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DILANTIN LAMICTAL = odd behavior? pls help

Tue, 08/09/2005 - 00:02
Topic: Medication Issues

Hubby is on both of these right now. He is on 400mg of Dilantin and is being slowly introduced and changed over to Lamictal. So for the next few weeks he will be on both. Can thisaffect the way someone acts? I dont know whether he paces because he is ready to have a seziure (which happened the last seizure episode) or whether its the drug mix? He is also very "clingy" and sometimes acts like he is drunk. Can someone shed light? He is only on 75 mg of Lamictal. We had to increase last Thursday from 50 to 75 of Lamictal and in two weeks it will be 100mg of lamictal. Then the Dilantin will be down to 300mg. He has been "moody" and snappy at times and then poof he acts giddy like hes drunk and he was VERY clingy when he came home from work today. He didnt even want me to leave him to go grocery shopping. Is this odd?By the end of the day he is white as a sheet and completely wiped out. Usually thats when he is snapping at all of us (which isnt in his nature to do so...he is a big teddy bear).  Tonight though, hes acting drunk and very VERY peculiar.

Someone PLEASE enlighten me here?Im a bit worried about this odd behavior. Is it just all the drugs running thru his system?

-Diane

 

Comments

RE: DILANTIN + LAMICTAL = odd behavior? pls help

Submitted by grez-monkey on Tue, 2005-08-09 - 00:02

Diane,

I was taking both lamictal and dilantin at the same time for several years and my complex partial szs increased greatly in frequency. The doctor quickly changed the dilantin to divalproex, and around 18 months later, the cps stopped.

But this was what happened to me. What happens to your husband may be different, or it might be somewhat the same. Only God knows. Your husband is going through the cross-over phase of switching medications, so several common side effect will most likely take place. Just follow along with what the doctor tells you to do and keep a very close lookout for any serious side effects.

Here's the intro website for Lamictal http://www.epilepsy.com/medications/b_lamictal_intro.html. Then the most common side effects and serious side effects website addresses. http://www.epilepsy.com/medications/b_lamictal_side.html  http://www.epilepsy.com/medications/b_lamictal_serious.html

Hope that your husband gets better results with the lamictal.

Bruce (link-guy)

 

Diane,

I was taking both lamictal and dilantin at the same time for several years and my complex partial szs increased greatly in frequency. The doctor quickly changed the dilantin to divalproex, and around 18 months later, the cps stopped.

But this was what happened to me. What happens to your husband may be different, or it might be somewhat the same. Only God knows. Your husband is going through the cross-over phase of switching medications, so several common side effect will most likely take place. Just follow along with what the doctor tells you to do and keep a very close lookout for any serious side effects.

Here's the intro website for Lamictal http://www.epilepsy.com/medications/b_lamictal_intro.html. Then the most common side effects and serious side effects website addresses. http://www.epilepsy.com/medications/b_lamictal_side.html  http://www.epilepsy.com/medications/b_lamictal_serious.html

Hope that your husband gets better results with the lamictal.

Bruce (link-guy)

 

RE: DILANTIN + LAMICTAL = odd behavior? pls help

Submitted by taho on Thu, 2005-08-11 - 01:30
Hi there, I'm also on this combo and have been for a few months. I can't say I had the exact symptoms, but have had some strange symptoms on some of the meds. Anxiety seems to be one of those side effects that is part of every med change--I think it is kind of chemical shock, you know? But, there was recently a post on this site about people feeling hypoglycemic (spelling?) or low blood sugar as a result of lamictal. I know that made sense for me and I hadn't related my reactions to that...That might explain some of the crankiness...My dad is diabetic and I see how cranky he gets when his sugar is low...so you might want to get him to eat a little more frequently on the lamictal.Good luck...Toni

RE: DILANTIN + LAMICTAL = odd behavior? pls help

Submitted by jackson3911 on Thu, 2005-08-11 - 03:27

Hi-  you don't mention the type of Epilepsy your husband suffers from........personally, I can not imagine your doctor actually raised the Lamictal by that amount BEFORE dropping the dose of Dilatin (sp)!  When I was started on Lamictal, it was 25mg once a day (7 days) Then twice a day (7 days) then 50mg at night while 25mg morning (7 days)-- etc.  Has your doctor requested blood level testing???  Just from my own experience, a blood level should be done ASAP.....It sounds like the Dilatin dose is too high to be combined yet with that much Lamictal. (or the Lamictal dose is too high for that much Dilatin) Is the Doctor having him take both meds on the same time schedule? (together at X number of hours between doses?)  I have heard staggering while crossing over could minimize side the side effects.............my curious reaction to Lamictal- if taken with food the side effects last longer & are more severe (I act drunk for short period an hour after dosing- but my CP's are pretty much controlled after) Dilatin works best WHEN taken with food??   What was the reason the Doc decided to switch meds (?)- plus any kind of severe stress will overcome ANY anti-convulsants ability to control seizures.....AND affects side-effect severity  (& switching meds is stressful !  My fear of inadequate seizure control on new med & the feeling of being a lab rat in the drug lottery scared the pants off me)  I can think of a 100 questions (!) but I always type too long (LOL- I'm waiting for a complaint about that!)  The posting about low blood sugar is extremely valid, & an attention to proper balanced healthy food intake could help-- (plus remembering a candy bar for lunch that produces a "sugar high" will be followed by a drop- "sugar low"- a rollar coaster he should avoid at all costs!)  He is lucky to have you!!  I live alone & I shouldn't talk about proper diet (I HATE eating alone & forget to all the time.....I wish I had someone to remind ME to take care of me.......)    p.s.  I still "pace"  on a bad day, but SO much less than I used to......

Hi-  you don't mention the type of Epilepsy your husband suffers from........personally, I can not imagine your doctor actually raised the Lamictal by that amount BEFORE dropping the dose of Dilatin (sp)!  When I was started on Lamictal, it was 25mg once a day (7 days) Then twice a day (7 days) then 50mg at night while 25mg morning (7 days)-- etc.  Has your doctor requested blood level testing???  Just from my own experience, a blood level should be done ASAP.....It sounds like the Dilatin dose is too high to be combined yet with that much Lamictal. (or the Lamictal dose is too high for that much Dilatin) Is the Doctor having him take both meds on the same time schedule? (together at X number of hours between doses?)  I have heard staggering while crossing over could minimize side the side effects.............my curious reaction to Lamictal- if taken with food the side effects last longer & are more severe (I act drunk for short period an hour after dosing- but my CP's are pretty much controlled after) Dilatin works best WHEN taken with food??   What was the reason the Doc decided to switch meds (?)- plus any kind of severe stress will overcome ANY anti-convulsants ability to control seizures.....AND affects side-effect severity  (& switching meds is stressful !  My fear of inadequate seizure control on new med & the feeling of being a lab rat in the drug lottery scared the pants off me)  I can think of a 100 questions (!) but I always type too long (LOL- I'm waiting for a complaint about that!)  The posting about low blood sugar is extremely valid, & an attention to proper balanced healthy food intake could help-- (plus remembering a candy bar for lunch that produces a "sugar high" will be followed by a drop- "sugar low"- a rollar coaster he should avoid at all costs!)  He is lucky to have you!!  I live alone & I shouldn't talk about proper diet (I HATE eating alone & forget to all the time.....I wish I had someone to remind ME to take care of me.......)    p.s.  I still "pace"  on a bad day, but SO much less than I used to......

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