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Memory Loss/Side Effects - Lamictal vs. Topomax

Fri, 10/30/2009 - 20:17

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone can tell me their experiences with the side effects of different medicines, particularly Lamictal and Topomax.

I have been on Lamictal for about 2 (going on 3) years now and since then I have had a lot of difficulty with my memory as well as other side effects that I didn't have when I took Tegretol XR. I take 300 mg twice a day of Lamictal.

I really have never felt controlled with Lamictal, have become fairly clumsy, am SUPER tired (moreso than when I was on the Tegretol), have migraines, and NO MEMORY. My short-term memory, especially is VERY bad. I had fogginess and tiredness with Tegretol, but I don't remember it being nearly this bad.

Now, I am having significant auras multiple times a day, every couple days, and had a breakthrough partial complex last week so my neuro and I are talking about switching meds. Apparently the Lamictal levels in my blood are too high and I am showing signs of toxicity b/c of the way I am metabolizing the meds, so increasing my dosage of Lamictal isn't an option. My neurologist suggested putting me on Topomax for control purposes and to help with my migraines which I was totally fine with until I started reading some of the posts here about Topomax.

Topomax sounds. . .scary. I am terrified of switching to a medication that will not only sustain my clumsiness, tiredness, and memory loss, but also increase depression, make my hands tingle, give me extreme weight-loss, etc., etc.! The brain-function issue and the tiredness issue are huge for me. . .I am in the middle of writing my thesis and need all the brain-power I can manage. I am so tired of being tired and like I can't function. While my friends go to work at 7, then exercise afterwards, go out to eat and to a concert all in one day (!). . .I go to work or school and am so tired that I can't do much of anything else. It's terrible. If I am already struggling with that while being on the Lamictal, will Topomax be worse? Now I feel like both medicines aren't good choices for me.

Does anyone have any advice about this? Has anyone out there ever had positive results with Topomax? Is there ANY anti-convulsant that DOESN'T cause such horrible cognitive fogginess and tiredness??? 

Sorry for such a long post, but any help or advice would be very much appreciated.

~JLSB 

Comments

Re: Memory Loss/Side Effects - Lamictal vs. Topomax

Submitted by nshewey on Wed, 2009-11-11 - 22:11

I have been on topamax for around a year and a half and I love it! I was on Keppra and Lyrica before topamax and they worked, but not as well as topamax has workd for me. However, I have heard the Keppra is good for people with Grand Mal seizures, which I do not have.

I do not have any of the side effects you listed besides weight loss, but I was overweight to begin with. I stopped losing weight at a weight considered normal for my height (my BMI now 22%) and I can eat pretty much whatever I want without gaining anything.I consider this to be a positive, actually. I am not tired, or at least any more tired than I ever was before. I feel more awake than I was on Lyrica or Keppra.  I can tell you my memory is not as sharp as it was before I started having episodes, but it is not significantly different and I cannot blame it on the topamax. I was in college still when starting topamax and ended both semesters on the Dean's List, so I feel like for me it did not have side effects listed. I am now down to only 1 episode a month maximum. I sometimes go a month without an episode.

HOWEVER:

There was one time that I did have side effects. This was when the doctor raised my dose TOO FAST. Then I was tired, very tired. Since I had been on the medication successfully before I called and told him I was having problems and he said the dose was being raised too quickly and to slow down. It look me maybe 3-4 months to get to the correct dose. If you are on it and start to notice you feel weird then call your doctor. I went to the neuro every few weeks while starting it. Also, note that it can cause kidney problems if you take it for too long. Because of this I take potassium EVERY DAY and try to drink at LEAST 8 glasses of water a day. 

On a side note, I recommend caffeine if you have migraines, which you have probably heard before, but it is very true. I consider my 2 shots of espresso a day to be migraine preventative.

I have been on topamax for around a year and a half and I love it! I was on Keppra and Lyrica before topamax and they worked, but not as well as topamax has workd for me. However, I have heard the Keppra is good for people with Grand Mal seizures, which I do not have.

I do not have any of the side effects you listed besides weight loss, but I was overweight to begin with. I stopped losing weight at a weight considered normal for my height (my BMI now 22%) and I can eat pretty much whatever I want without gaining anything.I consider this to be a positive, actually. I am not tired, or at least any more tired than I ever was before. I feel more awake than I was on Lyrica or Keppra.  I can tell you my memory is not as sharp as it was before I started having episodes, but it is not significantly different and I cannot blame it on the topamax. I was in college still when starting topamax and ended both semesters on the Dean's List, so I feel like for me it did not have side effects listed. I am now down to only 1 episode a month maximum. I sometimes go a month without an episode.

HOWEVER:

There was one time that I did have side effects. This was when the doctor raised my dose TOO FAST. Then I was tired, very tired. Since I had been on the medication successfully before I called and told him I was having problems and he said the dose was being raised too quickly and to slow down. It look me maybe 3-4 months to get to the correct dose. If you are on it and start to notice you feel weird then call your doctor. I went to the neuro every few weeks while starting it. Also, note that it can cause kidney problems if you take it for too long. Because of this I take potassium EVERY DAY and try to drink at LEAST 8 glasses of water a day. 

On a side note, I recommend caffeine if you have migraines, which you have probably heard before, but it is very true. I consider my 2 shots of espresso a day to be migraine preventative.

Re: Memory Loss/Side Effects - Lamictal vs. Topomax

Submitted by lyneeeh on Thu, 2009-11-12 - 04:09
I'm just coming off Topomax for the very reason of not being able to think straight, having no memory and I think it's called ataxia (sorry about the spelling) where you can't come up with the word your after. I have been 100 times better since dropping my topomax dose and going onto the Lamictal. My family have also noticed that I now seem to have more interest in life. It was like the topomax made me lose interest in everything around me, and tired all the time. I am alot more alive on the Lamactil.. Only down side is I seem to be putting back on the weight I lost on the Topomax. Good Luck Finding whats right for you

Re: Memory Loss/Side Effects - Lamictal vs. Topomax

Submitted by moorejodpt on Fri, 2009-12-25 - 22:22

Why haven't the neuros tried other meds?

Neurontin, Trileptal, Zonegran...I hated Topemax (Stupimax) and Depakote. I had the worst STM loss, aphasia and apraxia. I remember being out to dinner, holding the fork and knife in my hand and not having any damn clue what do with them while I stared at my chicken! No thanks! lol

John

Why haven't the neuros tried other meds?

Neurontin, Trileptal, Zonegran...I hated Topemax (Stupimax) and Depakote. I had the worst STM loss, aphasia and apraxia. I remember being out to dinner, holding the fork and knife in my hand and not having any damn clue what do with them while I stared at my chicken! No thanks! lol

John

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