New - Weird feelings with lamictal
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UPDATED: Mon, 03/12/2007 - 6:18pm
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janna78
Appetite Change & Lamictal
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I was just diagnosed with epilepsy about 3 months ago (28 year old female). I am currently on 200mg of lamictal per day and it seems to be working well - seizure free for about 2 months. All of my side effects have subsided, except for one odd one. I use to love red meat - steak, lamb, you name it! Ever since I have been on lamictal, I have had absolutely no cravings for meat, specifically red meat. If meat is in something (i.e. pasta, sandwich), that's fine, but a steak or cut of meat does not appeal to me at all. My appetite has not lessened or increased. Has this happened to anyone else?? I have searched the internet & cannot find anything relating to this.
Thanks!
By janna78 at Mon, 03/12/2007 - 6:18pm | 2298 views | 19 comments
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Recent Comments on this Discussion
I have had almost the same experience. finally. someone else going through this! it doesn't really bother me as much as i thought it would, actually. i really liked red meat before lamictal and now, i don't really want it at all.
also, i have noticed that i crave salty things and things with high vitamin c. so, lots of olives and fruit, essentially. i've lost about 35 pounds.
good luck!
I just started on Lamictal and am used to "snacking" all day as opposed to sitting down and eating 3 regular meals a day. Now, I hardly eat anything at all. I know I need to eat right, and don't have the appetite to eat 3 square meals a day. I have been going out to eat or eating at home with someone eating bigger meals, I guess to try to build up my tolerance to eating a lot of food at once. I'm on disability, and doing nothing at all makes me not want to eat at all. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself, and do more to make myself hungry. For me right now, food being there is not the problem. There is only one other person in the house besides me, and I was thinking about doing the all cooking so that I wouldn't expect someone else to eat my cooking if I won't.
Hello. You have no idea how happy I am to have read your entry above. I am in tears. I have not eaten a full meal now for over 7 weeks. I live on Ensure and Gatorade, and have spent over $600 in tests to figure out my problem. The last meal I had was Oct. 28--- a steak at a steak house. Have not been the same since. I have made a decis9ion to ween off. I take it for Cyclothymia (bi-bolar sort of). It has worked wonders, but I am so hungry! Have lost a lot of weight, and I am healthy person, but now I am weak from lack of food. Major cravings for salt and spicy stuff. No desire for meat at all. Thank you sooooo much for your input.
I have only recently (last night) started participating in "chat groups". I have a son whose birthday is Oct. 28(the last day you ate..I'm sorry)who has cerebral palsy/seizure disorder who understands everything; has a wonderful sense of humor and a great appetite (but is only 86 lbs due to the spasticity associated with his type of neuromotor dysfunction. He is getting older now, and still in a special ed school; he has been on carbatrol for several years but suddenly (over the past few months) he's had increased clonis in the mornings with diaphoresis and we added Klonopin 0.5 mg BID to his 1600mg of carbatrol daily, but over the past week or two he is having seizures again. He is physically quite involved, but he understands everything, which makes all of this so much harder for him. Lamictal was mentioned by his neuro, but the first few lits I read had a rash literally to die for as a side effect. That completely frightened me. Now hearing of appetite isssues I'm more discouraged. He watches the food network constantly (even has met most of them). I was about to request Ensure for him Wed (and still am) because he not quite heavy enough to break my back yet!! Just joking!!!! I'm 51 now; a Registered Nurse and we've never had help caring for him at home..he has wonderful older siblings (2/twin 22 y/o siters and a 25 year old brother and their "significant others are also priceless with our boy. Now I am really confused..I may bring my son-in-law(5th year Phd Pharmacy student at St John's u.) When it's your own chils you lose all objectivity. (I have got to do this more now that my son gave me this laptop. I remember a girl I went to HS with took computer classes at a BOCES program which involved the use of punch cards!! Now if I can just figure out how to self-employ myself by using this laptop I could easily care for my little guy and share data with others. I currently supervise (nurse educator) 5 temporary .mental health group homes for children. Doesn't exclude me from being human. I'm glad you are doing better with your medication change. Good luck.
My biggest problem is eating, but I have no appetite. In my current living situation, food being here is not the problem, it's me sitting down and eating. I just have no desire to eat and when I don't, look out, guess what happens.
Hi janna. I take lamictal also and have a very hard time with meat. Coinsidence? Not sure, but I do understand. There are times when I do start eating meat fine, then out of no where I suddenly feel the need to spit it out and give up. This has been going on for years. I eat nuts and eggs to compinsate the loss of protien and I still like fish and usualy chicken. What I failed to realize is that I have become horribly iron anemic, I now take multi vitamins and iron. I find it quite interesting that you think it may have to do with the lamictal, never thought of it myself. I have been through so many meds that I would never be able to pinpoint that. I will however at my next Epiletologist appointment mention this to him, see what he thinks and if any others have had this trouble. Hope your doing better and that you have successs with your treatment. Smiles your way!
I am so thankful that I am not the only one who is having problems sleeping with Lamictal. I was on Dilantin for years (hated it!) than topamax (okay) and now Lamictal.. I cant sleep, and whats funny is they told me to take it at night, because it will make me tired.. Its frustrating to not be able to sleep as this is one of the triggers to induce a seizure.. I have a doctors appointment next week and I am going to discuss this lack of sleep with him.. No rash so far, no other symptoms for me...
I haven't noticed an aversion to any particular food group but I have noticed a significant change in my metabolism. I lost 16 lbs in the first two weeks I went off Trileptal and started on Lamictal. I'm 5'7" and weigh 116 lbs. Everyone thinks I'm anorexic but I'm not -- I eat every 3 to 4 hours!
The Trileptal pretty much drugged me out and made me very tired. I never had to worry about sleeping - the Trileptal knocked me out for a good 8 hours every night.
I've been on Lamictal for 8 months and I rarely sleep more than 4 to 6 hours a night which is one reason I don't gain weight. I'm pretty much wired all day and all night. I don't want to take Ambien (or even Bendryl) because I don't want to get started on any another drugs.
I just keep hoping that someday soon I'll adjust to the Lamictal and be able to sleep all night. As a side note, I'd also like the Lamictal to stop the multiple milli-second absence seizures as well as the Trileptal did. I'm still not sure why my doctor made me change meds but since he's an epileptologist (sp?) -- and because I like him -- I'm going to trust his judgment. And I'm not going to complain about being underweight. :)
*Julie*
I have been taking epitec, which is the generic for Lamictal. I AM not sure what to expect. I am not sleepiong very well and fell like a crazy person most of the day. I get nauseus at times. Do you think caffeine can trigger some of these bad feelings with TLE? Sometimes i get a funny feeling in my stomach which goes up into my bottom lip, which starts to tingle. I need all the help and info i can get!!
I was on Lamictal for over a year 500mg per day with Topamax. I never noticed it affecting my meat appetite but it has never been big any way! I had to come off the Lamictal a couple of weeks ago as I was getting dreadful hallucinations with the Topamax and the Topamax was better at reducing the number of seizures I have.
Goodluck with the Lamictal!
Hi. I don't have an answer to the red meat question but I would like to ask you about the side effects you have experienced with lamictal. I am currently in the process of switching from trileptal to lamictal. I took trileptal for over 4 years but it starting causing low blood sodium levels so i have had to make a change. I am having a really difficult time on lamictal...insomnia several nights a week, weight loss ( 4 pounds in a month), and total body aches and pains. I am sure that the exhaustion is causing the aches to be more intense...I am currently taking 100mg lamictal and still at 300 mg trileptal for another week. I am just wondering what side effects you have experienced and how long they lasted? Thanks!!
Hi KellyS,
Most of the side effects that I have had did not last too long. Most were only apparent as the dosage was being increased and my body was acclimating to it. I felt a little nauseous (first week), my balance was a bit off (every time my dosage was increased), and a little dazed. People have commented that I look thinner too, which is nice! I haven't noticed any significant weight loss, although from other people's posts, it is not abnormal to lose weight. The only lasting side effects are the aversion to red meat and forgetfulness. Things just don't come to mind as quick as they use to, i.e. names, words. It's a bit worrisome, but according to other posts, it's a somewhat normal side effect. My boyfriend has definitely noticed my forgetfulness and has commented on it. It has gotten more apparent as my dosage has increased (I'm now at 400mg total per day).
Hang it there!
Janna
Janna,
I called it quits on lamictal today...i haven't slept more than 20 or so hours in the past 5 days...my dr. thinks it is a combo of lamictal side effects plus withdrawal from trileptal (on it for 4+ years)...Ambien and Vicodin wouldn't even knock me out...not sleeping is causing me to be in excruciating pain in every inch of my body...i am a teacher and can't afford to be crabby or exhausted...he is switching me to gabitril and slowly weaning off of lamictal...gabitril is supposed to be sedative like trileptal so i will have to be sleepy for awhile but hopefully won't have the issues that i have had with lamictal...
Thanks for your help,
Kelly
In the past I was on lamictal for about 7 months. My problem was the sleep. I had insomnia every night up till about 3 or more in the morning. Seizures just got worse from the lack of sleep. I was taking Ambien sometime. And still issue had gotten too bad and just got off the meds. For my doc didnt want me to take Ambien everyday which was not good.
take care
Lisa
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/epilepsyapproach1/
http://www.sleep-safe.co.uk/id90.htm
Hello kellyS
I'm currently taking 150 mg lamictal, was on 100 mg for 6 months. I don't have any issues with appetite. I take other meds for anxiety, effexor and adavan, so it's hard to tell with me, however in the beginning I had some dizziness and drowsiness with the lamictal, I went on very slowly, so it wasn't bad, the side effects only lasted like 2 months. Once in a while I go get very tired, even without the adavan, but it's hard to say it's the lamictal because the seizures exhaust me. From everything I've been told, lamictal is one of the safest seizure meds out there, it's been around forever and children take it. My neuro said it was the play it safe med to start with, especially at low doses.
The thing you have to remember with lamictal, is that it is also a mood stabilizer, people that have mild bipolar disorder also take lamictal.
You may want to ask for adavan or valium for sleeping, if you are having seizures, it never hurts to have adavan around anyways. With the type of seizures I have I can stop my seizure from lasting too long with the adavan, that is what they would give you at the hospital. Just try not to take it everyday, because it can be very addictive if your not careful. Or you can go the play it safe route, plain ole benedryl at night should do the trick.
Good Luck to you,
Heather
Thanks Heather...My apetite is great!!! I can eat anything I want and am still losing weight...I am 5'1" and weighing about 112...people at work are beginning to think i am anorexic...it is so ironic...i have spent a life time battling weight with it going up and down depending on dieting and now i am trying to gain weight!!! My neuro did put me on ambien to help me sleep so i am not getting 6 good solid hours of sleep which is better than the 2-3 i was getting...i am still extremely achey and worried that i am going to have to depend on the ambien to sleep for the rest ofmy life...i am suppose to go up to 200 mg and am currently on on 100mg...i too started it very slowly and have been slowly increasing since march 1st...i will be off of the trileptal on thursday...my problems with side effects started within the 1st 5 days of taking 25mg of lamicatal...
Kelly
Hi Janna I too am on lamictal 300mg 3x a day however i have not had that side effect of not wanting to eat meat. I have had the side effect of itching sometimes but not so much as to cause a rash.So the lack of wanting meat is probably caused by something else.
You may want to talk to your dr. about this.- Jamie Crowell
My appetite is getting better because I'm doing more to make eating regularly a more regular thing. Keeping a 'normal' eating schedule has become important for me so I can make sure I eat right. Now, I'm finding that if I'm not eating at my 'normal' time, I feel hungry. Lamictal is the first drug I've ever been on where a buffet sounds like a good thing. I went to friends wedding reception and made a pig of myself, and I was the source of laughter at the table because everyone there knows about my E, and knows I don't eat right. After I went to get my second piece of wedding cake, and dropped my fork on the plate when I was done, I received a small sarcastic round of applause because they had not seen me eat like that in years! Lamictal is doing wonders for my appetite so far. I'm taking 200mg AM, and 200mg PM.