Lamotrigine for epilepsy any experiences?

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Saw the neurologist today, DD, five has has a few partial seizures and it was said to be our decision about medicating but when asked the doctor said it was appropriate to start treatment now.

I am worried that this was more because I was anxious about the epilepsy though and aalso very worried about side effects although he said this was likely to have less effect on her cognitive ability than others(she has SLI and other developmental issues but making slow progress so I would have hated something that made her drowsey and unable to focus.)

I ave just got dd sleeping through after a year of awful nights though and he said it causes insomnia in a few people. Any one else found this? Also aggressive behaiour? So worried about this and whether it is all to help me not her!

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All anti-epileptic meds affect people differently. The only way to know how it will affect your child is to try it. My DS was on epilim which made him feel sick and he wet the bed every night (a rare side effect); he also lost weight despite the most common effect for most people being weight gain. He is now on keppra which affects some people really badly but which has been excellent for him. he has been seizure free for over a year and has no side effects. i think you just need to try the lamotrigine as no one can predict what will happen. Give it a couple of months as usually the side effects at the beginning will fade - if it is too awful then you can just take her off it and try something else. On the Epilepsy action website, i read, a while ago, that the average person with epilepsy has tried 15 different drugs. Good luck.

Thank you, and what a oot of drugs people have to try!
I am wondering would we even notice if DD stopped having episodes as they are so few and far between and have been quite subtle. Also keep doubting the decision to medicate her.

Your poor DS on the epilim! I am hoping no seizures will mean no bedwetting fro dd but we will see.

I tried Lamotrigine 7.5 years ago but it made me feel v sick and dizzy so I had to stop it after a week. You'll know in a short time if it's right or not. FWIW I take Carbamazepine and find tiredness to be the main side effect. I think Lamotrigine is a common drug to start with and although it's horribly frustrating you often have to just wait and see how things go. The Neurologist wouldn't have advised medication if he didn't think it was a reasonable course of action, so try not to worry about whether it is the right thing to do or not.

I hope you get things sorted quickly.

Thank you, I hate the choice aspect of it, after all I haven't studied neurology for years like they have. Still feel worried he has decided meds because I seemed distressed by the seizures. Does anyone know the pros of meds when seizures are not very often and fairly subtle? Really wishing I had asked more at the appointment.

Recently had a appointment with DS's paed who told me that death from epilepsy is rare and that meds are recommended because when a child has uncontrolled seizures, thay are treated differently by the world which affectss their neurological development. Not something I'd have considered but there you go. Oh and if you can get your child seizure free on meds for two years then they will wean her off them and at that point 50% of kids go on to be seizure free. DS has been seizure free for over a year and they are making noises about weaning him off them next Sept. TBH, he's doing so well on the meds that I actually don't want to take him off them. That prospect now seems really scary.

Whoops, sorry for all the typos - in a rush to get the dinner on!

I take lamotrigine, after being on one of the valproates and really not getting on with it (weight gain, hair loss, slight indigestion) - the lamotrigine has been brilliant, haven't had any trouble with it at all. The thing to do is try.... if one med gives you bother, try another one.

Good luck :)