Zonegran and Depression: What Users Say

• Pea...
• May 2, 2021

For Seizures "Zonegran has stopped my seizures, but I'd rather have seizures than deal with these side effects. I lost my job due to this medication. I am 21 years old and tried watching Harry Potter... couldn’t understand a thing. Words do not click for me anymore. I had to set reminders for everything because I can’t even remember simple tasks. Social activities are out of the question. I am so anxious and paranoid all the time. I get a feeling that someone is behind me even if I’m lying down or standing up against a wall. I haven’t battled with depression that’s been this intense before. This stuff makes me feel non-existent. All I want to do is sleep. It made me weak physically, emotionally, and mentally. It’s changing my personality and my relationships. It made me so angry and hurtful. It’s scary stuff. I wouldn’t recommend this medication, especially for those who already cannot communicate clearly due to age or disability."

• Emi...
• October 9, 2013

For Seizures "I have been taking Zonegran, 300mg daily for 8 years. I have complex partial seizures that generalize about 90% of the time. I have tried just about every other medication out there and this is the only one that has kept my epilepsy under control. I do have side effects: some depression, anorexia (defined as loss of appetite). I started this medication weighing around 125 lbs and now after three children weigh 105 lbs and can't remember the last time I was hungry, and I have noticed that it is harder for me to retain information and I sometimes have to read things twice to understand them where before Zonegran I easily understood and retained information. Despite these side effects, I won't ever try a different medication. Totally worth it."

• Rid...
• April 13, 2013

For Seizures "I was on this medicine at first 200mg a day then 400mg. I turned into a completely different person. I'm normally a happy, positive & outgoing young woman. On Zonisamide I became extremely irritable & depressed. I flipped out over the littlest thing. I also lost a lot of weight because my appetite essentially disappeared. I weighed about 135lbs when I started and dropped to 113lbs. I finally had enough when the depression kicked in. I would have suicidal thoughts multiple times a day. It was scary and debilitating! I cried a lot, for no good reason. My performance at work and my relationships were suffering so I called my Dr. and switched to Lamictal."

• JBu...
• April 20, 2015

For Seizures "I have been on Zonisamide for 5 years. I've tried several other medications to control my seizures but always switched due to side effects (hair loss, depression, etc.). Zonisamide works the best so far for me! I love it! I haven't had a seizure in 5 years and I'm very happy with my quality of life! The only setback is my memory, I have word-finding issues big time! It gets very frustrating when I can see the person or the thing and not say the word. I have a Bachelor's degree in English, so you can imagine how annoying that is! But I would choose Zonisamide over anything else for sure! :)"

• dwe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2017

For Seizures "I took Zonegran (zonisamide) for approximately 4 weeks. That should tell you something. I knew by the third week that something was wrong with me. This drug ruined my thinking process. I got 'brain fog,' was unable to concentrate or focus on anything more than 2-3 minutes. I could not remember 50% or more of anything I read or was told. It made me depressed and discouraged, and I completely lost interest in nearly everything. It began to affect me emotionally, and I became extremely irritable at times. It also made me very sleepy and reduced my appetite tremendously. *Worst of all, it did not stop my seizures. Zonegran must be one of, if not the worst anti-seizure medications I've taken in my life. I don't recommend it."

• BLo...
• March 18, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I took 300 mg of Zonegran for nearly 2 years. It worked really well to prevent my migraines at the start-it was like a dream come true. I did experience appetite reduction and weight loss, but I put it back on after about a year. The negative side effects were extreme for me over time. First, my depression got much worse. That could have been external factors, but the time that I started taking Zonegran and the severe increase in my symptoms match. Also, after some time, I noticed my cognitive function was severely inhibited. I was in graduate school at the time and began failing classes, slurring my words when 100% sober, and unable to remember things. When I went off, my migraines returned severely, especially period and allergy migraines."

• Dav...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 16, 2020

For Seizures "This drug Zonegran made me angry, depressed, and generally uninterested in life. The cognitive effects are pretty severe as well. Almost lost my job due to my performance while on Zonegran. When I stopped taking it, I felt like someone lifted the fog and turned the lights on again."