Every anti-seizure medication I've taken has had weight gain as a side effect. And predictably, none of the neurologists I've used have even mentioned the possibility of this. About the quickest way of learning such "pro's and con's" is to enter the drug's name on your computer, have it bring up the data on it, read it carefully, and make some decisions after consulting with your doctor. Definitely do not discontinue taking your pills. I did once and will never forget how it landed me in a hospital. My current pills are Keppra and Depakote (both in the only affordable form--generic). Yes, Keppra has caused my weight to rise. But then, I "fight it" by eating lower calorie foods.

My weight increased about 10% in a matter of a few months three years ago after I started Lamictal. I'm in my mid-20s and I assumed that, while undesirable, the gain probably was just a change in metabolism. (The gain was delayed a few months, I'm assuming because the summer I started I was working two jobs, 70 hours/week, riding my bike to and from work, and one of the jobs was very much physical labor.) I didn't think much of it at the time, and my weight stabilized fairly quickly. After graduation last spring I started working full time and ultimately settled into the most sedentary life I've ever had. Within a year of pretty much just sitting around all day, with minimal stress and less-than-great diet, I had gained maybe a few pounds. Then this summer I almost doubled my Lamictal dosage and saw the weight increasing about a month later. Added Trileptal about a month and a half ago as well. In the last two months I've gained nearly 20 pounds. I've gone back to school in a grad program and I have much more physical activity and more stress. Given the timing relative to the medication increase (you don't just gain 20 pounds in two months under normal circumstances) for both periods, and the stability in between, I believe it's the medication. I talked to my neurologist yesterday and he thinks otherwise. But as we all know, neurologists don't know everything. Oh well. I guess I'll just see what I can do to maintain my weight on my own.