Vimpat for Primary Generalized Epilepsy

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Re: Vimpat for Primary Generalized Epilepsy

My doc added Vimpat to the Lomotrigene about 6 months ago. I am taking 150mg morn / 150mg night. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure how much it is really helping. Although they have reduced slightly, I continue to have nocturnal grand mals every couple of months. After reading about the higher doses that some are taking, I'm thinking of asking my doc to up the dosage.

Regarding the side effects: There have been a couple of times that I am pretty sure that I have accidently taken two doses at night. I have the same effects as most of the others on this page. About an hour after the last dose, I have slightly blurred vision and a feeling that I am kind floating forward ... not so bad really.

Has anyone had any luck taking a higher dosage of Vimpat at night to stop nocturnals?

By smbarb... on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 12:16pm

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I just started Vimpat as an add on to 1200mg Tegretol (max. dose) for my generalized seizures.

My neurologist said what your's did about it being new and all medicine starts out as an add on (i kinda feel like a guinea pig). He seems to think i dont need Tegretol but he's gunna have to pry it from my cold dead hands!...Just dont have time to play that game!

Anyway, ive worked up to 150mg 2x daily and def. have the drunk feeling if i dont eat BEFORE taking it. This has made me miss a few classes.

No new episodes since taking it as an add on though..however, as long as i stayed away from caffeine, i didnt have seizures often with just Tegretol and they started as partials and progressed to generalized.

Hope i've helped in some small way...too, if anyone else has the caffeine sensitivity i have with their epilepsy, could you tell me anything you know.

thx.

By athomas on Mon, 04/05/2010 - 6:45pm

I am taking vimpat. I started 2 weeks after it got approved and it is doing great for me. I feel so stable like i did a year ago before I had my car accident last year.

By pibbs84 on Fri, 11/13/2009 - 12:19pm

I have very bad tonic clonic seizures. I have only had them since March of 2006. I have tried several different anti-seizure medicines. Currently I am taking a very high dose of both Keppra & Neurontin without much luck. The doctor then added Vimpat to the cocktail, which I am taking 150mg 2x/day. It seems to be working so far :) I have not had a single seizure in almost 5 months!

I do not have any side effects from the Vimpat.

Best of luck!

By varian93 on Sat, 11/07/2009 - 8:18am

Can someone tell me what it's like having to take more than one medicine for epilepsy--such as Vimpat as an add on?

By saleig... on Thu, 12/10/2009 - 2:13pm

I have over the years used a combination of medications . For 2 months now I've been using Vimpat, it was altogether a 5 week transition of being introduced to ...little by little. Now it is working well for me ,it just took me a little time adjusted to. As I was having the increase weekly, it had a slight intoxicating effect on me. If it was the morning increase, it was shortly (1hr) after or the evening increase just the same. Don't let it bother it will go away as you adjust to it, you'll notice what I talking about. Everyone that I've talked to mostly notices these effects and also Vimpat seems to working well for too.

Good luck with the new medicine, Johnny

By johnny on Thu, 12/10/2009 - 3:23pm

hiya i am looking to take it instead of epilim and lamictol hopefully in the future when its avalable to cheshire but in the end i hope to have a second op i had one almost 15 yrs ago they have found a nodule but i would like to try vimpat in the meaan time hope to hear from you sarah x

By scatty... on Wed, 12/09/2009 - 2:10pm

Hello,

What is your dosage of Vimpat? I take it with Dilantn and Lomotrigene. Do you think the blurred vision and uncoordination will go away. It last only one hour. It is weird though.

By teache... on Mon, 11/09/2009 - 9:52am

The doctor just increased my dosage of Vimpat. I get blurred vision and wobbley 1/2 hr. after i take it. This side effect last for an hour. I hope my body gets use to the side effects. I take it with Lamotrigene (lamictal) and Dilantin. I've had seizures for 16 yrs.

Has anyone had these side effects and did they get worse before getting better?

By teache... on Fri, 11/06/2009 - 8:15pm

You are describing me adapting to Vimpat as I take it, with the side-effcts that I have been dealing with. I would have to say your body adjusts as you take it and it slowly goes away. I'm half-way through, what is a 5 week schedule for my for introduction to Vimpat. Every week as I take it the increase is 50 mgs , either as the weeks go by the increase for me is 50 mgs. to my morning meds. or 50 mgs. to my evening meds. I take it... about 30-45 minutes after I take it, I feel drunk for 30-60 minutes. My dose will be a total of 400 mgs. a day on top of my Keppra and Trileptal that I take daily. It has been working for me as well as it's been working for everyone else too. Good luck to everyone that takes it and don't be surprised if everyone experiences those side-effects.

Take care, Johnny

By johnny on Mon, 11/09/2009 - 3:15pm

What kind of seizures are you taking it for? One thing I have done with my meds is I get up at 5:00 a.m., take them, and go back to bed. By the time I get up, I the side effects are pretty much gone. I take my evening dose with dinner, and that seems to help.

By filly150 on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 6:29am

HEY!

WHAT A SMART IDEA. I CAN SET THE ALARM, TAKE THE MEDS. AND GO BACK TO SLEEP. DO YOU EAT ANYTHING AT 5AM?

I BELIEVE THE VIMPAT IS FOR GRAND MAL AND THE DOCTOR WILL TAKE ME OFF THE DILANTIN IF IT IS WORKING.

I NEED TO CHECK THOUGH TO MAKE SURE.

INCREASED THEM TODAY. NOW I TAKE 150MGS AM AND 150MGS PM

EVERY MONTH I HAVE 4-6 SEIZURES. THEY'RE PARTIAL COMPLEX AND USUALLY OCCUR WHEN I SLEEP. I'VE ONLY HAD 3 GRAND MAL BUT IT'S SCARY.

By teache... on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 11:15am

I normally have a smoothie in the morning. If I do anything in the morning it is usually swimming, but I don't think the drunk feeling is going to interfere with that. I'm not swimming right now because I'm still on Topamax, and I have a rash from that. My doctor said that the Vimpat is for Complex and Simple Partials and not Grand Mals. I'm willing to give it a try to see if it will work. Did you say it worked with your grand mals?

By filly150 on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 11:33am

Just about the only type of seizures that I regularly have are Grand Mal / Tonic Clonic seizures. The Vimpat seems to have stopped them completely.

I was taking:

Keppra 2000mg/am
Neurontin 1800mg/am

Keppra 3000mg/pm
Neurontin 1800mg/pm

I was still having clusters of Grand Mal / Tonic Clonic seizures about every 3 weeks. As I mentioned in an earlier post my neurologist then added Vimpat to the mix. She added 100mg of Vimpat in the morning as well as 100mg of Vimpat in the evening. I have not had a seizure since she added the Vimpat, which was on 06/27/09.

After I was on the Vimpat for a couple of months I asked her if it would be okay for us to increase the Vimpat dosage to 150mg/am & 150mg/pm just as a precautionary measure. She agreed that since I was not having any side effects at all from it that it was a legitimate idea. It was NOT any seizure activity that made me & my doctor decide to increase it's dosage, it was just a safety precaution.

Keppra is the first anti-epileptic medication that I was put on & it has never seemed to help whatsoever so the current plan is once I have gone a full year without any seizures, to start weaning me off of the Keppra. Then just remain on the Neurontin & Vimpat.

I hope someone finds this information helpful.

By varian93 on Wed, 12/09/2009 - 2:34pm

I not sure if it's for grand mal seizures also. It's been 18 days since I've had a seizure. The last one I had was when I was ironing a shirt before a concert. It was a complex and I didn't even know I had it. My family told me. The neurologist told my husband, "she was ironing?". I don't iron often. It was just for the occasion.

It's been 8months since I had a grand mal.

Did you say you were taking Vimpat or thinking about it. I've basically tried every med out there and have a vns also. The lamital seems to be helping.

Good Luck!

By teache... on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 9:48pm

Thank you for responding.

Those side effects(drunk feelings) are exactly what I was talking about. I felt bad when I was walking with my husband at the Breeder's Cup, Santa Anita. I had to walk more carefully and he wanted to hold on to me. My husband has put up with a lot. Sixteen yrs of seizures is nothing to joke about.

I'll continue the vimpat for awhile to see if I get used to it.

By teache... on Mon, 11/09/2009 - 5:31pm

I recently switched from keppra to vimpat for Atonic seizures. I was on the vimpat for about 6 weeks but I was having too many breakthrough seizures (around 3 or more per week). Once I added the keppra back with it I have only had 1 a week, which is slightly better. Everything I have read says vimpat works better along with another drug so hopefully it works for you. Hopefully that helps you.

Staci :)

By roxygi... on Fri, 11/06/2009 - 12:06pm

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Vimpat for Primary Generalized Epilepsy

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