Vimpat and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Sal...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 6, 2019

For Seizures "I have been taking Vimpat for a while now and had a lot of these symptoms listed below. Tiredness, dizziness, headaches, double vision, loss of balance, feeling faint, shaky/trembling, nausea, shortness of breath, pounding heart beat, trouble sleeping, dark urine, irritability, panic attacks, worsen anxiety, memory issues, ringing in the ears, can't find the word when speaking, weight gain, nervous tics, and itching. On top of that my seizure activity seemed to increase, not decrease. I have told my doctor over and over again and she told me to increase the dosage! Then, the doctor tried to push the VNS surgery on me. I thought about it at first, but I have not read the best reviews on that either. I feel like she is shoving Vimpat and VNS surgery down my throat so she can get kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies."

• See...
• November 13, 2018

For Seizures "Vimpat 200 mg, 2x/day. 10 mg clobazam 1x a day. Vimpat is a honeymoon drug, it works great for a few years and then: -ringing in ears (highly manageable) -insomnia -Memory issues! -laziness sets in, everything is a chore! For people using Vimpat in their 50s, you will eventually experience all the above, especially if on the max dosage. Your biggest complaint will be SHORT-TERM MEMORY LOSS! AND INABILITY TO ARTICULATE YOURSELF PROPERLY. You will be looking at a bunch of documents you were working on just the day before and can't remember what they are for! Names of people and thoughts SHOT! I am severely disappointed with Vimpat, I thought I finally hit the right drug therapy but I guess good things must come to an end. I would appreciate if anyone can suggest something new and shiny for complex partials. By the way, titration is highly unpleasant. You might have self-harm ideations as well! Try to take really early in the am and on the dot at night. A very pricey drug!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 29, 2012

For Seizures "As a spouse of a Vimpat user, I can tell you what I have observed. First of all, it completely stopped the seizures. My wife has returned to work and is driving. She does not have depression or show any physical side effects. However, recently she has had some trouble sleeping and some memory problems. Nothing dangerous, just annoying. She does have hormone rushes, but we are not sure if it is from Vimpat or her age, she is 54. So far, this is the best medicine she has been on. When first diagnosed, she tried others, but they made her very depressed. She is a little short-tempered, but nothing we can't live with."

• mil...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 18, 2014

For Seizures "I have had nocturnal seizures since the age of 7. I am now 35 years old. I have been on every medication I can think of. I even had a VNS put in that did absolutely nothing for me. I have been on Vimpat for a year now, it's like my little blue magic pill, as soon as I started it, my seizures went away. I'm also on Carbamazepine and phenobarbital, I'm slowly weaning off of the phenobarbital. I have had weight gain, but that is it. Lately, 2 nights of sleep loss, but that could be due to some other changes. I've always had memory problems, like going into a room and forgetting what I was getting, so that doesn't bother me at all. To me, this is a lifesaver. I have been seizure-free for the longest time in my entire life."

• Los...
• February 8, 2013

For Seizures "I will be 50 next week, so the hair loss may be due to menopause, although I am having no other signs of this (still have regular cycles, no hot flashes, etc.). This came on so quickly; as soon as I started taking Vimpat, I feel there may be a connection. I started 400 mg in November and had terrible insomnia and tremors, so I was cut back to 300. I did not have a reduction in the number of seizures (4 partial a month), but the severity has reduced greatly. However, my hair is falling out at an unbelievable pace. I am so happy for the reduction in seizure severity that I will buy a wig if needed. I just wanted to mention this for anyone else who may be facing this, as it is not a listed side effect. Also, I experienced an 8 lb weight loss and am still a bit anxious."

• Aun...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 15, 2012

For Seizures "This has helped control my complex partial seizures in combination with Neurontin, which I have been on since 1994. I have been on Vimpat for about 17 months now, and it causes short and long-term memory problems. I can't be on high doses of this. Sometimes I will be in mid-sentence and have to stop talking just trying to get the word(s) off the tip of my tongue. It also causes sleep problems and decreased appetite as well."

• djc...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 6, 2021

For Seizures "I've had seizures since I was 8, mine were tonic-clonic on both sides of the brain. Normally, I was seeing a neurologist but didn't know there is an epilepticus doctor that just specializes in just epilepsy and can help you better. Anyway, I'm 45 now and take Vimpat and Keppra and can't sleep. I keep smelling ammonia and sometimes I feel so angry, but thank goodness I can control my rage. I get so tired sometimes I sleep until I pee myself. It is just crazy, I'd rather try to get off these meds than be on them!"

• jcr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2016

For Seizures "I was on Keppra, my doctor switched me to Vimpat. I can't see right. Walking is like a newborn trying to begin to walk, hitting into walls, trouble sleeping, biting my inner cheeks a lot, very sore. Can't sleep well. Feel something is going on while sleeping. My bottom front lip is all cut and very sore. I don't recommend, not worth it. I would rather have seizures."

• Jas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2024

For Epilepsy "What a journey my epilepsy has been. When I was 23, I had a transvenous blood clot (vein in the brain), a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and a stroke. It turned out that I have a genetic blood clotting disorder that I was diagnosed with 6 years later after having another clot in my leg. Anyways, I started having auras in 2011, which were misdiagnosed as panic attacks and depression. I lived with it for years, just accepted that my anxiety and panic attacks were just a part of my life. Fast forward 12 years later, I started having tonic-clonic seizures. Not panic attacks but auras all along. Keppra made me angry, briviact was worse. Vimpat has been great other than the constipation and foggy thinking. I also have trouble sleeping. But, it works well for me, the other drugs were horrible."

• Whi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 17, 2021

For Epilepsy "I have been epileptic for 20 years now. It does not work for me. It changed my seizures so I don't go walkabout, but with the side effects. I have become violent, can't sleep, depressed, lost weight, burning urine constantly, blurry vision, lost memory, but the neurologist won't change meds. I have tried Keppra, Lamictal, Epilim, etc."