Vimpat, a new AED, has anybody else tried it

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Since you so long on keppra,did you ever had flue like symptoms but in a wierd way?

For example..At night you nose start running in the morning you wake up with a running nose and sometimes sore throat but after an hour everything is fine that it begins again in the evening like a cycle.

When i was on generic teva keppra i din't have this but had other problems when i swtiched to the brand its like ie became sick and its been like this for 3 months.The wierd thing is that it passes away after i wake up till the night again.Sounds familar?

Did keppra caused you high blood pressure ever?

did you feel like one of your arms is weak and got a wierd feeling?

I never had this before keppra even when i wasn't on aed and kept having seizures every day but now i feel it and the wierd thing is that when i don't think about it i don't feel it but when i notice it i keep feeling it the whole day!.

I never had any problems feeling different while on Keppra all those years. My blood pressure was always fine, came back normal. The only thing Ive noticed a change in, is after I was taken cold turkey off both medications, Carbatrol and Keppra in March when I was admited for my VEEG, and then put back on just the keppra, I had lots of times during the day that I would get numbness and tingling sensations in my hand and foot on my left side. It would at times go to my right side, but most of the time stayed on my left side. Since I didnt have any of this year before being taken off the medications, I chalked it up to being taken off suddenly off both medications in order for them to see where my seizures were at. I went from March through May, with all this taking place. My dr tried me on different add on medications, and then tried to wean me off the Keppra, and it got worse. in my eyes, the medications he was trying to add wasnt working, and since I was so use to the carbatrol and keppra, and then the carbatrol not being there no longer, I think it was my body's way of saying the keppra was holding the seizures, but not being able to hold back the symptoms of wanting to start a seizure, with the numbness and tingling coming about.

Ive since been increased on my keppra to 3000mgs and put on the XR. So Im eager to see if the change will improve things.
 
I think this just proves how different we react to our meds. Keppra was the one that made me b...... and so I'm on a lower dose now. Plus I got some help with my periods so that I don't have them any longer and that helps. Because I was having them every month alone just from that. I did get a little tingeling from Keppra. I am on zonisamide to. They put me on Vimpat because there was nothing else to put me on.
 
Well, sticking with the 'This is really crazy, but I'm gonna put it out there' theme: It seems as though every few weeks, a new side effect comes up, but goes away after a while.

At probably the 2 month mark, I started having really bad acid indigestion, worse than I've ever had. It lasted all day, everyday. To the point that I almost couldn't keep anything down. That went away after a few months.

Around the same time, I started getting really weird sleepy spells during the day. They were almost passing out spells. That went away after a few months, too.

Lately I've started having sinus problems, and kidney problems. I wake up nearly every morning with my nose stopped up, and a couple of times a day, my kidneys hurt. I'm drinking as much water as I can, and taking vitamin C. That seems to be helping both problems. They'll probably just go away in time anyhow.

Personally, some of my most enlightening posts were 'crazy' little things that I put out there. You'd be surprised how many other people those things may be happening to. I know it's helped me to understand that I'm not going crazy, this med really is causing this.

So far, Vimpat hasn't caused anything worse for me than what was happening before.
 
Lately I've started having sinus problems, and kidney problems. I wake up nearly every morning with my nose stopped up, and a couple of times a day, my kidneys hurt. I'm drinking as much water as I can, and taking vitamin C. That seems to be helping both problems. They'll probably just go away in time anyhow.

Do be careful. Nothing is definite yet but there is a possibility that too much vitamine C can be connected to kidney stones.
A speculated increased risk of kidney stones may be a side effect of taking vitamin C in larger than normal amounts (more than 1 gram). The potential mechanism of action is through the metabolism of vitamin C to dehydroascorbic acid, which is then metabolized to oxalic acid,[39] a known constituent of kidney stones. However, this oxalate issue is still controversial, with evidence being presented for[40] and against[41] the possibility of this side effect.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C_megadosage#Possible_adverse_effects
 
Hmm... Thanks for that. I gotta say, that's a lil scary. It looks like Jackie Mason was right.
 
I never had any problems feeling different while on Keppra all those years. My blood pressure was always fine, came back normal. The only thing Ive noticed a change in, is after I was taken cold turkey off both medications, Carbatrol and Keppra in March when I was admited for my VEEG, and then put back on just the keppra, I had lots of times during the day that I would get numbness and tingling sensations in my hand and foot on my left side. It would at times go to my right side, but most of the time stayed on my left side. Since I didnt have any of this year before being taken off the medications, I chalked it up to being taken off suddenly off both medications in order for them to see where my seizures were at. I went from March through May, with all this taking place. My dr tried me on different add on medications, and then tried to wean me off the Keppra, and it got worse. in my eyes, the medications he was trying to add wasnt working, and since I was so use to the carbatrol and keppra, and then the carbatrol not being there no longer, I think it was my body's way of saying the keppra was holding the seizures, but not being able to hold back the symptoms of wanting to start a seizure, with the numbness and tingling coming about.

Ive since been increased on my keppra to 3000mgs and put on the XR. So Im eager to see if the change will improve things.

Keppra XR should make things better.In the theory i think taking 3000mg of normal keppra and XR keppra is not the same since the avarege of the medicine in the XR version has much higher levels in the blood.
 
My son has been on Keppra and Lamictal for years. He went as long as 9 months seizure free.

Then in February of this year he had a seizure. Then another in April. And on June 2 he had the scariest seizure I've ever witnessed - thought he would die in my arms. At that time, his neuro increased the Lamictal. Another seizure on June 12 - not as bad as the June 2 - and another increase in Lamictal.

With the June seizures, blood work was done and showed elevated liver enzyme tests. Follow up blood work a week later and the liver enzyme tests were even higher. Neuro reduced Lamictal back to what it was before June 2nd.

Tested for hepatitis - negative.

Now neuro is reducing Lamictal and starting him on Vimpat. Today's the first day of the gradual elimination of the Lamictal and increasing Vimpat to a therapeutic level.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the Vimpat doesn't cause any side effects and gets him seizure free again.

Will keep you all updated as this unfolds.
 
Do keep us updated. I'll be interested to hear of progress and/or side effects. I know how scary some seizures can be. My son and I have been there. I hope you called 911. Thanks Shawnna and best of luck to you.
 
Vimpat

Hi There!

My DD 15, has been on Vimpat for 2 and a half weeks now.

Prior to Vimpat, she was having daily visual seizures and drop seizures 3 to 4 times a week while on three meds. Her history these past two and half years with AED's has been a rollercoaster. Nothing really controlled her multi focal partials.

She was also on the low gly / low carb diet, as well as, tried neurofeedback therapy - all with no results.

Now we have days of no visual seizures and no drops whatsoever after adding the Vimpat. She takes 50mg twice daily. No side effects at this level. So far, it has been heaven sent for our angel. I pray it lasts.

Take Care:e:
 
That's awesome Blondie47! Please keep us posted on progress and/or side effects. It's very helpful. Vimpat is the drug that is now controlling my son's seizures completely. He has been through a gamut of seizure types as well; including grand mal, drops (at one time he was having 1 every hour), myoclonic etc. I hope you can stick with the Vimpat and wind up with NO seizures! I am most curious about any side effects you encounter to compare with my son's experience. Thanks!
 
I have been through multiple AEDs that have failed. I am on Vimpat and Lamictal since 2009. This combination has been the best so far in "controlling" the frequency of my seizures with the least side effects. Fatigue and loss of sleep are my triggers. I have "once in a blue moon" seizures probably triggered by these. Vertigo is a disturbing side effect of this combination. I take the maximum combination of both at bedtime until I fall sleep so I don't feel it at all.
 
I'm very hopeful after reading some of these positive experiences with vimpat.

Thank you all for sharing so openly.

:)
 
I have been on Vimpat for the past 9 months. So far compaired to the side effects I have had with just about all the other Epileptic drugs I have been on, Vimpat is the best. I do have the constipation, bloating, gastro problems, but at least I do not have the depression & alergic reactions I have suffered on other meds.
The one problem I have had that I realy dont see anyone else talk about is weight gain. I havent changed my diet at all but yet I have gone from a size 10 to a size 14 since last october. Has anyone else had this problem?
 
Yes, my son has gained weight on Vimpat which I thought was weird because he is also on Zonisamide which supposedly causes weight loss. The doc said Vimpat isn't associated with any weight gain or loss when we started it. My son had been on Depakote which does cause weight gain. I'm not surprised though. An awful lot of these drugs do that. I make sure my son gets a lot of exercise and eats extremely healthy (except for the occasional French Fries that he loves). :)
 
I think exercise is the best way to get the weight under control. It does take a lot of commitment and hard work, but the pay off is worth it. I do sometimes feel like it's a losing battle with my son, weight wise but if we are consistent, the exercise works. It's also a great way for us to get around happy healthy people so there's a good social tie in as well. Let us know if you find anything else that works!!!!
 
Unfortunatly I cant not do much exercise. I had to cancel my gym membership because it was becomming a waste of money. When excersing my toes get numb and tingly then my feet and soon after it starts to work its way up my body. I also get very dizzy and light headed. I almost fell off of the stationary bike I was riding.
Now, I have tried the Adkins Diet due to low protein levels but just managed to gain more weight. I am to the point of giving up.
I am going to GP today and beg her for help with the weight and gastro issues.
I will still state this though, Vimpat works and is alot better then Topomax, Keppra, Depakote, lamictal, ect... (cant remember the other one) especially with the side effects.
 
That's so frustrating Jeannie. I feel for you. I wonder if it's the Vimpat that's causing those symptoms when you exercise.
 
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