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Lamictal side effects/weight changes? Or Tegretol?

Mon, 08/13/2007 - 13:19
Hi everyone, For anyone who is or has been on lamictal, what has been your experience as far as weight changes or any other side effects with lamictal? I tend to gain weight very very easily and am looking for another med to try. I'm currently on Topamax and while it has been great as far as the weight loss, I just can't stand the side effects anymore. I'm constantly sick and cannot eat not anything. I'm also looking for a med that I can safely be on if I happen to become pregnant and this looks to be like one of them... Or how about Tegretol? Do any of you have favorable results with Tegretol as far as fewer side effects? Thanks :-) Elizabeth

Comments

Re: Lamictal side effects/weight changes? Or Tegretol?

Submitted by dtsecofr21 on Wed, 2007-09-05 - 07:50
I've been on Lamictal for 6 years and do not believe I have gained any weight from it. I've worked at a casino for the past 4 years that gives us free food, so I've put on 20lbs since then. :-) Doug

Re: Lamictal side effects/weight changes? Or Tegretol?

Submitted by sevag on Sat, 2007-09-08 - 00:56
Hi Elizabeth, Here is my experience with Lamictal! I'm currently as you are on Topamax but side effects are too great (cognitive problems, HUGE memory loss, I'm constantly looking for words etc). Last year my Dr. due to my problems with Topamax decided to switch me to Lamictal. Every thing was OK for the first two weeks; then - EVERY NIGHT at exact moment when I was falling a sleep a had a small mioclonic seizure (a tiny one), but enough to wake me up!! And that was going on ALL NIGHT LONG! Every time I was falling a sleep - I had a "shake up". I have slept one hour at the most during that night. That have continued for three or four days after which I ran to my neuro and told him to put me back on my Topamax; that makes me stupid but allows me to sleep at night. It's probably not common side effect but for me it was terrible experience with L. I'm about to try Keppra - we'll see what this will do to me;-)) Cheers

Re: Re: Lamictal side effects/weight changes? Or Tegretol?

Submitted by susandent on Sun, 2007-09-09 - 20:38
I agree with you about the unsafe side affects of the Topamax and the Lamictal. I was only on Topamax for 2 or 3 months and that's all my body could take. I was a total zombie. I am just now getting off Lamictal which I figured out was causing petite mal seizures and bladder control problems. I think it eventually just became toxic for me. At least that was never the cause of my weight gain, hair loss, memory loss, or other problems that other meds have caused for me over the years. Whatever you do, don't go on Depakote. It controls seizures okay, but you'll be in a cloud with every ADD symptom on the map. I tried Keppra, but it didn't work for me. It actually made my petite mals WORSE! Good luck. I hope it works for you. I myself will be switching to Lyrica next week. I hope we have both finally found our magic pill. I know how much courage it takes to constantly be in search of the right pill. With every med change comes a new set of side effects, and the doctors tire of you after a while from asking to change. But we have to hope, don't we? I know that with all these new meds, someone will invent the right one for both of us. Don't give up. I'm in there with you. Don't you tire of hearing, "Why do you keep changing your medications??" Well, you know how your personality changes every time you go on those damn things? When I find the right one, that let's me be me again, I'll stop. I just want my brain to rest from these PMs. Again, good luck, Liz. SusieQ

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