Vimpat and Memory Loss: What Users Say

• Joa...
• November 9, 2020

For Seizures "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 worse. 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."

• Sal...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 6, 2019

For Seizures "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 kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies."

• K8t...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2019

For Seizures "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 effects 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?"

• See...
• November 13, 2018

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

• See...
• November 13, 2018

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

• ngp...
• May 24, 2013

For Seizures "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 are affecting my job performance."

• Pri...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 30, 2014

For Seizures "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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 29, 2012

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

• mil...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 18, 2014

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

• Epy...
• February 26, 2014

For Seizures "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 medicine is I have a marked improvement in my gums. The negative side effects are as follows: Poor memory, word recall, and 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."

• Epy...
• February 26, 2014

For Seizures "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 medicine is I have a marked improvement in my gums. The negative side effects are as follows: Poor memory, word recall, and 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."

• Lau...
• November 23, 2011

For Seizures "I have partial complex seizures, and Vimpat has helped me not to go completely unconscious. I still experience auras, but I no longer have the full-blown seizures where I lose memory. It's strange that I don't have the intense seizures, but I do have more frequent auras. I'm unsure which is worse. It's safer for me not to experience the actual seizure, but having more auras during the day is also frightening. Additionally, it feels like my memory is deteriorating, and I struggle to articulate my thoughts. I often can't recall the word I intend to say, and my hair has become dry and I've experienced significant hair loss. I'm uncertain if Vimpat is worth all these side effects or not!"

• jct...
• February 23, 2012

For Seizures "It really helped my seizures, but did not control them completely. I did not have any dizziness, but after being on it for a year and a 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."

• Van...
• April 9, 2014

For Seizures "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. However, then it seemed like they were coming back, but not as bad, so I just increased it to 100 mg twice a day. It seems to be working pretty well 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 I would rather not have seizures."

• His...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 10, 2013

For Seizures "My 14-year-old son has been on Vimpat coupled with Keppra, and although it is not recommended for children, it has given me peace of mind. He has been seizure-free for over two years. Side effects appear to be minimal, he does have short-term memory loss, like walking into the kitchen and forgetting why he came in there. He especially forgets chores, but I don't know if it's because of the medicine or because he is just a typical lazy teenager."

• Caz...
• April 19, 2013

For Seizures "I had surgery in Jan 2013 to remove the right temporal lobe. My epilepsy changed altogether, I was just having daily partials but conscious when they happened. However, after surgery, things were really bad in terms of the quantity of seizures I was having. They were every 15 minutes! Anyway, I've now been on Vimpat for about 6 weeks and have noticed a huge improvement. I have gone from 40 partials to around 2-3 per day and so far no complex partials! However, when I increased my last dose to 100 mg twice a day, my heart was racing at 128, so I had to reduce back to 50 mg twice daily. I have noticed I am constantly itching, and my memory is really bad. I'm not sure if this is because of the surgery or the Vimpat. I go back to work soon, so I'm really concerned."

• Anonymous
• October 22, 2011

For Seizures "Vimpat has some effectiveness for my partial seizures, but it is accompanied by other difficulties: 1. It gave me double vision early on. We had to balance my dosages of Vimpat and Lamictal to straighten out the problem. 2. I struggle with memory problems as a result of taking it. Sometimes I need to ponder extra long to even be able to recount what I did or learned just a few days before. And I'm not always successful. 3. Vimpat has intensified my emotions, especially in causing me to weep. I used to go a whole year without shedding a tear. Now I often can't even go a whole day without crying a bit. I don't think it's depression. I usually am moved to tears over something I deem wonderfully moving. Just totally out of character for me."

• Anonymous
• December 29, 2011

For Seizures "I have been taking Dilantin for almost 20 years. Tried all sorts of anti-seizure drugs. You name it, I have it. Started Vimpat about 4 or 5 months ago along with Dilantin. 200 mg/day. I felt initially that it is better than others. I did have a short seizure (usually don't get frequently). With increased dose along with Dilantin, I am confused, memory loss, dizziness, sort of depressive mood at times. The big thing is the memory loss. I forget what I did at work the other day, things like that. I feel very stressed and have become more sensitive. The major one is memory."

• Sil...
• August 31, 2013

For Seizures "I take Tegretol, and I have been on Vimpat now for over a year. At first, I still had seizures, but they were completely different from the ones I had before. I used to jump and scream, now I become an ironing board, then kick my legs. After a few months, they stopped completely. I had never felt better, it was the first time in 25 years I had been free. But the last couple of months, they have returned, and I have never felt worse. Side effects: extremely emotional [which is at the other end of the scale from Vigabatrin, which made me a nutter], depression, memory loss, stuttering, and significant weight gain. I am much better on them than without, but as far as stopping my seizures, it was short-lived."

• Con...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 31, 2015

For Seizures "Does Vimpat seem to make anyone very, very forgetful? I tend to explode verbally occasionally, in a negative way, and totally depressed. Sound any bit familiar? I'm on other meds, but just seeing if anyone possibly noticed this from Vimpat. One other thing. I was working a lot of overtime both day and night and confused the amount of meds I was taking, although I had them separated. Not good. Had a terrible accident, was told the car rolled over 6 or 7 times. Thank God it didn't involve any other cars or persons. Just drove off the road. PLEASE take your meds as told to do so. Spine operation went well. GOD BLESS YOU, seat belt and airbags!!!"

• sad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2013

For Seizures "My uncle has had epilepsy since he was 18. He is now 60. He was on Dilantin up until 4 years ago when he was put on Depakote after a 45-minute seizure. Then no more until February. Then he started having seizures once a week. The doctor added Keppra. The seizures kept happening every couple of weeks, so the doctor sent him to a neurologist, which maxed out the doses of both pills. Last month he had 4 lengthy seizures within a 2-hour time period. That's when the doctor added Vimpat. As of today, he has not had a seizure, but the doc wants to up the Vimpat again. Since he has been on it, he has had horrible memory loss."

• Jea...
• December 1, 2016

For Seizures "Sudden onset of seizures (tonic/clonic) at the age of 56. 6 days in the Neuro ICU and no cause determined (but I concede my sleep patterns need improvement). I'm on 100 mg of Vimpat x 2 daily. No seizures since. (Yay!) But 8 weeks later, 3 side effects. Memory issues, e.g., I'll read books for the first time, only to see my own notes in the margin. (So it's not the first read!) That's very distressing. Repeating myself. Also noticed vision changes, as if I need another RX glasses, and (7 out of 10 in pain) headaches for the first time in my life. I'm told to give Vimpat 90+ days to 6 months to adjust. Crossing fingers."

• kcr...
• September 12, 2014

For Seizures "Vimpat is wonderful, in that it has stopped my seizures for the past two years. I am also on Carbatrol. Short-term memory loss I can live with, but my main concern is dizziness. I can't find the combination of times to take it/foods to take it with. It seems like I find a combination that works for three or four days, then I'm so dizzy I cannot stand up. Very frustrating."

• Kys...
• January 16, 2014

For Seizures "This has been the better of the 10 others we have been on with our young son. I will say that he has recently developed leg and lower back pain, along with more frequent migraines, hair loss, and a horrible rash on arms and legs. Also, some weight and memory loss, along with some crying fits. But like I said, sadly this was the least side effects of all the ones we have been on. Topamax was the worst, it trashed his insides and turned my sweet child into a crying, crazy, cursing lunatic! Would love to know if anyone has had luck with less side effects on any other anti-epileptic meds. He goes several weeks so far without any seizures on Vimpat so far."

• nik...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 13, 2014

For Seizures "Vimpat is the only medication I have taken for partial simple seizure. I had never had a seizure until I had a car wreck. Did not have a seizure until 4 days after the wreck. Many other anti-seizure medicines would interfere with my immunosuppressants. I only take 25 mg twice a day, but it makes me tired and forgetful. No more seizures in over a year though."