[Poochini]

Has anyone accidentally taken twice their dosage and had bad effects? If so, what were they?

I forgot I had already taken my evening dose and so took 600 mg of Lamictal instead of 300. I assume that was it, because I had a terrible night of feeling so dizzy I could barely walk without lurching, and I also could not reach for a bottle of water. I vomited about ten times, although I had no food in my stomach. In the end, I was so exhausted I could not even get up off the floor to change my clothes. I slept for most of 36 hours and recovered, but I had occasional sick headaches for about two weeks.

Anyone had anything similar?

[jingle]

Three or four times I have accidentaly taken the same dose again ... but I haven't felt a thing. That single "double dose" taken once has not bothered me a bit. Oh, I've been concerned and sort of "watched myself", but I've been just fine.
I don't remember what AEDs I was taking when this happened.

Here's hoping you're doing OK now

[Ellie]

Hi, Poochini and welcome!

I've done that so many times I've lost count, but haven't had any problems. I'm usually on such a high dose I don't think my body even notices I threw in an extra.

I did take an extra headache pill once and threw up. (Butalbital)

[MissCrabtree]

When I first started taking Trileptal I didn't realize how important it was to space my BID dose out evenly. I took it one night at midnight and took it again when I woke up at 6am. I got very dizzy, had double vision, vomited, and decided to sleep it off. After an hour or so, I was okay. Elevating the level of drug in my blood like that was something I'll remember not to do again! Now I take it around 11am and 11pm. If I'm busy around 11am and don't realize it's time to take the drug, my body lets me know; I start to "word stutter" and I know right away what time it is.

[Julie]

Hi Poochini and Miss Crabtree and welcome!

Well, we got up this morning and I told Mikey to go take his meds. I was reading this post and I heard a loud "Uh OH.............MOMMY!" He came in my room and said..."I thought it was night time and I took two of my blue and white." Since he takes two at night and just a few years ago he took much more than this, I don't think it's a problem. I just told him to take only one tonight.

[vodpop]

I've managed to forget that I've already taken my meds and take them again a couple of times. Usually I end up feeling like I've got the flu (nauseas, stomach ache, sometimes diarrhea, pounding headache) and I try whatever I can to go to sleep till its over (usually Tylenol PM and alot of praying or whining to whoever will listen). Its pretty miserable. It messes with me visually, makes me dizzy and altogether you feel like your gonna die. That was especially on Lamictal. Now every night I tell my family whenever I take my meds so I don't forget and take them twice. No thanks.

stef

[Porkette]

Hi,
I've taken my AED's more than once a few times over the yrs. and I ended up feeling like I was drunk because The AED's became toxic. I couldn't walk or stand by myself, I had double vision, and I didn't want to eat at all. It took about 4 days until I was back to normal. Here's wishing you well and May God Bless You!

Sue

[Footprints]

Depends on the med, IMHE. When I was first sent home from the hospital, they had me on depakote. Well, it turns out that it was a toxic dose, so I basically overdosed. Didn't know it-I was too out of it. Dh and others around me started freaking out when I was walking around hallucinating and saying wierd stuff. Neuro had me go for a stat blood draw to measure my depakote level (yup, too high), and dh didn't give me any more meds until the following day. Also, had to keep waking me up all night to make sure I could wake up!

OTOH, one night I think I doubled my lyrica. Started having trouble breathing, so I panicked (or vise-versa). The neuro on call called me back and said that, if anything, an overdose would make me sleepier, not worked up. I was having a panic attack because of the fear of overdosing! He had me take the rest of my usual AEDs (keppra) and, sure enough, I calmed down after talking to the neuro and fell asleep just fine that night, no problem.

One night, from exhaustion (drove 10 hours during a move), I took my morning dose (300%) of cortef at bedtime. Didn't realize it at all, but it was one of those things that came back to me when I was falling asleep.....after I'd already had a seizure! I think that time, the OD of the wrong med stimulated the seizure! Baaaaad thing to do.

I have my med routine pretty down pat, but I take four different medications morning and four different at night, with slightly different doses each time. After four years, three mix ups isn't that bad, but the risks are scary!