Vimpat #4

Dosage was at 200mg daily, 100mg in am and another 100mg in pm. However, I began to develop a weird rash that may be an allergic reaction (mind you, I am allergic to pretty much everything) so my dosage is being pulled back to 100mg in the evening, and may possibly be pulled back further to only 50mg.
I did not mention that itchiness remains. Add a fierce recurrence of eczema flareups and one can say I'm ready to jump out of my skin for a bit. I'm thinking if one has a skin condition this may not be the medicine for them. (Just an observation, talk with your neuro first.)
Insomnia remains, but the excessive appetite issues seem to be dying down. I am back to eating in my normal fashion, instead of stuffing myself all day like I was.
The tremors in my hands are also back to normal- yay! And this was the case before I cut back my dosage, so I'm sure it was more a matter of getting my body accustomed to the medication.
Finally, there seems to be seizure activity, but none that I am noticing. All the signs are there, the "bloated head" feeling, the memory loss, the drowsiness- yet I'm not feeling anything. My neuro says these are probably nocturnal seizures, which I do not normally have. What this means in relation to Vimpat is anyone's guess.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• vimpat
• seizures
• insomnia
• nocturnal seizures
• memory loss
• appetite
• itchiness
• eczema
• neurology

[tyme4mike]

Seriously consider Neurontin(gabapentin). It was almost impossible to find a drug that helped me with my seizure issues. (I was having as many as 20 a day) Neurontin is the ONLY drug that worked for me and had virtually NO side effects of any kind. It is known for thia. Memory loss issues get worse as you have more seizures and there's little one can do about it except to get the seizures reduced. Neurontin did it all for me..and I had NO side effects worth reporting.

[choirgrrl]

@tyme4mike Thank you for the advice! I'm hoping to get out to the neuro soon, and I will mention this while I am there. I know it's time for something new, and this is one I have not tried yet. :)

[miasmablk]

(if you can relate i'm not sure?) but Vimpat always gave me that sort of sensation one would have immediately after having a very strong seizure.

[choirgrrl]

@miasmablk Yes, it did! I felt quite "dizzy" (for lack of a better explanation) most of the time and really just didn't like it much. I'd rather deal with seizures on occasion than feel like I just stepped off a high-speed carnival ride all day! (Of course, many of the other meds have this same effect on me)

[mjneworleans]

Is Vimpat related to Lamotrigine/Lamictal at all?

[choirgrrl]

It's not, although I have taken Lamictal in the past. Vimpat is literally the newest anti-convulsant on the market. I think it's only been out for about a year now.

My problem is I have a LOT of allergies, so most meds don't agree with me. This is all trial and error, which sucks a bit. I'm lucky to have the medical coverage I do at the moment, so I'm trying not to complain! (Nice to see you back and around!)

[tyme4mike]

@choirgrrl I meant to say "it is known for 'that'", meaning no side effects. I'm not trying to be negative, but the stuff is not cheap so I hope you have some coverage to help you, unless it has dropped. Best wishes and prayers.

[miasmablk]

@choirgrrl you know i'm not sure but seeing as how Vimpat is related to heart medication (lacosamide) I think my experience with it however, may have been related to caffeine sensitivity.

[ilgarauchut]

thanks for this video...

Our daughter is on vimpat and we are concerned because she is sleeping too much and waking during the night. This video is more informative than our doctor.

[choirgrrl]

Lol! I didn't even notice that until you mentioned it- it is pretty funny! :)

Thanks for the good wishes. It's going to be a long uphill battle it seems- but at least my options are open and I'm still smiling!