Primidone and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• December 9, 2009

For Benign Essential Tremor "I was diagnosed with ET 6 weeks ago. I was prescribed Primidone. To date, I still am having serious side effects. My tremors are continual, even to the point where my left arm feels 'dead'. Generally, I feel drained, dizzy, and sick to my stomach. My voice is halting, with shaky patterns, and is more affected when I am tired. I find it very difficult to take this medicine and will be calling my doctor to discuss any other options."

• JDE...
• April 22, 2016

For Benign Essential Tremor "Beta blockers don't work, tried primidone recently. Started at 150 mg, now up to 250 mg, 50% improvement. I'm not sure if I want to take this long term for 50% improvement. I have gotten by most of the time just dealing with my tremors. But I'm so tired of having them!"

• 23H...
• May 12, 2017

For Benign Essential Tremor "I have had a mild case of benign essential tremor for almost 12 years. My primary care doctor has always associated my shaking with anxiety or hormones, however, my neurologist diagnosed it as benign essential tremor. I have been taking Primidone (only 50 mg twice a day) for a month now, and it seems to have decreased the shaking a bit. However, it makes me extremely tired, and I sometimes have an odd dizzy feeling the first hour or so after taking it. I am unsure if it will go away completely, but it definitely has helped, so I will continue to take this medication to see if the side effects eventually go away."

• Tan...
• February 16, 2016

For Benign Essential Tremor "I started out with Primidone at 50 mg at night, but I couldn't shake off the side effects until about 9 am the next morning. Tired, disoriented, lethargic, and dizzy. Couldn't take it during the day when I needed it the most, so it was basically useless for me. Dr. changed this to Topiramate, which works much better. No apparent side effects, and I worked up from 50 mg a day to 150 mg in the morning, with another 50 in the mid-afternoon to keep the calmness going. I have to write a lot in my job, and although it takes about 2 hours to achieve full effect, the Primidone keeps the shakes away for a good 5 hours."

• Tan...
• February 16, 2016

For Benign Essential Tremor "I started out with Primidone at 50 mg at night, but I couldn't shake off the side effects until about 9 am the next morning. Tired, disoriented, lethargic, and dizzy. Couldn't take it during the day when I needed it the most, so it was basically useless for me. Dr. changed this to Topiramate, which works much better. No apparent side effects, and I worked up from 50 mg a day to 150 mg in the morning, with another 50 in the mid-afternoon to keep the calmness going. I have to write a lot in my job, and although it takes about 2 hours to achieve full effect, the Primidone keeps the shakes away for a good 5 hours."

• Chr...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 26, 2023

Primidone "I take Mysoline because I have been diagnosed with essential tremors. It helps a lot with the tremors, but I still struggle with having them, but they aren't nearly as bad. I'm not dropping things as often. The medication took some getting used to. It made me really tired at first. I take two in the morning and one at bedtime. Eventually, my body got used to it, so it doesn't make me sleepy anymore."

• Anonymous
• October 24, 2009

For Seizures "I have been using this medication for approximately 35 years. I have had two healthy children during this time. I am now in my 50s and find that I am experiencing tiredness, fatigue, and incoordination to the extent that I stumble or run into people or things easier than before. Whether this medication is a cause of my clumsiness or not, I am not sure. It has helped to control my seizures since my last one in 1975."

• Anonymous
• July 13, 2009

Primidone for Benign Essential Tremor "I found Mysoline effective for my essential tremor, but the side effects of tiredness, lack of energy, plus reduced sexual function (difficulty in ejaculating) is quite frustrating."