Fycompa and Dizziness: What Users Say

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 19, 2018

For Epilepsy "I have spent about 1 yr on this medication. No medication has ever worked for me before, so this was a first. I have juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). Anyway, my biggest issues are: vertigo, nausea after every meal and nap, upset stomach, heartburn, drunk talking, unable to form words, unable to concentrate... sleep a lot. I first also gained 30 lbs but now I’m heading in the other direction because I can barely tolerate food with my stomach. My doctor won’t listen to me and says that there’s no more selection. I hate this medication! I want my life back!"

• Bee...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 22, 2018

For Epilepsy "Female, 27 yo. Fycompa is the only medication that controls my epilepsy. However, I’ve had the most terrible stomach problems from Fycompa 8 mg once a day. I can’t go a day without Tums, omeprazole, and famotidine. Doctors went ahead and gave me ondansetron as well. I’m pretty sure this medication has screwed up my stomach. Be forewarned that although it works, it’s terrible on your stomach. Pros: controls epilepsy. Cons: moody, sour stomach, throwing up, dizzy, nauseous, sweaty, weight gain, heartburn, lack of coordination (I walk like I’m drunk sometimes), can’t stop this med randomly as it causes worse seizures afterward, waking up at 5-6 am from nausea."

• Bee...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 22, 2018

For Epilepsy "Female, 27 yo. Fycompa is the only medication that controls my epilepsy. However, I’ve had the most terrible stomach problems from Fycompa 8 mg once a day. I can’t go a day without Tums, omeprazole, and famotidine. Doctors went ahead and gave me ondansetron as well. I’m pretty sure this medication has screwed up my stomach. Be forewarned that although it works, it’s terrible on your stomach. Pros: controls epilepsy. Cons: moody, sour stomach, throwing up, dizzy, nauseous, sweaty, weight gain, heartburn, lack of coordination (I walk like I’m drunk sometimes), can’t stop this med randomly as it causes worse seizures afterward, waking up at 5-6 am from nausea."

• Lyn...
• June 27, 2018

For Seizures "Took Fycompa only for a month, just stopped taking it. I hate it, I take it at night before bed. Yet during the day, I feel like complete garbage the whole day! Dizzy and feeling totally off. Felt so bad while taking it that I kept thinking a seizure is coming on but didn't. Haven't had a seizure while on it, but I definitely am not continuing to take it and would not recommend it."

• Run...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 24, 2022

For Epilepsy "Fycompa was able to stabilize me seizure-wise when I was having issues with multiple seizures from one of my other medications (which I weaned off of). I will say, as I was starting Fycompa, I did have times of confusion, balance issues, and memory (brain farts). Granted, it only lasts about half an hour. That being said, I am glad I stuck with it. I am currently 2 years seizure-free when I was previously having them 1-2/3 times a year."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 22, 2020

For Epilepsy "So I’ve been on Fycompa 4 mg for maybe 2 years, and it’s done a wonderful job against my seizures. Until the past 2 months, I’ve experienced 4 instances of déjà vu auras and a different type of aura I’ve never experienced. More of a hallucinating, double vision, lifting of the head feeling? Sort of like a roller coaster, and you feel your eyebrows go up. Anyway, my girlfriend said I’ve experienced that before, after a grand mal seizure. So my doctor upped the Fycompa to 6 mg. The first morning after taking it the night before, I felt intensely high. Very similar to the morphine I was given as a minor after surgery! Very sleepy feeling, and tingly body sensations that made me want to go limp. While my head just felt lifted in a sense. Slight dizziness and couldn’t focus on tasks. I know it’s getting used to the meds, but I don’t know if I’m comfortable taking a med that can make me feel high like that. Please let me know if you have experienced this before!"

• Anonymous
• February 5, 2018

For Epilepsy "I have been on every medication, and Fycompa was the worst. I was prescribed 2 mg in the morning and evening. I would get so dizzy that I could not stand and walk. I do not think my Vimpat and Fycompa mixed well. On my own, I started cutting both so that I did not take them together. The dizziness was less, I could at least function but was still a little dizzy. Now my new doctor is having me take Fycompa every other day for 10 days and then take me off the Fycompa. He said that medicine lasts for 300 hours, yes, 300."

• Tba...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 26, 2021

For Epilepsy "The only AED that helps me sleep deeply. On 2 others as well, and until placed on Fycompa, I slept poorly. Made me dizzy, tired, and anxious at first, however, those side effects dissipated. Still sleepy in the mornings, but that is to be expected being on any combination of AEDs."

• Phi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 6, 2022

For Epilepsy "A little background for context first: 39-year-old male with right temporal lobe epilepsy. Focal point evolving to secondarily generalized convulsive tonic-clonic seizures. Over 15 years of uncontrolled seizures. I had 3 open brain surgeries since March 2020, two temporal lobe resections and a hematoma evacuation. Continuing to have convulsive seizures, every six weeks on average. Current AED regimen: 150 mg Briviact 2x daily and 6 mg Fycompa nightly. I have been on Fycompa for 6 weeks now and continue to have focal point seizures and occasional G.T.C. seizures. The first and primary side effect I noticed was overwhelming sedation. Even for seizure drugs, I’ve never been so “drugged” feeling. I take it before bed and wake up extremely sedated. I’ve noticed that it takes about 16 hours from dosing until I can function. It also messes with my stomach and gives serious balance and gait problems after dosing. I wouldn’t recommend this drug for anything but a last resort treatment."

• Sar...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 14, 2025

For Epilepsy "I am on 4 mg of Fycompa every night. I rate this drug extremely high as it has stopped my seizures for 7 years now. The side effects regarding dizziness, sleepiness, and hunger come shortly after taking the drug. I immediately go to sleep once I've taken it as I cannot function properly once the drug is working. I believe that the side effects I experience for that short while every night are well worth it for being seizure-free."

• Kw6...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2022

For Epilepsy "This is a very good medicine for epilepsy, but it makes me hungry, off balance, and sleep for almost 10 hrs."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 9, 2022

For Epilepsy "I had to increase the mg slowly and have found it made me extremely tired or dizzy when not taken with food. Overall, I have gone from 5 seizures a month to 2 in the past 8 months and am on 6 mg."