Thinking of Switching medication. Help! - Epilepsy Message Board

phuenink · 10-27-2008, 11:43 AM

I'm new to the message boards, and I'm looking for some advice.

I've been taking Carbamazapine for about 17 years, and the side effects (drowsiness, poor vision, dry mouth, and dizziness) are too much for me. My doctor gave me a list of drugs to look up. Does anyone have experience-- good or bad-- with these drugs?
-Valproic Acid (Depacon; Depakene; Depakote ER;
-Phenytoin (Dilantin; Phenytek)
-Levetiracetam (Keppra)
-Lamotrigine (Lamictal)

Thank you

Travis from MN · 10-27-2008, 02:05 PM

Hmm.. As somebody who has been on Teg (carbamazepine) since the start the symptoms you listed reminds me when they had me on too high of a dose; but thats just from a patient's perspective.

I've been on ALL of the others you mentioned and then some.

Keppra I'm still on, it has produced the least side effects of the bunch. A person has to watch out for emotional outbursts (nicknamed keppRAGE) as a indication of incompatibility. Top dose they like to go up to is 3000mg/day

Depakote likes to cause hair thinning and weight gain when ON the medication. It comes off when you are taken off the medication. Pills go down easy thats a plus. It was so-so for me when I was on Dilantin and Teg at the same time (made me sleep 12 hrs and tired all day on that 3 med blend). That was due to medication interactions, not Depakote itself. Never on it as a one drug therapy.

Lamictal didn't work with my system so I am not a good person to ask on it. They never were able to get my levels up even at 800mg/day. Watch out for skin rash like symptoms as a warning indication of reaction to the medication (meaning call Dr ASAP).

Dilantin is an older med that has been changed in delivery form recently. I think it now is a solid then a capsul as it was in the past. I was always on other meds when I was on it so by itself I don't know.

Depending on the control you need they may try using multiple medications. Other then Dilantin and Depakote I think the rest are used MAINLY as add-on medications (not one drug therapy). Keppra CAN be used as a mono-therapy in rare instances, but it is not listed as such.

It all depends on what the patient responds best to for control. It could be any one of the meds if the goal is a one medication therapy.

Hope that helps a little.

--Travis

shakin stevens · 10-27-2008, 03:25 PM

hi, i would say that keppra is the one that has caused me the least problems and lamotrigine the most problems, haven't used the valproic and only used the phenytoin for short periods at a time. hope its of some help. ste

030free · 10-27-2008, 05:27 PM

Hi, I must agree with the Keppra, been on it for a few years (3000mg/day) and no problems, havent used the others. Im also on Trileptal but dont know if this med could help you.. I vote for Keppra

Laura

soccerschmee14 · 10-27-2008, 05:56 PM

my vote would be for the depakote, granted i have only tried that and lamictal from your list. i am currently on depakote and topamax right now. the depakote has some side effects that ppl listed like the hair thinning and shakey hands, but i also think it is the most effective. it brought me down from 2-3 tcs a wk to once a month and now i havent had one in 2 yrs, only sps. the lamictal i wasnt on for very long so i dont think i have a say in regards to that.