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UPDATED: Mon, 08/13/2007 - 9:19am
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elizleigh
Lamictal side effects/weight changes? Or Tegretol?
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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
By elizleigh at Mon, 08/13/2007 - 9:19am | 3496 views | 39 comments
Topic: Medication Issues
Recent Comments on this Discussion
Hi Elizabeth,
I have been on Lamictal for well over a year. I do not have epilepsy, but i am bipolar 2 and
its worked out great for me. I have had no weight gain what so ever and I know a couple of other people who have had the same positive experience that i've had. As far as getting pregnant while taking Lamictal, there's no guarentee, but the chances are slimmer in regards to birth defects. One important thing you MUST do is have your doctor write you a prescription for folic acid- this will help decrease the chances of birth defects even more- you should start taking them at the same time you start taking the Lamictal
I hope this has helped you out and Good Luck!
I have been taking Lamictal for a few weeks now and with the change in my appetite, I do not see me gaining weight on it. I am rarely hungry and when my stomach does growl, I eat about half of what I used to. It is one of the few side effects that I have encountered so far that isn't too bad. I was on Keppra for a while and that made me want to eat all the time...and sweets (and I am not a sweet eater).
Hello to all,
I have been on Lamictal for 5 years and have not had any weight changes related to my meds. In those 5 years I have had 4 seizures and all of them were from me forgeting to take my meds. Lamictal is quite tempermental but once the doctor gets you on the right dosege it works great.
Last year I had a beautiful baby boy. Lamictal had no effect on him whatsoever. I was unable to breastfeed him but he is healthy and strong. Formula is more money but just as healthy for our little ones.
Good luck to you,
Melissa
Hi Elizabeth,
I think people react differently to meds, but my experience with Lamictal has not been positive. I have been taking now for 9 months, and in that time I have gained 15 pounds or so (up 2 dress sizes). Along with weight gain, I've had chronic stomach pain and nausea after eating. I am going to see my doctor this Friday to discuss alternatives. I am not sure how common weight gain is with Lamictal, but it has been an issue for me.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Liz
Another thing I'm thinking is that I need to get my 40 year old fat-a$$ to the gym and start working out!
When I started taking Lamictal I lost 20 lbs in a month. I only weighed 105 lbs so to go down to 85 lbs was a huge problem even though I am only 5'3". I used to chew food up & spit it out because I couldn't eat it. If I could eat it hurt my stomach & make me feel really sick. I hated Lamictal, I'd have panic attacks, freak out over nothing, be afraid to go to class (I was in college at the time) & was really depressed. I finally quit one day when I had had it. For over two years I didn't take any meds just so that I could be happy like I was before. It took me almost two years to put the weight back on. I switched to Keppra & have put on 10 lbs. but am happier not freaking out. I hear that Keppra makes you grouchy too so maybe Keppra's not the best for me either, but I like it because my neuro said I could get pregnant & breastfeed. For me it wasn't good but luckily there are other choices out there.
Hi Elizabeth,
I think people react differently to meds, but my experience with Lamictal has not been positive. I have been taking now for 9 months, and in that time I have gained 15 pounds or so (up 2 dress sizes). Along with weight gain, I've had chronic stomach pain and nausea after eating. I am going to see my doctor this Friday to discuss alternatives. I am not sure how common weight gain is with Lamictal, but it has been an issue for me.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Liz
In the short amount of time I have been on Lamictal, I have noticed I have been putting on weight. Mind you, I just turned 40, and have never had a problem with weight, but I have been putting on a few pounds since I started taking Lamictal. Dilantin never seemed to give me any trouble like this.
I have been on Lamactil for 11 years now and it has been ok, I was first on Tegretol and increased 17kgs in 8 weeks but it left me a zombie, I felt awful. I have always been skinny. Neuro then put me on combo of Lamactil 500mg/day, I went the opposite extreme, the weight gain slowed down but I became insomniac - my brain raced day and night and my memory was terrible (still is).
I asked to come off the tegretol and go it alone on Lamactil. My sleepiness improved coming off the Tegretol and my weight came down 10 kgs in a very short space of time and stayed that way for 10 years - even having twins in the middle. I reduced my Lamactil to 150mg when we started for baby and took a prescribed large dose of Folic acid for 3 months before pregnancy and the first trimester. My twins were born healthy and I breastfed for 6 months.
A while back I started experiencing dramatic side effects from the Lamactil, so I self reduced and it didn't go well. I was referred to a new neuro who put me on a combo of Keppra and Lamactil. So far so good, except for putting on 6kgs. I am 41 now and I don't know if it is my new Keppra (increased ravenous appetite) or just turning 40 but I have put on 6kgs. Am still taking Lamactil of 100mg/day. The most frustrating thing I find is the memory loss and for everyone around me! Good luck.
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
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
Phenobarbatol is one med I've never tried. I wonder why after all this time of having E, no one has ever tried this one on me. How bad are the side effects of phenobarbatol? I'm currently on Lamictal and hate the side effects and have been putting on weight. Dilantin doesn't seem to bother me much. Depakote just seemed like a worthless drug as far as my E is concerned.
I have had VERY bad weight gain with my lamictal. It seems that everytime I have a seizure (and my meds get increased) I gain more weight, without eating the food. I hate it. I was on Dilantin and all it did was make my thyroid lower and made my meds less effective, causing me to increase my dose. I hate taking all the meds b/c they make me EXTREMELY tired.
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
Hi-
I have been on lamictal for 4 months and I have lost 9 pounds (I weighed 123 lbs. initially).I loved the medication until a couple of weeks ago when I started heart palpitations and anxiety. I also feel restless when I sleep. My neurologist said it was weight neutral, but if you download the "complete prescribing information" on Lamictal's website, it says weight loss can be a side effect. I had 3 healthy children on phenobarbital ( when I had my first in 1995, tegretol was #1 choice for pregnancy,then phenobarbital). I understand they don't like phenobarbital for pregnancy anymore. Alot of the newer ones you can't breastfeed with however. I would take tegretol- its been around alot longer- the longterm effects on the newer drugs aren't known.( I couldn't take tegretol- I was allergic to it). Best of luck!
I was wondering how you handled phenobarbatol? That stuff makes me into a zombie. They put me on that stuff when I was pregnant 25 years ago, and I got off it right away. I thought, "Hell, if it's affecting me this much, what is it going to do to my baby?"
SusieQ
I have been on Lamictal for a short time and have noticed I have been putting on weight. I also get a buzz from Lamictal. A dizzy, not a good buzz kind of thing. I have called my Dr and he wants me to try it a little longer to see if I tolerate it better.
I was on too much Lamical once, and I know that dizziness you are talking about. I used to describe it as the feeling you get after getting off the "tilt-a-whirl" ride. Maybe you're not on THAT much too much. The thing is, instead of learning to tolerate a high dose, doesn't it make more sense to take a lower dose and see if you can control your epilepsy on a lower dose?
SusieQ
i am on lamictal and i hate the side afects.
If you know it's not good for you, try something else. I got off it too. You're right. There are way too many risks with Lamictal, and it's not one of the better ones. It was invented around 2000. Might want to try a newer one.
Ever hopeful,
SusieQ
when i was taking valproic acid i gained weight like you wouldn't believe. then i had a crazy job where i lost 60lbs in 3 months and after that i started on tegretol. i've gained weight since that job but not to the extent with the valproic acid. i have other side effects from it but weight gain is not one of them. personally i think i gained the weight because i'm allergic to exercise :P
Hi Elizabeth...I know this sounds stupid but I simply cannot figure out how to create a new forum topic! Can you please let me know?
I decided to post here b/c my topic would be similar to yours. I just started taking Lamictal 3 days ago...so no weight issues yet. In addition to Elizabeth's question...can someone please explain how the weight fluctuations occur?...do you eat the same you used to and gain alot of weight? or is it b/c your appetite increases?
I hope it has to do with appetite b/c that can be controlled. If I am not hungry I will force myself to eat and if I am too hungry I will force myself not to overeat.
Hi there
I am really new to this forum, actually just registered. I have been on lamictal for 4 years and it is doing good for me. I take 200mg X2. I have gained some weight but I don't think its because of lamictal. I am seizure free since I started taking lamictal. I have JME, I was having absent seizure in my childhood but didn't notice them, I got my first seizure where I fell and was jerking. At that time I was diagnosed with epilepsy and started taking lamictal.
As far as pregnancy is concerned, my Dr. told me that lamictal is the best drug for child rearing women, it has very few side effects. Although he told me to inform him about 3 months before I am planning to have a baby. Folic acid is a must during pregnancy and he will increase my dose of folic acid when I am planning on having a baby. I am currently taking 1mg folic acid daily.
Chand
Hi there :-)
There is a link at the top of each forum that says "start new discussion thread". That is where you click to start a new topic. ;-)
As far as the the weight issues go, I've lost a lot of weight on Topamax simply because I feel sick all the time and do not feel like eating. My appetite has been cut to next to nothing. My sister used to be on depakote and she blew up to an unbelievable size. I couldn't even believe it was her. I'm not sure if it increases your appitite or sodium levels or what but it can't be healthy for you so I really want to try and stay away from those if I can. I've found that eating a lot of fruit and protein drinks and low sugar content have really helped a lot. Vitamin supplements help too.
I have a question for you - are you on Lamictal as a monotherapy? What type of seizures do you have? I've really become interested in Lamictal because of the safety for pregnancy but am confused because I've seen that it may not be safe as a monotherapy for someone with partial and generalized seizures.
Elizleigh (called you the wrong name before..lol),
Thanks!...I am so scared about the weight issues b/c I weigh 115 lbs and I am very happy at that weight. I don't want to gain an ounce and I don't want to lose an ounce!
Lamictal is the only medicine I am taking. I had my first and only seizure (so far) about a month ago. My EEG results did not come out normal. It shows sharp waves on my right temporal lobe and so the doctor said I need to take medicine. He said that I have what he would call partial seizure with secondary generalization. So do you know why exactly it might not be safe?...ARGGHHHH!!!! I am so upset about my doctor he totally sucks. He did not mention that to me at all! He pretty much made light of the whole situation and told me there are practically no side effects with this medicine.
The only thing he mentioned to me in terms of pregnancy dangers was that you have a higher chance for having a child with cleft lip. He said that taking folic acid would counteract that risk. We didn't go into any further discussion on that b/c I told him I will not be getting pregnant during the 2-year period it was prescribed for.
You were right! Elizabeth is my name, elizleigh is just a screen name :-). I've only just begun to read about lamictal so don't let anything I say scare you. I have a doctor's appoinment today and I really hope he tells me that I can take Lamictal by itself. So I'm happy to hear that you are on it alone. All this info on the internet is so confusing and it's just really hard to make sense of. I have both grand mals and partials, so I just don't know if it would be ok for me to take by itself so that is what worries me about it, but we'll see. The doctor's know way more so just go with what they tell you unless your body is telling you otherwise. Keep notes of all the side effects you experience as well. My doc told me there were barely any side effects with topamax also and boy was that a load of crap. Never in my life have I experienced so many aweful side effects. Everyone is different and everyone reacts differently to meds so you just have to find one that works with your body.
I hope Lamictal is one that works fo you and I hope for me too because it seems like it may be the safest as far as pregnancy goes - I really just want to be on it just in case I get pregnant because I've also read that by the time you find out you are pregnant on other less tolerable meds, the damage to the fetus has already been done.
Yea, I am going kinda crazy with all the info I have been reading. I want to be well informed but I am also getting very worried. Anyway, good luck with your appointment today and please remember to let us know how it went!
Hey, I am going to join in on ya'lls conversation.
I am on lamictal and keppra. I have notice that I eat the same things I did before I started meds, but I gain weight in no time. I am 19 and I weighed 180 lbs (I know I am fat) before I started meds. I about five months, I have gained 20 lbs. The thing that gets me is that I still eat the same thing and the same portions. I would like to take a seizure med that makes me lose weight, but I am allergic to five meds: Depakote, Klonopin, Tegretol, Feblatol, and Topomax. All the meds gave me a rash, except for the topomax. It caused me to have a heart rate of 180 BPM. That really wore me out.
I stay tired and worn out now. I am still having break-through seizures, but not near as bad as what they used to be. I have not talked to my neuro about this. I do not know if he will even say anything in regards to this. I just know that gaining weight is getting on my nerves!!!!! Thanks for your help though!
I trying to get info from other epileptic people that are noticing changes in there lives because of it. I'm 24 and very stressed out with my condition. My family tells me not to stress because they feel that my seizures are caused by stress.Anybody have seizures caused by stress that is proven?I've seen 6 different Doc's.I still never got 1 answer telling me a possible cause.Blood test,EEG,EKG,and every time I have another they change my meds or double the dose.
i was on depakote for years and the weight gain was normal. well who knows cause i started it when i was 13 and played soccer alot!
i am getting old enough to have children (27 years old) and decided to switch of Depakote even though o was used to it controlling my seizures.
Now i am on Lamictal (250 x 2) and Keppra (200 x 2). Keppra works for grand mals but they put me on lamictal as well to help my moods in case going of the depakote would change my neutrality (lamictal and keppra are mood stabilizers). even though i am not bipolar they think being on a mood stabilizer for so long can change the chemistry of the brain.
ANYWAY, if you have grand mals, its hard to choose a medication just for the side effects. you have to control the seizures because the risk is high of injury or death. and we dont wnat that, do we?
if you are on lamictal, go on keppra as well so that maybe if you are going to gain weight you can counteract it with keppra that causes weight gain. i have lost 10 pounds. my parents almost thought i was anorexic! haha!
hi,
i use lamictal and my weight didn't changed. with my previous meds i gained weight but i lost it all when i got lamictal.
I've gained weight on Lamictal. I'm adding Keppra to the mix and hoping I'm not one of the unfortunate ones that gains weight on that too. Valproate was the worst for me (both for weight gain, and other side effects), and I shot up about four dress sizes. I lost the weight, but since Lamictal I've put on a dress size again. For me, it's appetite. I'm always hungry. It's horrible!
Hi Elizabath, I have been on lamictal for 11 years, and yes the weight gain is a problem, but at 40yrs old I prefer weight gain to a seizure. I do have an 11 year old, and when I was pregnant I was on 300mg of dilantin a day, and my daughter is very healthy, of course she was very very planned and I followed dr's rules to the tee. I was also on tegretol but only for a short time, the side effects were too much to handle.
I am on Lamictal and I have had no problems with it. My husband and I are planning to have a baby soon. My neurologist has me on Folic Acid and told me everything I needed to know about being on Lamictal while being pregnant.
He told me that women who don't have epilepsy have a 1%-3% chance of having a baby with a cleft lip. If I choose to stay on Lamictal while being pregnant, my chances are 3%-6%. He said older medications have a higher percentage. If I decide to get off medication while I'm pregnant, there is a chance of me having a seizure and that could harm the baby or result in a miscarriage. You should also be on Folic Acid. I am choosing to stay on my Lamictal. Also, before my husband and I decided to have a baby, my doctor said to let him know six months in advance before we start trying to conceive.
A friend of mine's daughter is epileptic and was on medication while she was pregnant and has 3 healthy children. I don't know what medictation she takes, but it makes me feel better knowing that I can have a healthy baby.
Hi i just wanted give you all some insight, on
Lyrica!! I started to take this after other meds just was not working. Meds work different on everyone. But after approx 6 or 7 months of taking Lyrica, i GAINED a total of 50lbs, i am 5ft3inches, and my vison got so messed up i could not focus, and , and can not stand any types of bright lights. I am back on Gabapentin but my doc's raised the dosage. I weighed 130lbs, and now i am 180lbs, i am not a big eater, even when i was pregnant with my babies, i only gained 26lbs with them and i dropped it all off, and was back to normal. Being this heavy really depresses me. My doctors said for the most part all the meds i am taking will put weight on me, and they all have side effects, some patiences have no side affects, others have alot. Bingo that is ME, and it makes me very depressed and sad, And it does not help when you haven't seen someone in eons and they make a comment i wasn't sure if that was you, because you sure beefed up. I just ignore the remark and go home with my man and cry. When i first started to take Lyrica the didn't have all the warnings they do now on TV, and it is True!! Good luck. When people have their health they sure do not realize how lucky they are.
Hi Elizabeth,
I was started on Lamictal when I was first diagnosed. I am extremely sensitive to medications and was taken off of Lamictal because of a reaction. I was then put on Tegretol. The side effects were very hard to adjust to in the beginning, but eventually it got better. It was a hard road at first though. But, again, remember I am extra-sensitive to any kind of medication. I still experience side effects to a much lesser degree than in the beginning when I am not in tip-top shape and let myself get rundown-- and then oh boy-- are the side effects back! (i.e. sickness, not getting enough sleep, etc. ) After having a breakthrough seizure Topomax was added on top of Tegretol. That was a mess! I started having problems breathing and I dropped 6 lbs in the first week alone. I was rapidly taken off of Topomax and my Tegretol level was just increased. I haven't noticed any weight differences with Tegretol. I still haven't gained back the 10+ lbs. I ultimately lost while on the Topomax.
I hope the info helps and good luck!
Seth,
Stress is a huge trigger for me & seizures. I have really had to learn what is worth worrying about and what isn't. My hubby is also always hovering telling me not to worry about things and is like a pitbull between me and whoever might be causing me stress. My doctor acknowledges that stress is one of my triggers. Do your best to stay as calm as possible. There are things in life worth stressing about, and well, the rest just isn't worth your health.
I have been on both Lamictal and Tegretol for the past few years. They seem to be working great so long as I do not forget to take them at the apponted time. They make me want to sleep more but if I get eight hours I'm good to go. I think they are worth trying.