About a month ago, my neurologist increased by Lamictal to 200 mg a day ( from 100 mg) and decreased my Neurontin to 1200 mg a day (from 2400 mg a day).

Before the change, I noticed that here and there, I would mess up my words when talking. For example, I'd go to say the sentence: I can't do that now, I have to go eat dinner in a few minutes" to "I can't do that now, go dinner in eat a few minutes" and it is so frustrating! Now I do it several times a day. I thought it was a side effect of the Neurontin but if it was decreased why is it still happening? Also, it is not one of the most common side effects of Neurontin or Dilantin so this is a little frustrated.

Does anyone have any answers? :confused:

I was on neurontin for about a month, and I remember and still do have problems with speech and vocabulary. I can't be sure if it was the seizures messing me up or the meds, but I would start to say something and stop mid sentence, totally forgetting what I was gonna say or not being able to remember simple words. Banana was one thing i forgot. I mean how do you forget that. Hello, bright yellow curvy thing. Now, I have this habit of forgetting my roomates name. I'll be standing right in front of her and I'll have to think about for a minute or so.
I feel your pain, but don't forget anytime you adjust your meds your body has to adjust, also. I get extremely tired anytime my meds are adjusted up or down, so I imagine it's probably the same for any side affect. I guess just try to be patient with it for now. One day at a time.

I feel your pain! I'd always been proud of my conversational skills and my extensive vocabulary. Since starting Dilantin a year ago, I frequently stop in the middle of a sentence because I can't think of the word I wanted to say. Since I speak a second language, sometimes the word I want will come up in the other language.

I've also become dyslexic - have to check my reports two or three times because there'll be so many words spelled backward, the wrong word used completely, or words missing.

My boss just walked by - I greeted him with "Good Meaning".

I have the same problem, with forgetting words, and it happens most when i am reading, i will be looking at a page and have no idea what the words mean. Also when I am typing, not writing with pen or pencil, and it doesnt' affect my abitliy to understand numbers. I say stuff that doesn't make any sense though, just randomly. I take lamictal too, and that might have something to do with it. I have tried to explain it to my neurologist to see if there is anythign that can be done, but it is hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it.

Same here...I get words mixed up some and forget in mid-sentence as well. I am taking Dilantin, but I think it's better than it was on Tegretol.
-Mike

I have the same problem, and I haven't even started taking my meds yet. I will be on Tegretol as of Friday. Can I make a suggestion? A friend of mine lives a very alternative life, so she's quite 'in tune' with her body. Whenever she starts to mess up her words like what you've described and the same goes for me, she goes to a natural health specialist and has a 'cranial' done. I guess, sometimes ur skull needs manipulating, just like your body does when you see a chiropractor or osteopath. Anyway, my point is, this helps her considerably. I haven't yet tried it, due to financial problems, but as soon as I can afford it, I'm going to have it done. Just thought I might mention it, in case it helps.

Tam

I have found something that helps me too, and I know this is going to sound so strange, but try it it helps me a lot. When I start having a hard time with my words, I stop and recite the pledge or allegiance (it could be anything you know by heart) over and over until it starts to make sense. Or If I am reading something, I just pick one sentence and read it aloud a few times, until the words make sense. I'm not sure why it works, I think because it helps me get my focus back.

I've had a problem with my speech as well. I mean, I have fine vocabulary but sometimes the words that come out of my mouth just don't make any sense! I'm on tegretol and lamictal. I always wondered if my medications made my speech worse?

Hello;
Im new here. Although I have epilepsy (grand-mal) I am not taking medication for it. I can not afford it.
I find that after a seizure, I will have trouble forming words, like I cant talk. I know exactly what I wan tto say, but the words wont come out. It's very frustrating, and people often look at me lie Im a retard
I fugure its something psychological, so it's something Ill have to deal with. Unforunately, those who dont have epilepsy could never understand

Melissa, I don't think it's psychological at all. It's definitely mechanical - I think that a seizure prevents the brain from transmitting correct signals for a while.

If you're having grand mal seizures, you should be on medication. Drug companies have programs for people who cannot afford medication. Your doctor can hook you up. You do have a doctor, right? If not, is there a free clinic in your area?

I hate to think of you having seizures and having no medical care!

I used to take 4800mg of Neurontin a day and my verbal skills were the same with it or without. They have decreased in the past 10 years since being diagnossed with temporal lobe epilepsy. Your temporal lobes are involved with vebal skills and that's some of the tests they do before surgery. They want to make sure they won't remove the dominant lobe. If you have TLE it's posible that it's caused by that. I went through two tests of verbal skills. One in 1999 and again this year before surgery. My verbal skills had decreased. My familly gets together and plays Scrabble, I don't. The AEDs effect memory and verbal skills also but with me it's more the location of the seizures and the scars on my brain. It's a scary think but I'm learning to live with it. My prayers are with all and I wish the best to everybody. God bless. Jeff

Just from experience, Neurontin rarely if ever shows/causes any side effects or has any drug-drug interactions. It is even perfectly safe to take during pregnancy.

I have been taking 3600 mgs of Neurontin for over 2 years now, and have never had any kind of problems with it what so ever.

I also take 1000 mgs of Depakote as well.

I have also had, and don't ask me why, the various forms of Tegretol, Topamax and Ativan. None of them held well.

If you have TLE, that garbled speech can occur from that, and in fact, is a VERY common occurance.

The speech center is in the far part of of the back of the LTL called Wernicke's Area. I have THE WORST TIME with being able to hold down a normal conversation because I studder, speak with a marble mouth, can't complete a sentence, mix up words reverse the front and the back of the sentence, forget what I was saying etc.

They usually don't use Neurontin in the high dose they have me on, but it wouldn't touch my seizures until it got that high.

I have Simple Partial, Complex Partial, Secondarily Generalized TCs (nocturnal), and Absence and Myoclonic--they have nothing to do with the first 3 types. Those first 3 are part of a syndrome called Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Syndrome. IT will never go away, Iwill always have to take my meds, I am a poor surgical candidate (can't have that either), it is partially intractible (because it is a syndrome).

For the Felbatol, they have the side effects chunked off in these ways--Most common, common, less common and rare. Tremors in the hands and arms (shakiness) is listed in the common side effects.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it changes or gets more severe even after the drug got reduced, then I would schedule an appoinment with your doc.

Remember, that shaking like that can also be a simple partial seizure, and it needs to be distinguished from the drug effects.

Nancy

I take Depakote and Topamax. I struggle with words, the neuro says they don't know if it's from the meds or if it's from me having had so many seizures. I just started having seizures a few years ago, but had alot in a short time. I have grand mal seizures. I have been controlled now for one year! :D I really have trouble with names. I will look at my children and not remember their names. I use the word thing-a-ma-jig alot because I can't think of what something is called. I used to be a very good game player, now I really struggle. When reading, I often find that I am unable to understand what is being said. I have read and reread things and still don't understand and it is something I should have no trouble with. It is all very frustating.
Kathy