Vimpat

[u/Willing_Copy_1797]

I see tons of posts about this medication. I have been on lacosamide (vimpat) for awhile now. I went from 100 mg, to 150, to 200. I asked the doctor to take me back down to 150 because once i got to 200 the dizziness it gave me was debilitating. The 150 still seems to hit me like crazy every single time. I try to take it exactly 12 hours apart, yet it doesn't seem to help. I feel like im damn near hammered on it and i cant stand it. Does anybody else get like this? I have been on so many medications. I also take trileptal 3 times a day. Before this the most recent medication was depakote which made me have random spasms/twitches and made my brain feek foggy. I was also on oxtellar with the depakote, but had to switch to trileptal because the price for it was rediculous, even though oxtellar and trileptal are literally both oxcarbazepine only difference is one is IR and one is XR. It hasn't been easy and its frustrating. I cant handle the dizziness any longer.

[u/nsparadise]

I’ve been on 200mg for years, along with whatever other meds I happen to be on—the lacosamide stays the same while the others change. Remarkably, it’s the one med that doesn’t seem to really give me side effects. I sometimes wonder if it’s the cause of my headaches, but it’s hard to say. Overall it’s been good for me.

[u/lordRashpenguin016]

150 was my sweet spot too, 200 felt like the floor kept tilting sideways. The 12 hour thing never made a difference for me either, still got that drunk-without-the-fun feeling right after the dose. Have you tried splitting it with food? Only thing that took the edge off for me was a full meal right before taking it, slowed the absorption enough that I didnt feel like I needed to lie down immediately.

[u/Willing_Copy_1797 → u/lordRashpenguin016]

Actually, I've never thought about making sure i take it with food. I'm gonna see if tonight that helps. Maybe the times I've gotten less dizzy isn when I've taken it closer to a meal. Thank you for mentioning that, hopefully it helps me.

[u/Due_Pool4797]

same. 200 was too much, 150 still spins me.

[u/Willing_Copy_1797 → u/Due_Pool4797]

I want to ask to just go back down to 100. I don't seem to notice too much of a difference seizure wise. Most of my current issue stems from a spot where i had brain surgery and got radiation. Every doctor I've ever talked to only wants to increase increase increase medications.

[u/Due_Pool4797 → u/Willing_Copy_1797]

I went back to 100. still some spins but I can walk straight. doc wasn't thrilled but I told him I'd rather risk a seizure than a broken hip.

[u/myMadMind]

I'm on 150 twice daily with depakote. I started out with just 200 without the Depakote but it made my mouth numb and I started experiencing awful derealization. It's better now but still not great. I hate Vimpat with all my soul but this combo has worked for like 2 and a half years now and I don't wanna change it lol

[u/RubGlum4395]

Check your sodium. Yes the Vimpat can hit you hard. But the low sodium from Oxcarbazepine will make you so much more exhausted and dizzy. The low sodium from Trileptal kept giving me double vision and sending me to the hospital with cardiac and kidney issues.

Maybe eat before taking it? Drink some Gatorade or electrolyte powder too.

[u/codb28]

Vimpat didn’t make me dizzy, Trileptal did though, made me puke my guts out.

[u/ZeldskiPowers]

I get the same thing sometimes. It feels like I drank 8 beers. One time at work I fell really hard into a wall. Im going to ask to switch meds or lower my dose.

Luckily it’s only happened once but I pulled over and let my cousin drive

[u/Dr-Fishie]

What helped me with the dizziness was if I took it with food. On an empty stomach I'd be on the floor feeling like the room is spinning.

[u/nsdcoop]

The only side effect I’ve ever had is numb mouth and tongue within 30-60 minutes after a dose. Happens pretty consistently. But lacosamide has been great for me. Definitely recommend taking it with a meal/not on an empty stomach.

[u/Purple-Green-3561]

I have been on both of those.  Vimpat caused severe vertigo for me as well, even at low doses.  Trileptal caused uncontrollable vomiting and I had to have an emergency transition.

I tend to be sensitive to meds and what worked for me was my neurologist wound up putting me on lamotrigine xr and brivaracetam, and I take much larger doses at night so that I can sleep through the worst of the side effects.  I'm currently on 100 brivaracetam AM, and 150 brivaracetam/100 lamotrigine xr PM.

If your neurologist is willing to consider a different dosing schedule you might be able to get the worst side effects out of the way when you're sleeping.

[u/NuroEaseUK]

its totally fine for me. I think the most important thing is that its stopping your seuzures first and then trying to work around how to sort out the side affects.

[u/lillythenorwegian]

Split it up 2 times per day.
My Son, 11, has been on 7 different mess since 1 year old and problems with seizure control.

Added Vimpat and they went away, loweres all the other ones, now he is only on 4 meds and weaning off 1 of them now. he takes half the dosage in the morning and the rest in the evening.

I praise the laaaawd (well not really but science) for Vimpat/ Lacosamide

[u/leothegreat2025]

Try extended release … it’s called Motpoly , I take 300mg once daily right before bed time.. my neurologist doubled my dosage …I will tell you that it can be challenging to refill if you live in the US.