Hi. I've been taking lamotrigine for two years and have had some side effects such as insomnia that has been alleviated with a lower dose.
Over the past year, I've been having problems with mouth sores, particularly inside the cheek. Have always regarded these as simple canker sores but I have one that hasn't completely healed and "flares up" very often and it's painful. I've been to an ENT specialist and he says it's not a canker sore, just a skin condition. Well, I'm not buying that because why would an ulcer in the mouth stay there for no reason at all? Something had to start it.
I don't like to blame lamotrigine for everything but a lot of this stuff seemed to start over the course of my being on it. One thing after another, be it the insomnia and now this. I'm going to my doctor next week and ask for another referral to my neurologist. He's most likely to say: "These things like rashes, sore mouth or whatever USUALLY happen within eight weeks of beginning treatment."
From what I have read, these side effects can happen anytime during treatment and I'm basically going to ask him to take me off them and substitute something else. I've been seizure-free for seventeen years so I shouldn't be much of a risk for seizures to recur. I know I must take something but there's a lot of medications out there that would serve the same purpose. Perhaps even going back on my former medication (carbamazepine) might be a good idea, at least until a few things are clarified.
If these sores or whatever go away after being taken off lamotrigine, that's the problem. If they continue, that's not the case but it's the only way to find out.
Either way, I have to do something as these sores get very painful now and then and perhaps this is the answer. Worth a try, at least in my opinion. I'm not a doctor and my opinion is just that but it's a way to find out.
Any of you out there with similar experiences??
Thanks.......Rod
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