Switching From Keppra to Lamictal (lamotrigine)
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N Sperlo
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Keppra can really kick your ass. I've been on it for a while. My wife is on Lamictal for bipolar disorder. I believe that there are a few in here on both Keppra and Lamictal. I may be mistaken.
Anyway, the doctor will step you up real slow. My wife's only problem was sleepiness. It hit her hard for two days at a time on some increases. That was the only complaint she had. She felt results before she was at the clinical dosage, she says.
You can look over the regular side effects, but hopefully you wont have them. My wife and I rarely have problems with side effects, so we are kind of lucky.
Good luck.
Anyway, the doctor will step you up real slow. My wife's only problem was sleepiness. It hit her hard for two days at a time on some increases. That was the only complaint she had. She felt results before she was at the clinical dosage, she says.
You can look over the regular side effects, but hopefully you wont have them. My wife and I rarely have problems with side effects, so we are kind of lucky.
Good luck.
KatieCoy83
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I am currently on both. My Neurologist is raising the lamictal little by little so I can be at a good level. Then I can wean off keppra. Keppra seems to be taking a wack at my short term memory.
When she raises the lamictal I'm light headed for a day or two.
When she raises the lamictal I'm light headed for a day or two.
Thanks for asking this. We are considering a change because Keppra seems to be amplifying my daughter's anxiety/depression issues. We're holding off for now because right now her mood issues are tolerable, but if they get any worse I will probably start agitating for a change. I got very nervous when I read the side-effects for Lamictal.
Please let us all know how it goes.
Please let us all know how it goes.
mejohn1
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I am currently on both, 3000mg keppra, and 50mg Lamictal, daily. I started on Keppra but continued to have break through partials. Keppra made me hate the world for a while, and definitely amplifies any mood problems. The "kepprage" passed over time and I don't seem to have it anymore, though the lamictal may have helped smooth things out. Lamictal gave me massive headaches for the first couple of weeks but they seem to have stopped. Lamictal seems to have stopped the partials, though it's only been 2 weeks since I started taking it.
mejohn1
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Forgot something (which is common with these dang brain meds). I have been having a bit of short term memory loss and confused speech. I know what I want to say but sometimes the words come out garbled. Not sure which med, or both, is causing it but it's driving me nuts! I have whole conversations and can barely remember having them just a few days later. I've also noticed that I seem to be a bit more clumsy than normal; cutting corners to close so I bump into the wall, kicking the cabinets when I walk up to them, cracking my head when getting in the car, etc...
mejohn1
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Last thing (forgot again 
is that I'm tired. ALL...THE...TIME. I could sleep 12 hours, get up, do a little bit of something, and go right back to bed. To me, this is the worst side affect as it makes each day a struggle to get through. But....you get through it, you have to.
is that I'm tired. ALL...THE...TIME. I could sleep 12 hours, get up, do a little bit of something, and go right back to bed. To me, this is the worst side affect as it makes each day a struggle to get through. But....you get through it, you have to.
KatieCoy83
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I'm pretty clumsy too. I'm not sure which causes it either. My husband noticed I drop a lot of things.
I'm currently on Keppra 3,000mg daily and my neurologist is considering either adding another medication of switching me because I am still have simple partials and unconscious seizures, but not as much as when I was at 1,000mg of Keppra a day.
When I first started Keppra I went through some depression and "Kepprage", but I got over with while taking Stress B Complex by Nature Made and I continue to take it, it really works. It can be scary not knowing what a switch to another med may make you feel, but all we can do is take it one day at a time and keep our spirits up.
Good Luck with the switch to another med.
When I first started Keppra I went through some depression and "Kepprage", but I got over with while taking Stress B Complex by Nature Made and I continue to take it, it really works. It can be scary not knowing what a switch to another med may make you feel, but all we can do is take it one day at a time and keep our spirits up.
Good Luck with the switch to another med.