Vimpat User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• 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."

• His...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 10, 2013

For Seizures "My 14-year-old son has been on Vimpat coupled with Keppra, and although it is not recommended for children, it has given me peace of mind. He has been seizure-free for over two years. Side effects appear to be minimal, he does have short-term memory loss, like walking into the kitchen and forgetting why he came in there. He especially forgets chores, but I don't know if it's because of the medicine or because he is just a typical lazy teenager."

• Anonymous
• January 20, 2013

For Seizures "I am currently on 375 mg Lamotrigine, and until recently, on 300 mg Vimpat. My seizures reduced from one per month to one over a three-month period, but I still had frequent auras. My doctor increased my Vimpat to 400 mg, and I have not had a seizure in over 6 months and have had maybe only one aura. My seizures have started only in my sleep, and it is a relief now to go to bed without fearing that I will have a seizure. The only 'bad' side effect is the difficulty coming up with words. It's very irritating and does affect my job to some degree, but the trade-off is worth it."

• Sei...
• February 18, 2011

For Seizures "When I started Vimpat, I got vertigo, headaches, and nausea like whoa. My neurologist asked me to try to stick it out, and I am so glad I did. It replaced Topamax (which was messing up my kidneys), and it works. I went a record (for me) 124 days without a seizure with the Vimpat/Keppra combination I am on now. I still get dizzy more easily than I used to, but seizure freedom is absolutely worth the inconvenience."

• And...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 17, 2023

For Epilepsy "I am in my 30s and have been diagnosed with right temporal lobe epilepsy, experiencing déjà vus and tonic-clonic seizures upon waking up. Initially, I tried levetiracetam, which made me so angry, making me feel like fighting with the walls. Then, I tried another medication that caused significant drowsiness (which was enjoyable but not suitable for work) and resulted in a skin rash. Finally, I found lacosamide (Vimpat), which resolved all my déjà vus within a week and reduced the frequency of tonic-clonic seizures to one every 3-4 months. Overall, it has been effective in managing my epilepsy. I have been taking it for two years now. There are some side effects, such as a constant ringing in my ears, which gets better over time as I learn to live with it. Another side effect is muscle twitches and fasciculations of various types. Initially, they were bothersome, but eventually, I found ways to cope, and now I can lead a normal life. Although the side effects are not as unpleasant as the ones from previous medications, it is possible to adapt and live with them without major issues. What has helped me a lot with the ringing and twitches is marijuana with a high content of CBN, not THC or CBD. I recommend looking for strains with high CBN levels, as they provide relaxation and help alleviate the symptoms. Additionally, it may cause the munchies, so keep that in mind."

• 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."

• mar...
• July 17, 2011

For Seizures "Though not indicated in the literature, I found that a few days after starting the Vimpat titration kit, I began to experience extreme soreness in the legs. It may not have been from the medication, but I had not done any physical activity that would have caused such soreness in the muscles in my legs and lower extremities. Though I cannot say for certain that it was a side effect of taking Vimpat, it does seem that the symptoms only emerged a couple of days after beginning the titration kit of Vimpat 50 mg twice a day, leading to Vimpat 100 mg twice a day. I am interested in sharing this to see if anyone else has had similar experiences because this is not a symptom listed in the medicine guide or any other lists of side effects of Vimpat."

• Anonymous
• December 29, 2011

For Seizures "I have been taking Dilantin for almost 20 years. Tried all sorts of anti-seizure drugs. You name it, I have it. Started Vimpat about 4 or 5 months ago along with Dilantin. 200 mg/day. I felt initially that it is better than others. I did have a short seizure (usually don't get frequently). With increased dose along with Dilantin, I am confused, memory loss, dizziness, sort of depressive mood at times. The big thing is the memory loss. I forget what I did at work the other day, things like that. I feel very stressed and have become more sensitive. The major one is memory."

• Anonymous
• August 16, 2010

For Seizures "Vimpat has been doing a great job at stopping seizures. In fact, I might even get to drive! However, it seems to cause great difficulty in remembering words and expressing oneself. Having previously been a great public speaker, this is frustrating as now I cannot really talk without waving my hands around for a long time or saying 'that one thing' or 'uhhhhh'. Typing is greatly slowed as I can't remember words. Forgetting things when not talking is also a problem. Problems with coordination are also apparent."

• Caz...
• April 19, 2013

For Seizures "I had surgery in Jan 2013 to remove the right temporal lobe. My epilepsy changed altogether, I was just having daily partials but conscious when they happened. However, after surgery, things were really bad in terms of the quantity of seizures I was having. They were every 15 minutes! Anyway, I've now been on Vimpat for about 6 weeks and have noticed a huge improvement. I have gone from 40 partials to around 2-3 per day and so far no complex partials! However, when I increased my last dose to 100 mg twice a day, my heart was racing at 128, so I had to reduce back to 50 mg twice daily. I have noticed I am constantly itching, and my memory is really bad. I'm not sure if this is because of the surgery or the Vimpat. I go back to work soon, so I'm really concerned."

• Rne...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2014

For Seizures "My seizures changed to partial onset seizures. I can't remember what happened 5 minutes ago, but my seizures have subsided. I'm also weaning off of Keppra, it made me impossible to live with. I also want to sleep a lot."

• Anonymous
• October 22, 2011

For Seizures "Vimpat has some effectiveness for my partial seizures, but it is accompanied by other difficulties: 1. It gave me double vision early on. We had to balance my dosages of Vimpat and Lamictal to straighten out the problem. 2. I struggle with memory problems as a result of taking it. Sometimes I need to ponder extra long to even be able to recount what I did or learned just a few days before. And I'm not always successful. 3. Vimpat has intensified my emotions, especially in causing me to weep. I used to go a whole year without shedding a tear. Now I often can't even go a whole day without crying a bit. I don't think it's depression. I usually am moved to tears over something I deem wonderfully moving. Just totally out of character for me."

• Cor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 18, 2014

For Seizures "I had been on Keppra and Vimpat 100 mg twice a day, and it controlled my seizures well for about a year. I then started having seizures. Then the doctors increased the dosage to 175 mg twice a day and Keppra EX 1500 mg at bedtime. I became like a zombie, dizzy, fell twice, and bruised my head. I attributed the symptoms to an overdose of Vimpat at one time. I started cutting the Vimpat pills 175 mg in half and spacing them six hours apart, and now I am active, no dizziness, no falling. So far, I have not had my hair fall out as others have reported. I called the doctors to tell him the above, but he's on vacation. I can't find anything on cutting the pills and spreading the dosage as I have done."

• Rac...
• January 16, 2016

For Seizures "While on this drug, I could not look at something without it moving. I felt a severe pain behind my eyes and no longer was able to sleep. I was put on this medication where they use it for patients with seizures more than any other drug. It was honestly a horrible experience, I would rather have seizures than be on this, to be 100% honest with all of you. Really awful, do not let your doctors push this crap on you, I promise it is not worth it!"

• Kri...
• April 10, 2015

For Seizures "Vimpat has been awesome at controlling my seizures. I was having multiple partial seizures a day and nocturnal grand mal seizures every few months. However, I haven't had a seizure since I started taking Vimpat 6 years ago. I have experienced some of the same side effects others have mentioned: the dizziness/shaking, the sleepiness, the loss of my words/stuttering. I haven't experienced anything substantial with my hair or moods, though, at least nothing that I can attribute to Vimpat alone. So all in all, it has worked well for me, and the benefits outweigh the negative side effects."

• Rbo...
• September 24, 2017

For Seizures "I have been using Vimpat since 2011. I found a new doctor in 2011. He ordered Vimpat 100 mg 2x a day, along with Clonazepam 0.05 2x a day. Somehow, this was the perfect combination of both medicines as I have been seizure-free for 5 years! Vimpat works for me! :-)"

• mdb...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 11, 2016

For Seizures "After adding Vimpat to my Keppra regime, my seizures dropped to nearly nonexistent. I have tried most all other seizure meds, but this one worked for me. I realize everyone is different, this med worked for me with few side effects. I will gladly trade a few side effects versus a seizure."

• din...
• January 7, 2016

For Seizures "Vimpat worked great. Only med that has been able to control my seizures. Neurologist had to adjust dosage too much, at each dosing, made me dizzy. I was on 600 mg 2x daily, but had to switch to 600 mg 3x daily. It is very expensive w/o insurance. But I couldn't ask for any other med. This is the ONLY MED that has controlled my seizures. 2 years seizure-free."

• ukg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2012

For Seizures "I have started Vimpat just over 7 days ago and noticed I feel like losing marbles. I can't think straight, I can't concentrate on anything, can't read anything as I can't concentrate long enough to read it. I get really dizzy, I'm forgetting a lot, even walked out forgetting I hadn't put shoes on. I was only started on 50 mg once a day and within 7 days thinking it's making me a nutter."

• Sil...
• August 31, 2013

For Seizures "I take Tegretol, and I have been on Vimpat now for over a year. At first, I still had seizures, but they were completely different from the ones I had before. I used to jump and scream, now I become an ironing board, then kick my legs. After a few months, they stopped completely. I had never felt better, it was the first time in 25 years I had been free. But the last couple of months, they have returned, and I have never felt worse. Side effects: extremely emotional [which is at the other end of the scale from Vigabatrin, which made me a nutter], depression, memory loss, stuttering, and significant weight gain. I am much better on them than without, but as far as stopping my seizures, it was short-lived."

• Kar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2014

For Seizures "I have been on Vimpat for 2 months now. Like many others, I have been on just about everything! After a week on the Vimpat, I was no longer having partial seizures, but after about a month, reaching my titrated level of 200 mg twice a day. I started noticing weight gain, numbness in my mouth and throat, almost a numb feeling on my skin, and a weird overall feeling, all these side effects ended after about a 1/2 hour. It is great to not have the seizures each day and to only be on one medicine while my doctor keeps reassuring me that they will fade with time. I just hope they do because I have to make sure I do not have anything I need to do after taking my dose. I had to fight like crazy for my insurance to cover the medication at $1954/month."

• Tec...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 29, 2015

For Seizures "Vimpat is a cursed drug to me. It's helped with my seizures, but it's not worth it for the side effects. I started it with Lamictal XR 500 mg. I had seizures at Vimpat 100 mg. At 200 mg, I was having extreme vertigo-I couldn't even lay down. It happened a few times, along with other side effects. The doctor balanced it out at Lamictal XR 400 mg and Vimpat 150 mg. I have double vision at least once a week (mild to high), nausea frequently, vomiting a few times a month, and sometimes off balance. A mild vertigo has happened a few times. If I don't eat it with a good amount of food, the side effects are almost guaranteed for me. It stops the seizures, but it's not worth it."

• Bet...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 21, 2022

For Epilepsy "By far, this was the worst medication I have ever been on. What it has done to my life over the past 7 months is indescribable. Up until 3 weeks ago, I had multiple panic attacks on a daily basis, severe nausea to the point that I could not eat and lost close to 10 pounds, agitated, irritable and angry, depressed, fogginess, poor concentration, restless, explosive diarrhea multiple times a day. The list goes on and on. My neurologist insisted it was not the medication and never offered to take me off the medication until my husband and I insisted on it 3 weeks ago. She’s weaning me off of it, and I’m now in week three. Starting at week two, my symptoms disappeared. I got rid of my neurologist and will be starting with my new neurologist in several months."

• sad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2013

For Seizures "My uncle has had epilepsy since he was 18. He is now 60. He was on Dilantin up until 4 years ago when he was put on Depakote after a 45-minute seizure. Then no more until February. Then he started having seizures once a week. The doctor added Keppra. The seizures kept happening every couple of weeks, so the doctor sent him to a neurologist, which maxed out the doses of both pills. Last month he had 4 lengthy seizures within a 2-hour time period. That's when the doctor added Vimpat. As of today, he has not had a seizure, but the doc wants to up the Vimpat again. Since he has been on it, he has had horrible memory loss."

• kcr...
• September 12, 2014

For Seizures "Vimpat is wonderful, in that it has stopped my seizures for the past two years. I am also on Carbatrol. Short-term memory loss I can live with, but my main concern is dizziness. I can't find the combination of times to take it/foods to take it with. It seems like I find a combination that works for three or four days, then I'm so dizzy I cannot stand up. Very frustrating."