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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 Gagreen on Wed, 2012-10-10 - 09:28
I am new to this website and this forum.  Reading all of your posts and comments is scary.  My daughter has been on 800 mg of Lamictal for about 4-5 years.  400 in am and 400 in pm.  She has had all these symptoms you guys are talking about.  I was reading through them and saying to myself, "Oh my God".  We dont know what to do either.  She is 23 and trying to go to school and failing tests, forgetting stuff, cant drive......You know the drill.  Very frustrating for all of us.  Hang in there, all of you!

Re: Memory Loss & Lamictal

Submitted by comment on Wed, 2012-10-10 - 10:48
My daily lamictalXR dosage is 400 mg! Much lower than your daughter's, and I have a loss of memory and absent concentration. The absent concentration is more pronounced about 4 hours after each dose, my second problem with lamictal is sleeping. I split my Lamictal dose into two because the 400 mg at night didn't allow me to sleep well. Is there a medication she would recommend? Failing tests was a problem for me in college while taking tegretal ... Extremely frustrating! Good luck to her!

Re: Memory Loss & Lamictal

Submitted by happyplace on Wed, 2012-10-10 - 12:26

I have been on lamictal for a year now after a horrid time on topramax and keppra wasnt much better. I feel blessed t have lamictal, but it is not without side effects as you have described. I have had partial complex and grand mal, but now it is a rare few moments of staring. I can deal with the side effects.

I can lose my balance at times-dont wear high heels and hold to rails when i go up and down stairs.

My memory is a joke and I no longer practice clinical nursing as a result so I wouldn't hurt anyone, but I still practice in another industry. I go to college full time and that is what has made a difference in my memory. I went from not being able to play words with friends to finishing one degree and working on another masters. We can do anything we put our minds too. So what I cant scuba dive- go catch crabs or dig for oysters. I fish now and hike. There is beauty everywhere.

Organize yourself and do the same thing everyday. Put your keys/purse/wallet in the same place every day at work and at home. I keep a small notepad on me or for you younger ones-pull out your phone. I set my alarm on my phone very frequently for the big things. I keep a bigger calendar and pad at my desk. Every meeting or event is captured. I put columns on the pad for TIME/EVENT, then DISCUSSION, then FOLLOWUP and go ahead and put what/when i need to do for that followup. Make your own calendar and put it in a book and KEEP it to refer to. Look at it at the end of the day. Do not get frustrated u didnt get it all done or missed something. No one died-move on.

It took me 9 times of watching Pulp Fiction to realize I had seen it. I know memory loss intimately, but when I was at the Mayo Clinic and they traced the origin of the seizures, I was told this memory issue would always be there and I needed to adapt. It is worse on the lamictal, but not having seizures that I cant control is worse than forgetting something. I even keep a small list in the kitchen for when I run out of something and then tape it to the calendar the day I am going to the store. Look at it this way- you can't remember bad memories either-lol. Adapt and be happy!

I have been on lamictal for a year now after a horrid time on topramax and keppra wasnt much better. I feel blessed t have lamictal, but it is not without side effects as you have described. I have had partial complex and grand mal, but now it is a rare few moments of staring. I can deal with the side effects.

I can lose my balance at times-dont wear high heels and hold to rails when i go up and down stairs.

My memory is a joke and I no longer practice clinical nursing as a result so I wouldn't hurt anyone, but I still practice in another industry. I go to college full time and that is what has made a difference in my memory. I went from not being able to play words with friends to finishing one degree and working on another masters. We can do anything we put our minds too. So what I cant scuba dive- go catch crabs or dig for oysters. I fish now and hike. There is beauty everywhere.

Organize yourself and do the same thing everyday. Put your keys/purse/wallet in the same place every day at work and at home. I keep a small notepad on me or for you younger ones-pull out your phone. I set my alarm on my phone very frequently for the big things. I keep a bigger calendar and pad at my desk. Every meeting or event is captured. I put columns on the pad for TIME/EVENT, then DISCUSSION, then FOLLOWUP and go ahead and put what/when i need to do for that followup. Make your own calendar and put it in a book and KEEP it to refer to. Look at it at the end of the day. Do not get frustrated u didnt get it all done or missed something. No one died-move on.

It took me 9 times of watching Pulp Fiction to realize I had seen it. I know memory loss intimately, but when I was at the Mayo Clinic and they traced the origin of the seizures, I was told this memory issue would always be there and I needed to adapt. It is worse on the lamictal, but not having seizures that I cant control is worse than forgetting something. I even keep a small list in the kitchen for when I run out of something and then tape it to the calendar the day I am going to the store. Look at it this way- you can't remember bad memories either-lol. Adapt and be happy!

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