Hi, I have been reading all the postings and my heart goes out t...

I am on 1200 milligrams of lamictal per day, the highest dose my doctor has ever prescribed to anyone. I keep telling him about the word search problems, short and long term memory loss, tremors and anxiety attacks. He attributes these to psych problems and suggested that I see a counselor. I have epilepsy. It is poorly controlled even though I am on 3 different medications. I believe I need to severely cut back on my medications. I don't trust any of the doctors I have seen through the years, since so many have misdiagnosed my problem. I act wierd. I KNOW I sometimes act weird. I KNOW I have anxiety attacks. They don't need to tell me what I already know. They need to figure out how all of the medications interact and quit upping them. I think lamictal is one of the worst epilepsy drugs I have yet taken and would like to stop it completely.

Back to you - sorry. The symptoms you have remind me of a little known form of epilepsy called spike wave stupor. Sudden disorientation, loss of place, direction, an inability to follow even simple directions from others, slipping in and out of reality, loss of moments in time, totally inappropriate behaviors which can be very embarrassing (especially in public). I have been to many neurologists and finally met two who are familiar with spike wave stupor. I felt vindicated. I am not really crazy!!! The lamictal helps with the mood swings, but I personally don't think it helps with the spike wave stupor. Also, I think the lamictal actually makes life more difficult because of the side effects. I thought I was getting dementia. My husband was wondering if I was going to get bad enough to put in a home, because he can't be there to take care of me 24/7. I will be asking my doctor to take me off of the lamicatl and leave on just the two other medications (Kepra and Zarontin). I think if I could just be off all of these medications, I would feel like a cloud would be lifted from my mind. I think all of these seizure and bipolar meds, while they might help the problem, also cause a cloudiness of thougt. I know the drugs are necessary and won't quit taking them, but I want you to know I sympathize and feel that you are right about your side effects. Please, also, look up spike wave stupor. Very few are diagnosed because few doctors are aware of it. Most think the patient is just crazy ( scizophrenic or bipolar). The emergency room doctors are ignorant. Police think the behaviors mean drugs. Many times the spike wave will progress to petit mal or grand mal seizures. I don't know if lamictal is the right drug or if the side effects are worth it if there is a better drug out there.

I'm getting too wordy so...bye!

please read the book Medication Madness by Dr Peter Breggin. these drugs should never be used. they are not essential for saving life so their terrible side effects cannot be in any way justified