Community Forum Archive

The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.

Dilantin to Lamictal

Tue, 04/18/2017 - 15:49
Hi Guys! New to the forum... What an awesome community! I've been taking Dilantin for about 20 years to "control" seizures as a side effect of a brain aneurysm surgery I had in my early teens. I had two seizures within a month of my initial surgery, but have been seizure free since then... Basically for +19 years. I have little to no side effects from Dilantin other than some brain "fogginess", tiredness if I don't sleep more than 7 hours a night and double-vision. I've had multiple dexa scans and no issues with bone density are there either. Despite the above, my neurologist (who is head of Neurology for one of the best hospitals in the world) wants to move me to Lamictal. He's been trying to convince me of it for some time now, but cannot assure me that I will fully transition with no issues. His main reason for this is to essentially avoid any issues with osteoporosis that may pop up in the longer term. I am interested in doing it, with hopes that it will give me more energy and eliminate the fogginess, but can't seem to get fully comfortable with giving him the "go". I'm really worried about potential side effects from Lamictal and/or having a seizure while driving and losing my driver's license. I'm sort of at a crossroads here... My doctor is almost flippant when we talk about this, but I just get overwhelmed thinking about the "what if". Maybe that's because he's tried to convince me for a few years and I still won't do it. Has anyone had any success switching from Dilantin to Lamictal? I read that people who have controlled seizure have about an 80% chance of switching with no issues, but I guess there's no way of knowing if it'll "work" or not. How does one go about making this sort of decision? Thanks!

Comments

I just get overwhelmed

Submitted by just_joe on Wed, 2017-04-19 - 10:18
I just get overwhelmed thinking about the "what if". How does one go about making this sort of decision?   my neurologist (who is head of Neurology for one of the best hospitals in the world) wants to move me to Lamictal. He's been trying to convince me of it for some time now.. So yes do talk to him and ask questions. I took lamictal and it was very good. It worked for me and did reduce the number of seizures I was having when I was taking the dilantin. but I wanted better control so Doc and I talked about dosages or other medications. But those talked were at least a year or longer after I was taking it. So yes I had success moving from dilantin to another medication but I wasn't talked to by my neurologist. If a person is on a medication they can get toxic on it. Which is why doctors run tests on different medications. They are run for other reasons like making sure the therapeutic levels are right or the medications are not hurting the kidneys. Neurologists do more then just prescribe medications they want you to stay healthy.As for your driving. THink a little does every person drive?? I went pver 3 years without having a seizure. I have never driven. I am a senioe citizen. People can get to and from where they want without driving. I have and I have been living and dealing with epilepsy for 50+ years,Dilantin was a medication I was taking. I was studying for my drivers test. But I never took it. I had a seizure which was triggered by something not on the list of triggers. Oh and there are more triggers then them have listed.

Sign Up for Emails

Stay up to date with the latest epilepsy news, stories from the community, and more.