is my A1c level because of my Type 1 Diabetes. I've taken over 10 AEDs after a failed left temporal lobectomy, so we are on top of things. I also have the VNS.
 
I have and we are working on it. My blood levels are checked on a regular basis as is my A1c level because of my Type 1 Diabetes. I've taken over 10 AEDs after a failed left temporal lobectomy, so we are on top of things. I also have the VNS.
Pleased to hear your ontop of things with your neuro..like mine is with me and I see mine next week plus is the VNS helping you :?:
 
I see my neuro about potiga tomorrow and at the first sign of depression I come off it.If I end up having that side effect.I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow , I see him at 3:30.
 
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