Lacosamide and Dizziness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• July 31, 2018

Lacosamide for Seizures "POSITIVES: I have my normal energy and personality. NEGATIVES: $750.00 for a 30-day supply with insurance! I have a little blurred vision, ringing in my ears, and short-term memory loss. (Can't remember things from the day and week and can't find words to talk well, especially in groups of people). I am 59 years old and started having multiple auras at age 56, which led to 2 grand mal seizures. Keppra made me extremely tired and anxious. Dilantin made me extremely tired, off balance, and 'high' feeling. Vimpat has worked the best with 2-150 mg pills per day."

• Nik...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 8, 2015

Lacosamide for Seizures "I have partial complex seizures. I also take Tegretol XR and Diamox. Before Vimpat, I was having seizures at least 3-5 times a month, especially after my menstruation. But I can say with Vimpat, I don't have seizures, I will have a little jump here and there, but nothing major. The major side effects I have experienced are the following: weight gain (about 50 pounds), dizziness when I initially take it if I don't eat enough food, and sometimes my words and thoughts would be off. Lately, I notice that I fall a lot, but I don't know if it's related to Vimpat. But I can say it has controlled my seizures. It didn't increase my appetite, but I have gained a lot of weight, my doctor says it's normal with Vimpat. I receive Vimpat for free with the patient assistance."

• Nad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 20, 2021

Lacosamide for Seizures "Almost 3 weeks taking this med. 200 mg twice a day and with 700 mg of Keppra only at night. I was able to be seizure-free for almost 3 years only taking Keppra once a day (my own diagnosis) but got careless and drank a beer at night and went to bed really late and that provoked a seizure. My doctor told me to start taking Vimpat, and after a week and a half, I started to get headaches, dizziness, vertigo, started to wake up earlier than normal, and my urine comes out almost a greenish color. I don't like this pill."

• Nad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 20, 2021

Lacosamide for Seizures "Almost 3 weeks taking this med. 200 mg twice a day and with 700 mg of Keppra only at night. I was able to be seizure-free for almost 3 years only taking Keppra once a day (my own diagnosis) but got careless and drank a beer at night and went to bed really late and that provoked a seizure. My doctor told me to start taking Vimpat, and after a week and a half, I started to get headaches, dizziness, vertigo, started to wake up earlier than normal, and my urine comes out almost a greenish color. I don't like this pill."

• Max...
• October 23, 2015

Lacosamide for Seizures "I'm 25 and a little over 1 year ago, I had my first seizure, grand mal. I had no warnings or auras, and I fell and hit my head, leading to me being in a coma for 3 days. I started on Dilantin 100 mg twice a day. I started having loss of coordination and slurred speech, so I was switched over to Lamotrigine and was taking 25 mg twice a day. That seemed to work nicely for about 4 months when I got up to 150 mg twice a day. One morning, I woke up with this giant, nasty rash on the side of my neck and down the right side of my side and stomach. It was an allergic reaction. I'm now on Vimpat 150 mg twice a day. The only side effects I have with the Vimpat are serious issues trying to sleep and unexplained noise in my ears. However, I'm still having seizures!"

• For...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 25, 2023

For Seizures "I have nocturnal seizures, occurring only 1-2 times a year consistently. Since 2017, the only prescription medications I have taken are single anticonvulsants at a time. However, I am hypersensitive to medications, experiencing every common and rare side effect listed, except death. I did not have any health problems before taking medication, except for the occasional seizure. I have been taking Lacosamide (50 mg twice a day) since the spring of 2022, and I am tolerating it better than Keppra (which caused anger issues and more seizures) or Lamotrigine (which caused memory loss, hair loss, tremors, and other side effects). However, that is not saying much. On Lacosamide, I feel completely exhausted and lethargic 24 hours a day, which is the hardest part. I also experience dizziness, blurred vision, bad memory, difficulty focusing, hair loss, heart palpitations, and loss of interest/pleasure. Despite these side effects, I have not had any seizures for the first time in nine years. Is this as good as it gets? Honestly, I have not felt like myself since I started taking prescription medications."

• kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2019

Lacosamide for Seizures "I just started this medicine after I got a phase 2 surgery. It has helped with the longevity of the seizure, but it hasn't stopped them. I have now noticed the side effects of it, my hair is turning white and breaking easily, the vertigo, and nausea if I don't eat enough by the second dose. My eyes and urine have darkened, not to mention I have to use the restroom a million times a day. I don't know if I should stay on it or go ahead and get off?"

• Cry...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 23, 2015

Lacosamide for Seizures "I take Vimpat 200 mg in the morning and at night. I have been on it for the past 7 years, but recently I have had severe vertigo to where the room felt like it was spinning, and I would end up sick for hours. I have to take a pill for dizziness, it's gotten so bad. I think it's time for a change. I'm just scared to change because I have Grand Mal seizures, and I am severely allergic to Lamictal and Dilantin. I don't know what to do next. I take Depakote 500 mg ER in the morning and at night and 250 mg ER at night. But I need that extra med at night to keep my seizures at bay."

• Cry...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 23, 2015

Lacosamide for Seizures "I take Vimpat 200 mg in the morning and at night. I have been on it for the past 7 years, but recently I have had severe vertigo to where the room felt like it was spinning, and I would end up sick for hours. I have to take a pill for dizziness, it's gotten so bad. I think it's time for a change. I'm just scared to change because I have Grand Mal seizures, and I am severely allergic to Lamictal and Dilantin. I don't know what to do next. I take Depakote 500 mg ER in the morning and at night and 250 mg ER at night. But I need that extra med at night to keep my seizures at bay."

• Bjo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 16, 2015

Lacosamide for Seizures "Vimpat made me see double of everything after the first week I took it. Very bad feeling did not help my seizures well. Only down by 50%. And felt at night restless in legs. Dizziness when walking in the daytime. Not take anymore, feel better. Now take Topamax, and I find it much better."

• Bob...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 6, 2023

For Epilepsy "Vimpat has worked great for my son (left TLE), diagnosed at 10, now 18. 16 months seizure-free since being on Vimpat, no side effects. Takes 300 mg/day + 1500 mg/day Keppra - half in AM, half in PM. Bummer that it's a controlled substance, makes it harder to refill. Note: Tried Trileptal before Vimpat - did not stop seizures + had side effects like dizziness."

• Lon...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 17, 2024

For Seizures "I have been using Lacosamide for many years now. After trying at least a dozen different meds and combinations of them, my doctor put me on Lacosamide. He warned me that the side effects could be unpleasant at first but might decrease over time. He also told me that getting the drug reliably and affordably could be a problem, but he would be my advocate if it worked so I weaned off the one I was on totally before starting Lacosamide. Although there were unpleasant side effects, particularly at first, it was the first time in many years that my seizures started to finally get under control so it was worth it. No more seizures but some side effects that I've gotten used to; dizziness and short-term memory loss are the most irritating. Those are worth putting up with as long as I have no big seizures and Lacosamide has stopped those to the extent that I panic if I have any trouble getting it, since it doesn't take long for me to start having seizures again not long after I miss some."

• App...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2025

Lacosamide for Epilepsy "This drug is bioequivalent, but not equivalent to Vimpat. On 200 mg twice per day of regular Vimpat, I feel fine, energized even, but on the equivalent dosage, 400 mg once per day with Motpoly XR, taken at night, I wake up feeling like I took a double dose of Vimpat, the full side effects of the drug - dizzy, exhausted, headache. Then, maybe 4-5 hours before I'm supposed to take my next dose, I get the aura seizure that I get when I don't take medicine (the aura is a bit less prevalent than if I were not on any medicine, but it's there). Motpoly XR is supposed to be a once-per-day equivalent to Vimpat that lasts 24 hours; however, it seems not to be quite there; it gives me a heavier dose earlier and then runs out of the medicine later in the day. In my research, it seems like the FDA approved it for its bioequivalence and safety of use, but had some concern about its efficacy to last as a once-per-day solution. However, no one really tells you this. I switched back to Vimpat."

• Mal...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 14, 2018

For Seizures "I've been on over 30 AEDs since I was 12 years old. I also had a left temporal lobectomy in 1999. I still have seizures, but not as many and not as violent. I believe lacosamide has helped. I'm up to 800 mg/day, and I certainly have side effects of bad balance, dizziness, short-term memory problems, and shakiness, but I'd rather have those problems than have my seizures. Lacosamide didn't do as well by itself as it is doing now with Aptiom at 300 mg/day. With the addition of Aptiom, I couldn't even walk, and I still had simple partial seizures weekly. Now I'm down to less than three seizures monthly. Side effects are still a problem, but I'd still rather have those than seizures."

• 507...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 12, 2021

For Seizures "My daughter took this medicine to control seizures for 10 months. The worst side effect was the double vision and loss of balance while walking. The double vision problem remained frequently for 3 years after we stopped medication. Several medical tests were performed at her eyes, but nothing was found in her eyes that caused this and neither her brain. Even now, after 4 years without medication, there is only the balance problem while walking."

• Anonymous
• April 19, 2010

Lacosamide for Seizures "Unfortunately, my experiences have not been good. It has reduced the seizures, but I get bad side effects: dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches, nausea, and poor coordination."

• Anonymous
• May 11, 2011

Lacosamide for Seizures "I started taking it about 2 weeks ago. It makes me dizzy and stutter."

• Tbi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 15, 2022

For Seizures "I occasionally get dizziness, but other than that, I don’t mind Vimpat. It’s been the most tolerated of all the medications I’ve been on, including Keppra and Depakote."