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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 Googledude on Sat, 2013-07-06 - 20:06
GOOD DAY ALL... AFTER 40 YEARS WITH SEIZURE EXPERIENCES (MOSTLY SEIZURE-FREE), I WILL NEVER TELL YOU TO NOT LISTEN TO DOCTORS BUT, LISTEN CAREFULLY.... MOST OF THEM HAVE THE SAME BOOKS AND ALTHOUGH SOME NAMES BRANDS HAVE CHANGED, NOT MUCH ELSE HAS. THE THING TO TRY TO REMEMBER I HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS IS THAT WHAT WE PUT INTO OUR BODIES AS FOOD, HAS A (HUGE) EFFECT UPON THE CHEMISTRY OF OUR MEDICATIONS. IF ANYONE HAS EPILEPSY AND CURRENTLY DRINKS COFFEE OR ANY SODA POP, THEY ARE TAKING WAY TOO MUCH MEDICINE TO MAKE UP FOR IT.... (USUALLY). ALSO, MOST PREPARED FOODS IN A CAN OR SPICES IN A BOTTLE CONTAIN CHEMICALS THAT PROBABLY CAUSE YOU PROBLEMS AND SO MOST FOLKS TAKE HIGHER DOSAGES TO MAKE UP FOR IT THUS, RUINING THEIR MEMORY OR ATTENTION ISSUES OCCUR. WHEN I WAS A KID,THEY TELL ME I WAS VERY WELL BEHAVED UNTIL AFTER I STARTED TO TAKE THE SEIZURE MEDICATION AND THEN I ENDED UP IN A WHITE PADDED CELL UNTIL MY FATHER GOT A LAWYER TO GET ME OUT. WE CHANGED OUR VIEWS OF MEDICATIONS AND FOCUSED MORE ONTO MY DIET INSTEAD. OBVIOUSLY, NOTHING WILL BE THE SAME FOR EVERYONE BUT, NEVER FORGET THAT AMERICAN MEDICINE HAS BEEN BACKED BY BIG PHARMA FOR DECADES AND THE LAST TIME I WENT TO A DOCTOR TO CHECK MY LEVELS, HE TOLD ME I WAS (BENEATH THE THERAPEUTIC RANGE) I SMILED AND TOLD HIM THANKS FOR YOUR INFORMATION... THE PATIENT AND SOMEONE THAT CARES FOR THEM NEEDS TO VIEW WHAT HAPPENS AT THE RIGHT AND WRONG LEVELS BECAUSE... TOO MUCH OF THESE DRUGS AND YOU CAN END UP IN A FUNNY FARM WHERE THEY WILL JUST EXPERIMENT WITH MORE DRUGS. OR, IF YOU ARE VERY LUCKY, JUST CONFUSED OR TIRED ALL THE TIME. BE WELL ALWAYS, GOOGLEDUDE (bond@googman.com)

Re: Memory Loss & Lamictal

Submitted by comment on Sun, 2013-07-07 - 13:46
Google dude, I drink coffee and soda everyday and I have never researched the implications from these on my lamictal level. I will start researching the effect of these on lamictal and how it may be affecting my required dosage. I decided to try a new medication after over 10 years with lamictal because Im tired of the memory and concentration limitations. They have really interfered with my quality of life. I'll explore the effect of these foods on lamictal before making the change. Thanks for your post. Davo

Re: Memory Loss & Lamictal

Submitted by makaveliis on Fri, 2013-08-16 - 16:12
I would say my situation is interesting and sad. I had/have absence seizures from my childhood and five years ago I started using lamictal - 500. Drug really worked - I had before like 3-5 seizures a day and after using the drug only couple times a month but whats interesting all seizures came from day form to night form - I don't remember them but only know that I had seizure because all other day is lost and I feel "funny". About a year ago I started recognize big memory changes (I am not talking about short term memory this one is lost), long term memory. After the seizure information erases forever (never happened before), I forget concerts, events - "Do you remember when we were with your father at the stand-up last year?" and my answer is always no. It's getting worse.. Well as I say one benefit - I forget the movies and I can watch them as the first day because I don't remember a thing (never happened before). It's only sad that I gonna see my doctor (that's working for the company) and no promises... Keep up my destiny brothers and sisters

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