Vimpat, a new AED, has anybody else tried it

[Hand of Blood]

im still in 2 minds of this drug, still on the keppra but only have enough for abut 3 weeks and they prob wont give me more so I guess I need to decide now...... to change to vimpat or just stop keppra myself and just stick to tegretol..... with the many ppl saying about the dizzy is scary...I defo will get it as I already do from tegretol I don't want it any worse.... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[lynnrx52]

Hand of Blood, good luck with the changes. All you can do is try it and if it doesn't work out for you stop. Although next week we will be starting to ween my son off of Vimpat for other reasons, he did seem to get used to the Vimpat regarding dizziness. So if your doc recommends it, do your best to give the body a chance to adjust. My heart goes out to you. Only those of us who deal with these medications understand the truly complex and sometimes life-altering circumstances they present.

 

[Charmed55]

Topamax was on lasting in my system for a small amount of time. If I did not take it on time !! I would have a small seizure. The other medications stay in your system for a lot longer. My Neurologist is tired of upping my dosage. He said lets try VIMPAT. I started the Vimpat with 50mg in am and 50 in pm. This went on for 11 days and at that time I was at 100 am 100pm. And only 2 Topamax was left in my system. I did not get the side effects right away until I was on the 100mg 2x a day. I got the Dizziness, out of focuss not being able to walk. I felt like I had Overdosed on my medication. I got in touch with my Dr. and he said that I had 4 medications in my system and to stop my Topamax since I havent had any seizures. That is why I felt overdosed. I stopped theTopamax , I did not have any seizures. Now, I realized that I was not getting enough sleep. I was waking up to early. I started taking the Vimpat around 6 o'clock in the evening. And made sure it was 10 hours apart. I am now getting some sleep. The dizziness is not as bad, I am in focus and stable now.my Dr. said with time the dizziness will go away. My Dr. said eventually we will go down to 2 medications. Keep in touch with your Dr. as symptoms arise. Do not wait. He is the one who can make adjustments and help you through what is happening. The Dr. and You Know your body the best. The only thing I can say is give the medication some time, Give it a try. The symptoms do lessen within time. Good Luck to You.

 

[suebear]

im still in 2 minds of this drug, still on the keppra but only have enough for abut 3 weeks and they prob wont give me more so I guess I need to decide now...... to change to vimpat or just stop keppra myself and just stick to tegretol..... with the many ppl saying about the dizzy is scary...I defo will get it as I already do from tegretol I don't want it any worse.... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Why would you stop a drug yourself? Do you honestly feel that comfortable in do so? What type of reaction do you think will come about should something take place heaven forbid something happen while undergoing this medication drop you speak of?

Forgive me for the brutal questions but I am being honest and asking you the same questions any doctor would. I am taking a small dosage of this drug along with a small dosage of Vimpat together and it works perfectly. How I do it is every 12 hours.

Yes, my case of epilepsy is different than your's but my point of the matter is on eliminating a prescription and not following doctor's orders. I highly suggest it is worth taking the time to speak with your pharmacist if you insist on following through to obtain the list of side effects because you could be asking for more damage when dropping AED medication. :twocents:

 

[Tralee A]

Hmmm. I'm not sure really what I'd do. What are the side effects you are having?
I'm on Vimpat...along with Lamictal and Epilim. Its an annoying amount of tablets to take but its doing the job....mostly.
If I dont have a glass of milk with breakfast....and have my tablets atleast 20 min AFTER my breakfast I get dizzy. I experimented with the foods and the time frame. My morning schedule ends up being. Breakfast, shower, dress, hair, tablets...and on with the day!!

The milk (or fat in it) coats the lining on your stomache apparently and stops it going "your head":banana:

 

[C0urt]

i take my vimpat at nine, eat my cereal at 1030.
i am still not lucid when i take my meds.

good to find out about the milk

 

[lonnie]

I have been on vimpat for a long time now. In addition to lamictal and clonazapan it seems to do the best we can hope for after trying many combinations and taking out my right temprol lobe in 2002. It was really bad with balance and just collapsing on the floor, memory, nasea with pain from a finger surgery when it was with neurontin but now after the neurontin was taken away those additional things got better.k
the combination listed above to the others seems to do the best we have but is still seizure problems. it does better when we try to raise the dose.But at that time there are bad reactions My dr. clasifies that in the statement that it is tocic for me. We have tried lower doeses but they are not as effciante as my 50am 50dinner and 75 bedtime when it was with neurontin to help with the pain for finger surgery it was terrible.
It is really important to take it on time and not miss doses. I carry a beeper reminder, possible dose to take on time and a little bottle of water with me.

I feel it is part of my balance, co ordination,and cognitive problems I have very!!!poor memory,loss of a great deal of my intelegence( finding a word I want to use, lossing thoughts in the middle,not recognizing people and part of balance problems, (for a while suicidle ideation) So taking it is balance the good with the bad for me. My neurologist sees me only 6 months now because we have met the end of the line of what we think we can do. I hope this helps by hearing someone respond . lonnie

 

[Charmed55]

Hmmm. I'm not sure really what I'd do. What are the side effects you are having?
I'm on Vimpat...along with Lamictal and Epilim. Its an annoying amount of tablets to take but its doing the job....mostly.
If I dont have a glass of milk with breakfast....and have my tablets atleast 20 min AFTER my breakfast I get dizzy. I experimented with the foods and the time frame. My morning schedule ends up being. Breakfast, shower, dress, hair, tablets...and on with the day!!

The milk (or fat in it) coats the lining on your stomache apparently and stops it going "your head":banana:

Thank You Tralee A,
I am going try drinking milk before my medication.
I am on :Vimpat 100mg 2 x a day
Lamictal 100mg 2 3 times a day
Keppra 500mg 2 3 times a day
I am thinking that the Vimpat medication is to close together. Time wise. So I was talking to my Dr. and asked about. My morning dose be split up.50mg in the early morning than add the 50mg 2 hours later.
Than my medication can catch up to Itself as the symptoms lessen.
And I wont be dizzy and no functional.
Ask your Dr. before making changes.

 

[C0urt]

ate pizza before mine last night, and it may have screwed it up.
plus got myself stressed.

 

[motorbill66]

I was on Vimpat for a while with very few breakthroughs until they added Neurontin. I swear, it actually CAUSED seizures for me until I stopped taking it. I hope it helps some people, but I never want to see it again! It's amazing to see how many variables there are in play with the administration of the various pharmaceuticals. Some folks get amazing results while the same combination may drive others psycho. (been there) The permutations of all the factors concerning the patient and the drug or combinations thereof is mind boggling. It's all a guessing game, though the 'guessers' are somewhat informed. Thank God there are people who want to take it all on or most of us wouldn't even be around anymore! Three cheers for (most) neurologists!

 

[Charmed55]

Why would you stop a drug yourself? Do you honestly feel that comfortable in do so? What type of reaction do you think will come about should something take place heaven forbid something happen while undergoing this medication drop you speak of?

Forgive me for the brutal questions but I am being honest and asking you the same questions any doctor would. I am taking a small dosage of this drug along with a small dosage of Vimpat together and it works perfectly. How I do it is every 12 hours.

Yes, my case of epilepsy is different than your's but my point of the matter is on eliminating a prescription and not following doctor's orders. I highly suggest it is worth taking the time to speak with your pharmacist if you insist on following through to obtain the list of side effects because you could be asking for more damage when dropping AED medication. :twocents:

Suebear, In my Statement regarding the Medication and the reactions that you have. You Must always talk your Doctor. Do not stop or make changes without speaking to your Dr. Obviously, it is your choice. But by stopping or making changes to your medications could be a danger to you and your health. If you are having problems with finances, speak to your Dr. and he can help by finding other sources who can help you. This medication is keeping you alive, and if you are still having Seizures, talk to your Doctor so can help in adjusting your medications.

 

[Charmed55]

im still in 2 minds of this drug, still on the keppra but only have enough for abut 3 weeks and they prob wont give me more so I guess I need to decide now...... to change to vimpat or just stop keppra myself and just stick to tegretol..... with the many ppl saying about the dizzy is scary...I defo will get it as I already do from tegretol I don't want it any worse.... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I had Tegretol in my system for 10 years until my Doctor changed it to Lamictal.

As of Now Topamax had been in my system for 5 years. It was not controlling my seizures as well as it should. If I did not take it on time !! I would have a Big seizure. My other medications stay in my system for a lot longer and were more dependable.

My Neurologist is tired of upping my dosage for the Topamax, I was taking .
He said lets try VIMPAT. I started the Vimpat with 50mg in am and 50 in pm. This went on for 11 days and at that time I was at 100 am 100pm. And only 2 Topamax was left in my system. I did not get the side effects right away until I was on the 100mg 2x a day. I got the Dizziness, out of focuss not being able to walk. I felt like I had Overdosed on my medication. I got in touch with my Dr. and he said that I had 4 medications in my system and to stop my Topamax since I havent had any seizures. That is why I felt overdosed. I stopped theTopamax , I did not have any seizures. Now, I realized that I was not getting enough sleep. I was waking up to early. I started taking the Vimpat around 6 o'clock in the evening. And made sure it was 10 hours apart. I am now getting some sleep. The dizziness is not as bad, I am in focus and stable now.my Dr. said with time the dizziness will go away. My Dr. said eventually we will go down to 2 medications. Keep in touch with your Dr. as symptoms arise. Do not wait. He is the one who can make adjustments and help you through what is happening. The Dr. and You Know your body the best. The only thing I can say is give the medication some time, Give it a try. The symptoms do lessen within time. As of the advice from Tralee A, she had mentioned taking the Milk before take the Vimpat. I noticed it works.
Again Speak to your Doctor before making any changes. Charmed55

 

[Charmed55]

My son has been on vimpat for a couple months. We are now seeing some strange behavior like loss appetite, vision issues and just not himself. He is also on Dilantin, zonegram, Lamictal,keppra, Lyrica, klonopin. He also has had brian surgery and two vns. Just seems like a dead end road sometimes.

Talk to your Neurologist and find out if your Son actually NEEDS to be on that much Medications. And always ask Questions, that is your Son. He is not a Guinea Pig.

Yes, it is hard to change medications, But you have the right to ask the Dr. anything, you are the one who see's the Seizures and go through them. And you are the one who knows what the medication does, you can see your son and knows how he reacts to the medication.

I have been on Multiple AED's since I was 12. I am 51 now, My Doctors have always wanted to bring me down on my Medications. I was able to go down to 3. I had been on Dilantin, which is a very Old medication. My Doctor put me on Depakote I was on a high Dosage, and was too doped up all the time. He change me from Depakote to Tegretol.

Things worked out very well. Than more seizures. He took the Tegretol away and put me on Lamictal 600mg and Keppra 3000mg and Topamax 1200mg Daily. The Topamax was to a high dosage, and still to weak for my System, I was having break through seizures.

And now I am on Vimpat,Lamictal and Keppra. things are working well for me.
Good Luck
Charmed55

 

[suebear]

Suebear, In my Statement regarding the Medication and the reactions that you have. You Must always talk your Doctor. Do not stop or make changes without speaking to your Dr. Obviously, it is your choice. But by stopping or making changes to your medications could be a danger to you and your health. If you are having problems with finances, speak to your Dr. and he can help by finding other sources who can help you. This medication is keeping you alive, and if you are still having Seizures, talk to your Doctor so can help in adjusting your medications.

The statement I made was not to you so please read who I make comments to.

 

[TeeJay]

Glad to hear the vimpat works for you. I was on it, it did not work and the side effects were more severe. I am now on dilantin and (knock on wood) it seems to be working well. We're all different with our seizures (mine are simple partial)
and what works for some will not work for others. If vimpat works for you, more power to ya!

 

[suebear]

Glad to hear the vimpat works for you. I was on it, it did not work and the side effects were more severe. I am now on dilantin and (knock on wood) it seems to be working well. We're all different with our seizures (mine are simple partial)
and what works for some will not work for others. If vimpat works for you, more power to ya!

As of Friday we dropped the increase flat as a stone skimming across water...

I am going back to normal dosage of Vimpat due to 2 severe issues. Had one the first night and the second showed up the following morning and lingered. Took me awhile to get rid of it which was really bad. Anyway, as of now everything is going back to normal with medication. op:

 

[tinathesingergirl]

I too am on the Vimpat it seems to be doing well for me also. I have been on it for about 8 weeks now. I do seem a lot clearer now, less mood swings for sure, more calm and centered. That is a good thing. I think that it helps to balance out the effects of the Keppra and the Topamax that I am taking it was getting to be a real burden lately. I have a 24 hour ambulatory EEG on Monday (the 19th) to see how well it is working. Right now I am the 150mg dose 2x daily right now. Hopefully we will get good readings on the EEG some activity. I just hate to go in there and have no activty and feel like my money is wasted you know? Or show that the meds are working. We are going in for this one right after my period has ended however. The last EEG about 8 weeks ago was on my period they got lots of seizure activity that I was not even aware of hahaha. the techs kept asking me if I felt alright during the test like 5 times. The only time I was aware of even feeling slightly off was right after the strobe light portion I felt slightly dizzy and I let them know, and I said something later like I felt numb towards the end when I was supposed to sleep.

Tina

 

[motorbill66]

tina,

Been there. Not fun at all. We're pulling for you.

 

[Evamarie91]

Looks like most people are doing pretty well on Vimpat. My doctor added it to my Keppra on Thursday because he didn't feel like the Keppra was doing what it needed to by itself. I felt kind of psychotic last night, but I'm not sure what was going on there.

 

[motorbill66]

Eva,
My entirely non-professional thoughts point toward the Vimpat for the 'psychotic' bit. I had every kind of trouble mentioned here, and some more negative outcomes as well with Vimpat. We obviously all react, or our systems react, differently. One of my problems while taking it was sudden episodes of anger or downright rage and suicide ideation. These drugs are, almost by necessity, psychoactive. Many are actually for Bi-Polar disorder. I was afraid that the stuff I was taking for a number of years (Depakote) would 'level me out', such that I had no personality. My neurologist assured me that unless you actually have all the components in place for Bi-Polar, it would not have that effect. My experience with the various meds we tried runs counter to the assumption that some have. That is that these drugs have no psychological effect. Ask the people around you for an honest opinion on this. Some changes are obvious and some are hardly there, or even appear to be absent altogether. It's an unfortunate price some pay, but it beats Hell out of the alternative!