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switching from dilantin to lamictal resulted in seizure

Fri, 06/16/2006 - 15:03
Hi, I'm 45 yr old male and I've been on Dilantin for about 23 yrs with pretty good results. LAtely, due to some thinning bones, my neurologist suggested switching to Lamictal. Over the course of several months , i worked up to 400 mg/day Lamictal at which point we started to wean the Dilantin. Man, that didn't last long... I spent a week at 75% Dilantin, then moved to 50% for a couple days and boom... had a grand mal seizure at work. They brought me to the ER where they decided to fill me back up with Dilantin. So now I'm right back where I started from and suddenly the long-term side effects of Dilantin just aren't sounding so bad when compared to the complete loss of confidence that came along with having a seizure. I am not sure I want to even give Lamictal another chance at a higher dose... I am just not very optimistic at all about its effectiveness since I had one so quickly while coming off of the Dilantin. My gut tells me now that Lamictal is just not going to work. A shame too , I definitely felt mentally sharper with more energy when the Dilantin had been drastically reduced in my system. Lamictal does seem to have very few side effects. I see my doctor next week and I think she mentioned something about Depakote being the next thing to try.. and from my reading the side effects from depakote ( weight gain, hair loss, liver, pancreas, cognitive, energy, and even still some bone loss although to a lesser degree ) seem far worse than the ones from dilantin so i am just thinking of saying the hell with it and take my chances staying on the Dilantin even longer-term. Does anyone know if things like Fossamax can counteract the bone-thinning effects of Dilantin? Also, I am simply now afraid that gettig off Dilantin can itself be difficult to accomplish without having a seizure. Has anyone else had problems getting off of Dilantin onto other meds?

Comments

Re: switching from dilantin to lamictal resulted in seizure

Submitted by sandy4917 on Sat, 2006-06-17 - 09:31
Pmv, Sorry to hear that Lamictal isn't working. I'm currently in the process of switching from Dilantin to Lamictal for the same reasons. I'm 36 and having issues with bone thinning as well. I'm on week 4 of Lamictal, in another week I will begin decreasing Dilantin. I'm a little worried after reading your post. I've been on Dilantin for 25 yrs w/good results like you. But I have no choice but to come off. I have too many risk factors at play to stay on Dilantin. Osteoporsis runs in my family, i'm female, and thin. Dilantin is not an option any longer. You asked about Fosmax, I'm not sure on that. What I do know is Dilantin affects the absorption of Vitamin D. Dr has me taking Calicum w/Vit D 2x/day along with Vitamin D3. She thinks this may enough and I won't need Fosomax, but that's also assuming I can successfully come off Dilantin. I put up a post asking about switching meds and have heard pretty good feedback. Only you and your dr will know if you should give Lamictal another shot. Good luck and keep me posted. Sandy

Re: switching from dilantin to lamictal resulted in seizure

Submitted by solis on Sat, 2006-06-17 - 13:46
Hi pmv, Oh boy.. can I relate Been on Dilantin (it was one of the first AEDs) but as an older drug it has many side effects = why I'm betting you were changed. Also been on both Lamactil and Depakene (a close relative of Depakote). None worked for me. I've had epilepsy for 49 years, so have been on meds as long as I can remember. And that was long before they discovered the bone thinning problems of many AEDs. So, now I have osteoporosis at a young age and take Fosomax once per week. It made no sense to me taking the Fosomax (yes, its known to help osteoporosis) regularly while still taking Tegretol (another AED known cause of bone problems) as each med worked against the other...so; fortunate enough to have the choice (and having tried every other med with no luck), I opted for surgery. After 5 months, so far so good. First, know there are many new meds out there, so I'd suggest you and your physician focus on trying those with no known bone thinning effects first. Depakote didn't help me but it DOES help many = the reason it was likely suggested. As you said, your possible bone thinning effects would be less & that could posibly be countered with vitamins etc. Know I wish you the best of luck, ~sol

Re: switching from dilantin to lamictal resulted in seizure

Submitted by sandy4917 on Fri, 2006-07-07 - 08:20
PMV- just curious how your transition has been going. Have you had anymore sz during the Dilantin decrease? Dr has me lowering my Dilantin dose and i'm only at 250mg of Lamictal...woke up with a partial this morning. Would love to hear how it's going for you.Thanks, Sandy

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