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Lamictal vs. Keppra

Mon, 06/21/2010 - 09:11

I am 25 I have simple-partial, complex-partial, and tonic-clonic seizures.  I was put on Depakote, but that didn't work.  So I was switched to Keppra XR, but it gave me suicidal thoughts and severe depression.  Now I'm titrating Lamictal XR into my system while I'm weaning off the Keppra, and at this point, I don't know which one is causing the current side effects.

The tremors, extreme weakness and fatigue, shortness of breath, insomnia, and loss of apetite are some of the expected side effects.  What worries me is the fact that I keep forgetting things, as if they were completely erased from my memory!  And then there are times when I feel that I'm just going to collapse and pass out..but I hear that's normal too.

I guess I have two questions; Is the memeory loss normal, and is there a point where one says 'enough with the medications!' ?

Comments

Re: Lamictal vs. Keppra

Submitted by Florida Swamp Rat on Mon, 2010-06-21 - 10:51

I am in the same situation. I am comming off Kepra and starting Lemectal. Keppra takes 8 years to come off and Lemectal takes 20 years to kick in. It's a lot of fun. Keppra made me sleep 8 hours a night then a 2 hour nap everyday. I makes me feel extreme rage and sadness. I have also got shortness of breath at times. My memory is garbage. My doctor ashures me Lemectal has no side effects except a life treatning rash which makes me laugh. We'll see how it goes! Good luck!

 If this does not work I am going to just start smoking weed, meth, or crack. They can't be worse than Keppra.

I am in the same situation. I am comming off Kepra and starting Lemectal. Keppra takes 8 years to come off and Lemectal takes 20 years to kick in. It's a lot of fun. Keppra made me sleep 8 hours a night then a 2 hour nap everyday. I makes me feel extreme rage and sadness. I have also got shortness of breath at times. My memory is garbage. My doctor ashures me Lemectal has no side effects except a life treatning rash which makes me laugh. We'll see how it goes! Good luck!

 If this does not work I am going to just start smoking weed, meth, or crack. They can't be worse than Keppra.

Re: Lamictal vs. Keppra

Submitted by feebee on Mon, 2010-06-21 - 13:49
i am also going off keppra (too strong for me and makes me a raging bitch!) so im weening off keppr and going on lamictal... slowly. well i was seizure free and off meds for 9 years and out of no where they started to happen again. i dont like these meds. anyone know a good dr. in la?

Re: Lamictal vs. Keppra

Submitted by dbrownpilot on Mon, 2010-07-12 - 17:39

Lamictal and Keppra both suck. I take 400mg of lamictal 2x a day and 1000 mg of Keppra 3x a day. I shake like a leaf, can't stay awake, and have nausea every minute of every day. I was still having a lot of seizures so I had a temporal lobe resection a month ago and haven't had a seizure for 3.5 weeks, which is a huge record for me. I still can't believe it, I keep expecting one every day. But it looks like the surgery might have worked. If so, I can hopefully get off these meds in a year or two.

Lamictal and Keppra both suck. I take 400mg of lamictal 2x a day and 1000 mg of Keppra 3x a day. I shake like a leaf, can't stay awake, and have nausea every minute of every day. I was still having a lot of seizures so I had a temporal lobe resection a month ago and haven't had a seizure for 3.5 weeks, which is a huge record for me. I still can't believe it, I keep expecting one every day. But it looks like the surgery might have worked. If so, I can hopefully get off these meds in a year or two.

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