Vimpat and Vision Issues: What Users Say

• 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."

• 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."

• Tec...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 29, 2015

For Seizures "Vimpat is a cursed drug to me. It's helped with my seizures, but it's not worth it for the side effects. I started it with Lamictal XR 500 mg. I had seizures at Vimpat 100 mg. At 200 mg, I was having extreme vertigo-I couldn't even lay down. It happened a few times, along with other side effects. The doctor balanced it out at Lamictal XR 400 mg and Vimpat 150 mg. I have double vision at least once a week (mild to high), nausea frequently, vomiting a few times a month, and sometimes off balance. A mild vertigo has happened a few times. If I don't eat it with a good amount of food, the side effects are almost guaranteed for me. It stops the seizures, but it's not worth it."

• 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."

• mwo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2014

For Seizures "I've been having seizures for the last two years, after being free from seizures for 5 years after temporal lobe surgery. I've had a seizure about every three months. Each seizure was worse than the previous one. Last year when I fell, complications caused kidney failure. This has passed. I was on Lamictal, and Keppra was added, and both were increased, without any change in seizures. Four months ago, I was taken off Keppra, and Vimpat was added: 600 Lamictal/400 Vimpat. It is a strong medicine, in the morning, I got very dizzy and unbalanced with double vision. I complained, and my dose was split up 3 times a day, and I feel much better. Four months free of seizures now, I'm simply waiting for the next seizure, hoping not."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 19, 2013

For Seizures "I was on Keppra (500 mg/day) since Jan 2010, due to grand mal seizures from a brain tumor. No more seizures until Jan 2013, then another one. They added Vimpat (50 mg, 3/x day) and upped the Keppra (to 750 mg/day). I know the side effects are due to Vimpat; I never had them before, even on higher doses of Keppra. Extremely itchy skin; itching at my face and scalp constantly. Severe dizziness the first month, but that went away as I've adjusted. My vision suddenly got bad; like blurred/double vision. My vision was always 20/20 before this. Constipation, which I've never had, but that's okay. Overall irritation and snappy moods. Overall okay."

• TJS...
• March 26, 2016

For Seizures "Nocturnal grand mal seizures with tremor for 35 years. I have been taking Vimpat for 3 years with limited success. At times, I have had headaches, dizziness, vision problems, weight gain, and tongue swelling, to name a few. I was taking 300 mg morning, 300 mg night, along with 1200 mg once daily of Aptiom (the new Tegretol with a twist). No problems until 4 months ago. My knees started swelling, and my joints started hurting like a severe pain I have never had. All the muscles in my legs started cramping at the same time. I went down to 150 mg of Vimpat twice daily, and the swelling went down but not away. The pain is less but still there. The trouble has to be the Vimpat because I have been taking the Aptiom for only 2 months. Hope this is helpful."

• Sta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 8, 2020

For Epilepsy "I have had no problems with this medication. The only 'problem' I would say was getting the right dosage. I was on Lamotrigine 300 mg ×2 daily, Clobazam 20 mg x2 daily, and initially on Vimpat 200 mg. Vimpat was WAY too strong. It made me have double vision. Lowered the dose to 100 mg with no problems. My doctor added this medication because I have frequent seizures, and my other medications are not as 'fast acting' as Vimpat."

• Dee...
• August 9, 2016

For Seizures "I have been taking Vimpat with Topamax for over 6 months, and it's terrible. It makes me nauseous, I feel high after taking it, I have double vision, and it hasn't even touched my seizures. It's been causing severe depression as well. My doctor just keeps increasing the Topamax."

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

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."

• Red...
• March 30, 2017

For Seizures "Horrible double vision keeps getting worse. On my 3rd set of glasses and 2nd try at prism lenses. Trying again soon."