Has anyone used any anti epilepsy drugs that have fucked up your fingernails?

[WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles]

Yes I know AIBU to ask in AIBU section for traffic, but I have also posted on Health.

I am on four anti epilepsy medications atm and my seizures still aren't controlled. Recently, and I think it may be linked to Cenobamate, my nails have started to badly ridge/peel, they feel fragile and feel like they are coming away from the nail beds. The only thing I can find with a link is sodium valproate and I'm not on that

Has anyone experienced anything similar on AEDs?

It sounds like such a silly minor worry compared to all the other much worse AEDs side effects (and seizure injuries!) but apart from the nail bed pain, I love my nails. Ironically I have just spent months nurturing and growing them for a new hand tattoo and they looked lovely - and now they look like shit. I can't isolate any obvious links like changing toiletries/laundry/diet etc (it's not the tattoo aftercare cream as it doesn't touch the nails and I've used it loads before anyway) as its so just wondering if anyone has had similar on AEDs?

It's a niche market alright

I don’t have any experience of anti-epilepsy drugs but my nails badly ridged once and I eventually linked it to childbirth. This could have been the drugs used or perhaps the stress. Could the episodes themselves have caused them if not under control? They did grow out and didn’t return.

I'm afraid it really is a bit niche...AEDs can have any number of side effects. Cenobamate is a sodium channel blocker I believe, which can screw up your levels of other things like potassium, so it wouldn't surprise me if it could have an effect on your nails.

I really hope you manage to get something that works to control your seizures and with fewer side effects.

I don't have anything useful to add, but can I say I love ❤️ your username.

I have very limited knowledge too but I was listening to LBC radio earlier today and they had callers raving about medicine cannabis for conditions like yours. Sounds like you have to go private for it but it can do wonders apparently.

Well it's definitely not childbirth related @EmmaPaella! Thank fuck  I'm under a lot of stress atm but this hasn't happened before.

They surely are niche @CatherinedeBourgh atm
I'm treading a fine line between what's worse, seizures or side effects. My thumbnail is definitely lifting away, and it bloody hurts too!

Why thank you @bluebeardswife7  I usually NC to a different name for health stuff as don't want to give out anything RL outing, but forgot. So you see anyone with no thumbnail we can do the FWR secret handshake or not maybe

@Jk987 I have thought about that but it would cost a fortune sadly and this already costs me enough in DH having to take time off work etc...

Thanks all for taking the time to reply

Also I have a protective cover over it and (naturally!) it's the thumb used for my Touch ID I can't tell you how annoying it is not to be able to use this! It's amazing how something just becomes so automatic and ingrained (maybe that's the problem with my brain, and this will rewire it successfully!)

PS in case anyone is as stupid as me when you set up a new fingerprint in iPhone, they mean place your finger repeatedly on the home button and not the fingernail picture on the screen. I couldn't understand why it wasn't working.

I am also blaming this sheer incompetence on the meds too of course!

Just to update everyone who was kind enough to reply, I have stuck with the Cenobamate. My fingernails have little cotton cots to protect them, three are bad so far and another is looking dodgy  I'm going to give it a chance but I really don't like it so far - it's also affecting my speech quite badly - it feels like my brain gets stuck before a word or takes me a long time to say the word, or it comes out slurred. But (crossing fingers) no major seizures since I last posted so I'll stick with it for now.

If anyone has had any speech problems from other AEDs I'd be interested.

So glad you are seizure free, I hope your body gets used to the meds and your nails recover!