Dilantin symptoms and conditions

my son has been on it now for about 4 months and has tried to commit suicide in the process of a 5 week change from keppra to the lamictal.then had to take dilantin until reached full dose of the lamictal which for him is 150mgs 2 xs a day at first the keppra made him fly in to rages so that was blamed for the suicide attempt.but just a few days ago he said that he was having weird feelings again. so i don't know what to do. waiting to hear back from the dr.i would just like to know if anyone else has experienced such severe thoughts from taking this med or if passably it could be not a high enough dose.i don't really know anymore by the way my son is only 15 and he is on the lamictal for seizures.any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I have been on it for about 7 weeks now, I have the best Dr.I dont know what I would do with out her..I am transitioning from the Dilantin, been on that 25 years, now have ostiop........... ( Used to be a really good speller, maybe thats a forties thing!) in my hips and back. I started feeling really good, now having huge lapses of depression, Lonliness, eye sight which I hear very common, spotting different times of month, headache, dont know if its a side effect but each time I up my dosage things I think are becoming clearer, and cry a couple days, like to much information is flooding my mind. I Have bad dreams the kind that you can obviously analize, but wake up crying. Its a very lonely place to be, people think you will have a seizure thats why they avoid me ( I have been told) which I dont understand because Im taking more medicine and feeling better!

I was on Lamictal for 4 years and after the first year I suddenly started having all kinds of teeth and gum problems for no discernible reason. But since Lamictal has the possible side effect of "sores or blisters on the inside of the mouth" I wondered if it could be related.

I did a Google search and am coming up with no experts yet, but lots and lots of posts connecting anticonvulsant meds, particularly Lamictal, Topamax, Neurontin, and Depakote, with dental problems. Dilantin is well known for causing gum disease and breaking down tooth enamel, loosening of teeth, and even breaking down of jawbone tissue.

I don't think the experts have connected the dots yet, but is anyone else having this problem?

I have been on Topamax for 4 months and so far the migraines I have suffered for 40 years are gone. Great Some side effects like can't stand carbonated drinks. Reaction time is a little slower. I stress out a little more then I used to. I get really tired at the end of the day. I used to be a night owl but now love my sleep. Question to you all. Any one had problems with their teeth? Such as pain, fillings falling out? Let me know.

I started taking Lamictal about six weeks ago for epilepsy. Now keep in mind, I was on Dilantin which worked great for 17 years and then suddenly stopped working. I have been in medication hell since then. First Topamax made me dumb as a rock. I would space out all the time. Worst drug ever. Then Keppra which was better in that my memory/ability to speak came back but I had these intense ups and down. I had rages constantly. Now I'm on Lamictal. So far, it's better than the Topamax and the Keppra, however the dreams are very intense as are the night sweats. I'm also experiencing much hair loss. Fortunately I have a full head of hair but I'm afraid I will eventually lose it all.

I was put on Lamictal about a year ago after the Dilantin I was on stopped working after 25 years. Tried Fursuit but the anger and extreme tiredness almost lost me my job. I found this site since I'm coming off Lamictal. I was still having seizures and the doc just kept upping the meds. At 400mg/day I found I couldn't stop laughing (I do Stand up comedy as a hobby) My chest was killing me after 2 days of euforia and couldn't sleep. Vision was so blurred I couldn't see a thing. I told my doc I've had enough and I'm coming off the drug as slowly as I can manage. After a few months I'm down to 125 mg this week and coming off it 25mg a week. so far seizures have been about 1 per month but that might increase. I'm finding the withdrawal side effects worse than the drug. Leg pain, chest pains and found out my blood pressure has gone thru the roof. Would like to know if that has happened to anyone else. It went down a bit after I reduced my dosage last week so I see a conspiracy. I have noticed my vision improves as the drug wears off during the day but I can't concentrate at work. would like to hear from others with epilepsy that are having problems with this drug and to give me any feedback. Figure If alexander the Great can create an empire with epilepsy and no drugs then I'll take the seizures over the meds

I have just been reading the list of, what I am considering to be "possible", side effects from Dilantin . Doesn't everyone, whether on Dilantin or no drugs at all experience headaches, nausea, stomach pains or depression from time to time?
After being on this medication for over 30 years there are some things which I've experienced. Just about everyone complains of hyperplasia but it has been my experience that if I maintain a clean healthy mouth, there is no hyperplasia. If, for one day, I do not brush my teeth, hyperplasia sets in immediately & it then takes a week or so to get it under control. So, brush, brush & brush your teeth.
As far as memory loss or difficulty learning, I suppose it happens to everyone at one time or another. However I have graduared from high school with honours & became a registered nurse (top 5 in my class of 56) all while I was on Dilantin.
The only true adverse side effect from taking Dilantin for over 30 years which I experience is that whenever I am tired, my speech can easily slur. I am very aware of this & it's become habit to pay close attention to my pronounciation & correct it so I may articulate normally. Not a big deal & a very small price to pay.
I'm not one for pity trips or blaming my seizures or medications for my downfalls in life. I am so grateful to have my seizures under control & hate to think where I would be today if not for Dilatin. Remember, if you look for it , you will likely find it. So try not to look for all these adverse side effects (crutches)& see the benifits. We have enough to handle keeping this under control & educating the sometimes ignorant world.
I took control of the epilepsy that attacked my system. I would never allow it to control me. Good luck to all of you. Sincerely :)

Can Advair Diskus 250/50 cause Dilantin levels to run high?? Better to lower dosage of Advair or Dilantin?? Thank you for any help. I have COPD for 12 yrs, on 2 other inhalers and oxygen 24/7 plus other meds for other problems but the Advair is probably the newest drug.

I had a grand-mal in October of '06, so I was first prescribed on Dilating. And then in December of '06 they also had me on Lamictal, but 50mg daily along with 300mg Dilantin. I was totally off Dilantin as of March '07 and was taking 200mg Lamictal daily. I had no side effects from Lamictal until I started noticing in May that I had staring spells. I didnt pay attention to it at first, and then I noticed that my staring spells were happening way more frequently. And if that wasnt bad enough, as time progressed, I started feeling spacey, had shortness of breath every once in a while, and a bit of anxiety. Now it is up to the point where Ive just about had it, since I've been spacing out wayyyy too much, and I sometimes feel SO fatigued for no reason...like the lifes been drained out of me. My vision has also been getting blurry which is another big annoyance. What Im wondering is that why would they give you medicine if it wasnt out for too long or even officially approved? Im hoping I can get off this medicine! I wanna drive and actually be able to pay attention to normal things instead of spacing out.

My doctor put me on Topamax for migraines, but I can not handle the effects. I just started the 75 mg dose just as I was moving into a new college apartment with new roommates, and I felt like I was going crazy! I couldn't eat anything without feeling completely ill, I was spacing out, and I couldn't remember words.. for three whole days I couldn't remember the word 'tapestry.' I finally had to look it up in the dictionary.. not a good sign for a college student. The worst, though, was the overwhelming sense of panic that was getting worse by the day. I was no longer myself! The last straw was a panic attack, complete with hypernentilating. I have never felt so scared in my life. I actually had to go the ER to get something to calm myself down.

So, I decided to stop taking it. My parents talked to my pharmacist, and she told them that Topamax IS the type of drug you can stop "cold turkey." But after a week, I feel almost as bad as I did when I was on the drug! I still can't eat anything. Also, I wake up hours before my alarm goes off, completely sick at my stomach. I feel panicky and nervous. I have several bouts of diarrhea and this morning I almost didn't make it. I share a bathroom with three (normal!) girls, and it is getting to be embarrasing and annoying. Please, can anyone tell me.. when do the side effects go away?? I want to be a normal 19 year old again!

I have been prescribed Lamictal for seizures, and am currently taking 400mg daily, with my 300mg of Dilantin. Had horrible side effects this weekend-nightmares, exhausted, worsening depression, crying jags, difficulty swallowing. Has anyone else experienced mood changes for the worse while on this drug?

Started on Topamax about 3 months ago. Taking for visual seizures from scar tissue due to gamma knife on an AVM that bled.I was seeing all kinds of things like people, dogs, cars, you name it. Doctor first put me on Dilantin (pretty strong dose). It did nothing, and it did not even show up in my blood on a blood test. That was a nuerosurgeon. He sent me to a nuerologist. He put me on lamictal. I took it for one week, and wanted to drive my car over a cliff!!! I was so depressed and I felt horrible. I just stopped taking it. Then he put me on Topamax. I take 100mg. Soda is bad. I do miss my diet pepsi. I lost 30 pounds ( this is a benefit). My brain is fuzzy at times, and I can go to introduce a family member, and not even remember their name for a minute. I have trouble with urination, actually starting it. Sometimes I lose my balance, and bang into things. I get stomach cramps once in a while.However, all the people, dogs, cars, and "unwanted" visions are gone. So, I guess it is worth it. I wonder if I will ever like Diet Pepsi again. Also, now eggs and chicken are really starting to gross me out.

100mg 2x daily for complex partial siezures.. Initially thought this was great after dealing with dilantin and feeling like a tired zombie. The only side effect I had was a chronic runny nose. I then started having low back pain, then nearly unbearable muscle spasms down the back of my legs. It was so bad I was setting alarms so I could take ibuprophen round the clock. I began having stomach issues from the ibuprophen, so I scaled back to only taking it in the am. Muscle spasms are now tolerable, but I've developed a new issue - I'm often dizzy and have random blurred vision. I waited 6 months to get my license back (after one minor siezure). Now I don't drive because of the side effects. I don't know whether cutting back the dose of lamictal would help, but I intend to ask.

I have been taking Depakote / Dilantin cocktails for over 10 years !! 600mg Dilantin and 3000mg Depakote every day !! If I miss a few pills or a dosage
I will inevitably have a traumatic grand mal seizure. The funny thing is, I have not experienced many of the side effects you guys speak of. I have gained some weight in the last few years (20lbs), but I'm also getting to that age ( 49 ) where guys put on a few pounds.

It is very scary knowing that my body (brain) could be this screwed-up !!
I wish my wife was more understanding about this - although its tough for her too...

I have been taking Depakote / Dilantin cocktails for over 10 years !! 600mg Dilantin and 3000mg Depakote every day !! If I miss a few pills or a dosage
I will inevitably have a traumatic grand mal seizure. The funny thing is, I have not experienced many of the side effects you guys speak of. I have gained some weight in the last few years (20lbs), but I'm also getting to that age ( 49 ) where guys put on a few pounds.

It is very scary knowing that my body (brain) could be this screwed-up !!
I wish my wife was more understanding about this - although its tough for her too...

Hi all. I was diagnosed 3 or 4 years ago with epilepsy. So far, I have on about 5 different epilepsy meds. I can't recall the first 3 but had to get off them because of physical side-effects. My last one was Dilatin which worked pretty well for a year. I slept great - 8 hours on the dot. Then, I started to have short seizures that began to successively lengthen. So, I was switched to Keppra.

I started at 250mg/2xday on Keppra and now am up to 1000mg/2xday. I also started taking B6 100mg/day. A couple of days after starting Keppra, I started to get slight headaches. These went away after about 2 weeks. I also got a numb patch on the same place on the bottom of each foot. When I went up to 500mg/2xday, the numb patch spread, I started to feel off-balance, and I started to get the "rage" symptoms. I went up to 1000mg/2xday and most of the bottom of my two feet went numb and cold, I began to get slight tingling in my fingers and a mild case of tightness in my chest. I still felt off-balance and the rage symptoms were there. It began to get hard to get to sleep and I would get up unnecessarily early and not be able to fall back asleep. I want off this med. Maybe it works great for other people but for me it I take it at the levels I need to, I won't be able to work or do much of anything.

I started taking Topamax Jan 07 while weaning off of Dilantin (for seizures) after brain tumor removal. Been having tingling in fingers and lips and I'm not yet up to full dosage (100 m.g. 2 x day). Memory Loss, about 20-30 minute attention span. After reaching and maintaining the maximum dosage I may report changes.

Myhusband has been on this mdeication for 4 weeks now,, He suffers from epilepsy and was on dilantin for almost 2 years. Unfortunately he wasnt able to maintain the correct level for the dilantin to be effective and is now being weaned off of it and onto the Topamax..Myself and my whole family have noticed a significant change in his personality and moodiness, he is always tired and seems to be more depressed then before.. After some of his comments today that he has said to be and reading the postings on here, I will be contacting his neurologist on Tuesday (like I'll be able to get in touch with him on xmas,, NOT) and get him off this and onto something else.. As far as the weight loss, I haven't noticed any difference, he has commented about the tingling in his fingers.

I've been on Lamictal for 3 years after a brain tumor removal. I was intially on Dilantin but the side effects made me crazy. My face constantly tingled and was numb, I couldn't speak well and the dizziness was debilitating. My neuro put me on Lamictal. I started off at 100mg, once in the morning and once at night, and had another seizure. I finally figured out I was having my seizures in the late afternoon and deduced the drug was wearing off around that time. My neuro put me on 150mg 2x a day and 100mg at lunch time. I've had no seizures for 2 years and 3 months so I think we have the dosage problem licked. However, I am really dizzy in the late afternoon and if I get excited like when I'm at a party. Shopping makes it much worse and I think that is due to moving my eyes around so much. Grocery shopping can be a tough task. I don't slur my words but I frequently cannot 'find' the right word. I'm slower in everything. I cannot take a walk looking at the horizon because I lose my balance and get dizzy again. Sometimes my head tingles. Heat makes it worse and when I get hot flashes (yes, I'm over 50) makes the dizzy much worse. Sometimes my fingers don't automatically go to the home key on the computer keyboard. I have to really concentrate on things that used to be automatic, like knowing a stop light is red. I used to be able to 'see' that and react appropriately. Now I have to concentrate on those red lights so it is irritating. I feel like I'm getting old. However, I will stay on this medication. It works and though the side effects are tough to live with, I'd rather stay on a med that I know works, rather than try one that might work. I lose my driver's license every time I have a seizure. I guess that is the worst side effect :-( I'm hunting for something to combat the dizziness and am using mybraintrainer.com to see if brain training exercises will help me become faster again. It can't hurt and so far I've had a little bit of success. I'll just keep going.

I have been on dilantin for 20 years for seizure disorder called cortical dysplasia. Didn't even know I had it until 2004 when I had a grand mal seizure that lasted too long and different tests were run by my neurologist. It was suggested at that time that I switch from dilantin to something else due to taking it "too" long but all I knew is that it kept me seizure free and I was unwilling at that time to change. Well now here I am in 2006 with the side effects of the dilantin taking the chance of switching meds. Have been put on topamax, have been taking it for about a month. Very difficult transition for me, expecially when the dilantin was stopped all together. A lot of it was "in my head" I believe as I knew the dilantin did work and was not so sure about the other but I have struggled with feeling "hung over" in the mornings, confused, off balance, slow in answering questions, and anxious regarding these symptoms. My Dr. assures me I will adjust as my dosage is increased. Just when I get used to one I have to go up so it is very stressful times for me at the present but at this point I'm willing to ride it out. I have a MRI and a 24 hr. ambulatory EEG scheduled within the next 2 weeks so we shall see the results from that, but in response to side effects.......yep.....at least for me...but some are mind created

I was recently taken off Dilantin and given Depakote ER. I had a terrible reaction at first. Seizure episodes, nausea, loss of memory, etc. I was told that this was a "transitional reaction". Have been on Depakote ER for two weeks and am exhausted all the time. I have bursts of energy but this dissipates quickly. Still have loss of memory and bizarre dreams.

I came off Dilantin and started taking Depakote in August. I have gained a ton of weight and can't get up in the mornings either. There has got to be a better way. The wrost thing now is when I take a shower I have to pick up a wad of hair off the floor of the shower. I need help!

I was wondering if anyone has heard about Dilantin having sexual side effects. Because of the Dilantin I started taking Depo-Provera for my birth control, and I don't know which one could be affecting my sex drive. I have since stopped the Depo but am still waiting for my sex drive to return.

I've taken Felbatol for 10 years. Have experienced enormous relief in symptoms (complex partial seizures). When news of aplastic anemia came out, my neurologist asked me to try another new drug. It was very disappointing. I asked to resume Felbatol, and it's been the only drug that has really helped with very few (if any) side effects. Had previous tried the standard dilantin, tegretol, phenobarb with all the problems that come along with those drugs. Felbatol has been a miracle drug for me.

My husband is on Paxil cr. Has been for about 8 years. (Was on Paxil and then Paxil cr. He has a plasic heart valve. He had surgery in 1988 first and then in 1996 he had an angorizim (spell?) by it. He has always been hyper and anxious, but this scared him so much. He is on coumadin, metoprolol, digoxin, and colestoral medications. He also started having siezures. He has been on dilantin for about 5 years and still had siezures. The siezures can be from just dizzy, vomiting, to a full grand mal siezure. No one can find out why...Recently he had been put on lamictal, by his nurologist. He has been very anxious, and just angry at the world and depressed. He argues over everything. Could it be that he has been on paxil for a long time and it isn't working anymore or could the lamictal cause this? He deffinelty needs help and I don't know where to turn. He also has had irregular heart beats. went to cardiologists but they say it is electrical, not circulatory and not dangerous. I took him to emergency the other night and they said the same. He is misorable. do you have any advise????