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Memory Loss & Lamictal

Fri, 08/12/2011 - 23:08
Hi everyone. I'm Kat, I've been active on this board for a while but mostly in the Women With Epilepsy forum. I was going to post this in there but I feel like it should be more open to everyone since it's not focusing on women only issues. Since starting Lamictal almost two years ago, I have noticed some fluctuations with my mood as well as my ability to concentrate, that showed mostly as I got up in the dosage. I started at 25mg like most patients and eased my way up to my current 250mg BID (twice a day) dosage. I did the escalation slow as recommended & did not experience any obvious side effects. However, as I've gotten more into my medication routine with it, I have noticed that my moods seem to fluctuate (just a little bit, but still noticeable) and I know that Lamictal is also used to manage bipolar disorder. I am currently in the process of switching doctors so I've been waiting to talk to my new doctor about these issues. I don't have the best relationship with my current doctor & feel as if he doesn't listen so I don't see the point in even bringing it up. In fact, I believe I brought it up to him in the past but to no avail. His answer for everything is either "that's normal but not worrysome" or "lets increase the dose & call me in a week". To run through what I've noticed, the main thing is that I have a hard time handling a day regimen that requires me to multitask. This presents a lot of problems because I have a very busy life with working, managing my home due to my boyfriend being away a lot for his work, taking care of a new puppy practically by myself & being a college student, about to enter a very heavily crowded schedule. I have taken on two jobs in the fall after school starts & even though I have an optimistic look to it, I know from my past that my memory lapses cause a lot of problem. For example, I missed the deadlines for several things involving school that will make my semester hard such as missing the deadline for a grant that would be very helpful & missing the date to order the main campus parking permit & having to get one that's much more difficult to deal with. I've always been a little scatterbrained but it seems much worse lately. Sometimes someone can tell me something & in just fifteen minutes, I forget what they said. This causes a lot of frustration with everyone around me & makes me feel incompetent. I'm not entirely sure it's just the medication but in my heart, I feel like it has something to do with it. Does anyone else that's on Lamictal (I take the generic lamotragine) experience similar problems? If so, how much does it affect your life & how much is your current dosage? I appreciate any feedback. Thanks guys!

Comments

Re: Memory Loss & Lamictal

Submitted by keaze on Wed, 2012-01-18 - 23:54

I've been on tegretol 200mg/600mg for about 6 years.  It causes the exact same problem.  I forgot my whole life.  My childhood memories, gone.  My teenager memories, almost completely gone.  I can't function at all, I can't remember how to properly handle a conversation.  I've lost all my friends.   And believe it or not I'm currently transitioning to lamictal and thinking it will be better.  When i read all of your posts i just think to myself : "HAHA".  Right.  Of COURSE it will get better........ *sigh*.   One of you said you will stop medication and deal with the seizures.   Without medication i have 35 to 50 seizures per day. ..  How can i deal with that?

 The memory loss comes from the seizures destroying the brain??? Give me a break!  That is absolutely not true.  I spent 5 years with seizures because i had been misdiagnosed as Tourettes (talk about a retarded  neurologist).  I had zero memory problems back then.  They started when I got on the medication.

 Anyways.  I'm now in the process of reassuring myself that it will be okay. I will spend my life as a dumb, slow, forgetful person, quite often perceived as retarded, since people cannot understand what we are going through every. single. day.  How could they?

I have a question for you guys.  Has any of you known or lived to tell the story about if memory comes back once you're off medication?  I think i read somewhere that it doesnt...  oh well..

I've been on tegretol 200mg/600mg for about 6 years.  It causes the exact same problem.  I forgot my whole life.  My childhood memories, gone.  My teenager memories, almost completely gone.  I can't function at all, I can't remember how to properly handle a conversation.  I've lost all my friends.   And believe it or not I'm currently transitioning to lamictal and thinking it will be better.  When i read all of your posts i just think to myself : "HAHA".  Right.  Of COURSE it will get better........ *sigh*.   One of you said you will stop medication and deal with the seizures.   Without medication i have 35 to 50 seizures per day. ..  How can i deal with that?

 The memory loss comes from the seizures destroying the brain??? Give me a break!  That is absolutely not true.  I spent 5 years with seizures because i had been misdiagnosed as Tourettes (talk about a retarded  neurologist).  I had zero memory problems back then.  They started when I got on the medication.

 Anyways.  I'm now in the process of reassuring myself that it will be okay. I will spend my life as a dumb, slow, forgetful person, quite often perceived as retarded, since people cannot understand what we are going through every. single. day.  How could they?

I have a question for you guys.  Has any of you known or lived to tell the story about if memory comes back once you're off medication?  I think i read somewhere that it doesnt...  oh well..

Re: Memory Loss & Lamictal

Submitted by jacindamaudlin on Thu, 2012-01-19 - 10:43

I'm sorry I am coming in late on this conversation but I do take Lamictal 300mg/day but before I comment I had a few questions. I am new to the site so I don't know all of the details yet.

 I was in a motor vehicle accident 3 years ago and had a temporal lobe brain injury. I am left with complex partial seizures. So I have not dealt with this my whole life. I am so sorry for those of you who have. It is awful. I am on more than one seizure medicine is everyone else too? I have more to comment but I wanted to make sure I wasn't in the wrong forum before I did.

 Thank you!!

I'm sorry I am coming in late on this conversation but I do take Lamictal 300mg/day but before I comment I had a few questions. I am new to the site so I don't know all of the details yet.

 I was in a motor vehicle accident 3 years ago and had a temporal lobe brain injury. I am left with complex partial seizures. So I have not dealt with this my whole life. I am so sorry for those of you who have. It is awful. I am on more than one seizure medicine is everyone else too? I have more to comment but I wanted to make sure I wasn't in the wrong forum before I did.

 Thank you!!

Re: Memory Loss & Lamictal

Submitted by mcm on Thu, 2012-01-19 - 15:29
hey jacind, you've come to the right place, its always good to hear that you are not alone. I always read every comment related to Lamictal. I have CP siezures also and Lamictal is the 4th drug I've tried. A couple of them I've tried together and with varying doses.  Currently, im on 500 mg/day of Lamictal. My memory stinks, my concenetration stinks, basicallly all the same symptoms that everyone complains about with Lamictal. I read someone who described it as "Lamictal Stupid" lol, pretty much describes it for me. Good Luck to you, keep the faith.

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