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Vimpat for Seizures User Reviews

Vimpat has an average rating of 6.7 out of 10 from a total of 127 reviews for the treatment of Seizures. 52% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 20% reported a negative experience.

Vimpat rating summary

6.7/10 average rating

127 ratings from 138 user reviews.

Compare all 104 medications used in the treatment of Seizures.

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Reviews for Vimpat

  • Joana...
  • November 9, 2020

"Vimpat is a horrible drug, very toxic! I had many side-effects: headaches, nausea, tiredness, constipation, flatulence, stomach discomfort, shaking of hands, depression, heart palpitations, memory problems, muscle pains (legs and back). I felt terribly tired and could not cope with my daily activities. I had problems with speaking, my memory and my concentration got a lot worst. My sleep was badly affected. I had to quit my job and my social life. Every day was a struggle and I felt as if I had lost control of my own life !!! This drug had a terrible impact on my life and DID NOT eliminate my seizures. I now see that I am not the only one to have experienced those side-effects, though my previous doctor denied many of them. I still ask myself why my previous doctor is so fond of this drug???? Partnership with pharma UCB? As he was resistant to change this drug, I have decided to change doctors."

1 / 10
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154 Report
  • Sally
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • September 6, 2019

"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 kick backs from the pharmaceutical companies."

1 / 10
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135 Report
  • JayyB...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • December 18, 2020

"This drug is incredible. Absolutely saved my life. But it’s CRAZY expensive. I’m afraid I might have to go off of it because I literally might have to take out a bank loan to be able to keep affording it. Makes me sad because it’s the first (and only) med that’s ever completely controlled my seizures."

10 / 10
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89 Report
  • K8tte...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • June 24, 2019

"Vimpat has been prescribed for seizures. I had been on Topamax and lamictal for years. The Vimpat is taking the place of the Topamax. Side affects of Topamax were unbearable- poor word retrieval, tremors, and weight loss. Since the medication change (2 months ago) I am dealing with extreme short term memory loss, and weight gain. I’ve had no seizures and love the fact that word retrieval is easier (but not fully resolved). I feel vain but the weight gain is a problem for me. Is anyone dealing with weight gain too? What about short term memory issues?"

9 / 10
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111 Report
  • Seezy
  • November 13, 2018

"Vimpat 200 mg. 2x/day. 10 mg clobazam 1x 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 50’s you will eventually experience all the above especially if on 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 end. I would appreciate if anyone can suggest something new and shiny for complex partials. Btw, 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!"

5 / 10
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113 Report

Are you taking this medicine?

  • Emily
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • February 9, 2021

"I read through a lot of the negative reviews below and was really surprised. Vimpat has been the best medication for me. I've been taking it for almost 3 years and it has stopped my seizures and has way less side effects than any other ant-epileptic I've taken. The thing with finding the right drug for you is that you have to take into account literally everything in your life. With the most common type of epilepsy, seizures can be triggered by pretty much everything. On another note, titrating up on any anti-epileptic will cause side effects regardless of the drug. It's a matter of your body adjusting to the drug. Every time I titrated up a dose, I experienced side effects for about a month or so. BUT I've been on 400mg for over a year and have been fine, minus the unavoidable, occasional dizziness and vertigo. And the typical speech and memory problems come from having epilepsy, not necessarily from the drugs. Do your research! And if you have insurance, Vimpat is affordable."

10 / 10
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58 Report
  • Nonnie
  • January 1, 2020

"Was on Keppra for a long time and introduced to Vimpat along with it. The side effects for Keppra almost blinded me and I went off of it and only take Vimpat now. Didn't realize how brutal the headaches were on Keppra until I stopped the Keppra. Vimpat works for me and keeps the seizures away."

10 / 10
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68 Report
  • RGDNC
  • April 21, 2017

"I have been on Vimpat for four years and have been seizure free since starting it. I do get a little dopey an hour after I take it; however, it's not to the degree that it interferes with work or driving. The side effects lessen the longer I've been on it. I'm in NC, and my insurance does cover all but a $50 copay. This medicine is a life saver. I've tried Keppra, Topamax, Lamictal, and Depakote with no success. My doctor does yearly Vimpat blood level labs to make sure I keep at a therapeutic level and also screens vitamin D and B12 levels every six months since they can be affected by Vimpat. Good luck on your journey."

10 / 10
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87 Report
  • TheBl...
  • November 21, 2019

"Horrible drug. I had nausea & threw up several times - taking it with food did not prevent this. I was on both Vimpat & Keppra at the same time (I was being weaned off Keppra then). For the first 3 weeks I would take both at the same time. When I would take them both I would end up with heart palpitations and I don't even have heart problems! I looked it up online since there was nothing about this in Vimpat's information pamphlet. When I did it said that heart palpitations are more likely to occur if you take Vimpat with Keppra. There is NOTHING about this interaction in either drug's information pamphlet. There should be. My neurologist didn't even know there was an interaction. I found out because I typed in "Vimpat Heart Palpitations" on Google. It was listed on a medical website. If the information I read is online why isn't it in the information pamphlets for both drugs? I had to take the Vimpat and Keppra separately, 5 hours apart, to avoid this ugly cross interaction."

1 / 10
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60 Report
  • ngp
  • May 24, 2013

"I have been on Keppra for a year and just started Vimpat 6 wks ago. The Vimpat seems to have controlled my simple partial seizures however, I have noticed the side effects are troublesome. Some of the side effects are shakes, depression, anxiety, mood swings, dizziness, but the most troublesome is the effect it has on my memory. It feels like I can't find my words or I've forgotten information I should know. I'm 50 years of age and have tried many different types of medication in the past 43 years for seizure control and Vimpat is working however the side effects on memory is affecting my job performance. "

4 / 10
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111 Report
  • Princ...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • June 30, 2014

"I have had all kinds of seizures and taken just about every medicine over the last 25 years. Now I take only Vimpat. Seizure free for over 2 years. Yes, I still have memory issues and meds make me sleepy for about 30 minutes but I could never stay on my medicines because I work. I currently take meds daily and work about 45-50 hours per week! Vimpat has greatly improved the quality of my life."

9 / 10
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95 Report
  • WLB
  • March 19, 2017

"Make sure you are getting a factory sealed bottle! VIMPAT only has a shelf life of 7 weeks once opened. We were getting VIMPAT dispensed from a larger opened bottle at our pharmacy. This bottle may have been open well outside of the shelf life per VIMPAT guidelines. We changed the prescription over to another pharmacy and started to receive an factory sealed bottle. I mentioned this because during the time of receiving VIMPAT from original pharmacy our 3 year old myoclonic seizure activity was not controlled. Our Doctor couldn't believe the VIMPAT wasn't working and increased dosage slowly. When we switched over to new ones (sealed bottle) the seizures stopped immediately and he has been seizure free for 3 weeks now."

10 / 10
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72 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • May 29, 2012

"As a spouse of a Vimpat user I can tell you what I have observed. First on all it completely stopped the seizures. My wife has returned to work and is driving. She does not have depression or shows any physical side effect. 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."

10 / 10
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102 Report
  • Veener
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 25, 2020

"My doctor put me on Vimpat got the first prescription for 20 dollars went to fill today $13000 dollars. Really liked it but can't afford it so now I have to take affordable med. It cost more than my house payment"

9 / 10
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45 Report
  • Aweee...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • October 12, 2019

"I have been taking Vimpat 400mg / day for a year and Keppra 3000 mg/day for five years. Yes, this combination stopped my grand Mal seizures completely. That's great . However, the side effects are EXTREME and Vimpat will BANKRUPT you . You have to weigh the benefits and downsides before you jump in. The price of Vimpat is $1,000 per month thanks to UCB, the maker."

7 / 10
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47 Report
  • Gabri...
  • January 12, 2017

"I noticed a difference from the first time I began taking it. I had fewer seizures, and as the dose was increased, and Zonisamide removed from my system, my seizure-control improved. I'm now on one pill if Vimpat, twice a day and seizure-free for two years. Thank you for having the God-given wisdom to use the knowledge you received to make this medicine. It has changed my life."

10 / 10
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59 Report
  • milat...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • October 18, 2014

"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 in Vimpat for a year now is like my little blue magic pill add soon as I started it my seizures went away. I'm also on Carbamanzepine and phenobarbital I'm slowly weaning off of the phenobarbital. I have had weight gain but that is it , lately 2 nights if 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 life saver. I have been seizure free for the longest time in my entire life."

10 / 10
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70 Report
  • Epylist
  • February 26, 2014

"Have been on Vimpat for about 4 months now and am now starting to understand the side effects thanks primarily to these reviews. Previously on Dilantin for >10 years for complex-partial seizures. The positive of using this mediicne is I have a marked improvement in my gums. The Negative side effects are as follows: Poor memory/word recall/digging Short term memory impairment/can't remember what just doing and wanted to do next. Loss of the ability to focus and concentrate/easily distracted. Might not be entirely Vimpat related. Depression/emptiness/out-of-options feeling Burning feet/ MD. suggested it could be Vimpat related. Some loss of taste, Impaired ejaculation. Hope this helps. Might consider going back to Dilantin. Good first time medicine."

6 / 10
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73 Report
  • Diesel
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • February 25, 2020

"Came off depakote trying to be able to function with school and normal life. Vimpat is a great drug and stopped my seizures. Way better than keppra and depakote. Makes me a little drowsy and tired. Also had weight gain. All and all a very good drug for seizures."

8 / 10
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36 Report
  • salok...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • March 2, 2021

"I was just prescribed this drug. Today is my 2nd day taking it. I'm wondering what I can expect to happen while I'm on it. This morning I took it and shortly after I felt like I was in the clouds. Is this normal?"

5 / 10
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29 Report
  • Laura...
  • November 23, 2011

"I have partial complex seizures and Vimpat has helped me not to go totally unconscious. I still have the auras, but don't have the "full blow" seizures where I do not remember anything. Weird thing is that I don't have the strong "full blown" seizures, but I have more frequent aura's. Don't know which is worse. It is safer for me not to have the actual seizure, but having more aura's during the day is scary too. Also, it seems like my memory is getting worse and I can't think of what it is I want to say. My mind goes blank on me especially when trying to think of the word I am wanting to say. My hair has dried out and have lost a lot of it too. Not sure if Vimpat is worth all this or not!"

6 / 10
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77 Report
  • Tuck
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • September 10, 2018

"Saved my life. I've been on almost every single available seizure medication over 8+ years. Multiple pills at one time at large doses each...I've already slit my wrist because of my life and horrible medications. This one has finally ended my suffering. I can finally go to sleep at night without the fear of waking up covered in vomit and blood and forgetting who I am."

10 / 10
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42 Report
  • Seizure...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • August 31, 2019

"This drug works excellent at controlling seizures. I haven't had a seizure since I titrated to the max dose 10 months ago. However , it had some serious side effects and is unbelievably expensive and will bankrupt you. I'm also on 3,000 mg Keppra . Good luck"

9 / 10
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34 Report
  • jctay...
  • February 23, 2012

"It really helped my seizures, but did not control them completely. I did not have any of the dizziness, but after being on it for a year and half I have really started to notice some things. My hair is falling out terribly bad. Not just on my head, but eyebrows and legs too. I have terrible itching and rashes on my arms and legs. This whole time I figured the memory problems were from the unsuccessful surgery, but now I think it is the Vimpat. It worked better than the other 10 medicines I tried before it, but the side effects are now bad enough that I need to change. The memory problems are terrible and not worth it if it does not control the seizures."

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70 Report
  • Vanna...
  • April 9, 2014

"I have been on Vimpat for 2 months for seizures and at first it seemed like it was great because my seizures went almost completely away for the first 3 weeks, but then it seemed like they were coming back but not as bad, so I just increased it to 100mgs twice a day. Seems to be working pretty good so far. The problem I'm having with it is that my hair is falling out terribly and I can't remember anything! It's crazy! Just simple stuff that I know just slips my mind. It's very aggravating but rather not have seizures."

7 / 10
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58 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.