This makes my 21st drugAnd I'm refractory never been controlled more 8-10 months back in the early 1990's.I won't get up my hopes about this one either, since I'm starting to itch like crazy which is a allergic reaction for me.
I hope it stops.
Belinda

Neat Belinda, I hope it works. I'm supposed to start it. My Dr told me about it long ago. I'm thinking of calling them back. You see, they called a few fridays ago & asked if I could come in that monday (I imagine cuz the Dr had time). She told me that since I had a couple szs since they took me off of Lyrica, maybe they could call in this perscription for Vimpat. Later they called & said the Dr would like to talk about the med (Vimpat) 1st.

It looks like I'm allergic to Vimpat and this was my 21st drug.
I tried Diamox with no luck and I'm now now having a doc tell me I'm not allergic to it because I don't break out in a rash I just itch like crazy. I was on it 5
days when started itching. I hate doctors who think they know it all.
Belinda

Got a starter kit from the doctor for Vimpat. I am kind of afraid to take it. I had some issues with Topamax. However could use the weight loss effect is there is one? Anyone use it for a longer period of time? If so what did you think about it??

Hey Belinda,

I was put on an anti-depressant called Axit. I was fine for 5 days then my head began itching. No where else just my scalp. It would drive me insane. Burning itching. I scratched until I bled. I told the doc and he said it must be my shampoo (I don't use shampoo it has too many chemicals I use a herbal lotion & tonic). This was a dr who didn't want me to take any meds for acute intractable anxiety & panic attacks.

I changed Dr and straight away she changed the anti-depressant I no longer itch outside the normal "oh I want my back scratched cos I love it" reasons. And I agree with you that there are doctors out there who really need to listen to their patients. Most do. But there is always going to be the ones whose ego's are bigger than their patient lists.

I have great respect for the training and long hours doctors put in before they are considered capable of treating patients in the general community (I think they train in hospital cos theres others there if there is an emergency, very sensible). So most go on their experience. There will always be those who go on what they think rather than what they should investigate...just tell your doctor firmly but pleasantly "I'm sorry I don't agree, please give me an anti-histamine to see if this is the only reaction I will get". That way you may be able to keep taking the drug if it is good for your sz.

Cheers
Rhiannon

First I want to wish you luck with this new med! But also some comments...

If your doc is a stick in the mud about prescribing... you may simply want to ask him if it is ok for you to take an OTC antihistamine - like Benadryl, to see if it resolves the itching.

Other things can cause itching, besides allergies, so i do think it is worth investigating. if the Benadryl does not resolve it, it might be good to do labs - complete blood workup CBC, electrolytes, liver panel and urinalysis. Want to make sure there isn't something else systemic going on - and if there is to get you off the drug before it becomes dangerous.

My hope is that it a transient reaction. I hope it is not an allergy because it isn't a good idea to stay on Benadryl continuously. But rule out allergy and your labs are clean, then quite possibly this itching could be transient and you will feel ok within a few weeks.

I wish you well with this med... 21 AEDs is a lot to burn... i'm wracking my brain trying to name that many!

((( gentle soothing anti-itchy hugs )))

~ waves ~

I wrote a paper on Vimpat last semester, and it seems to have a different mechanism of stopping seizure activity. There are several actions that take place in transmission of electrical activity that can have an affect on allowing a seizure to develop. Each drug may focus on one or more of those actions. However, in case it does not work and with the statistics being what they are re meds, once one aed fails to stop the seizures copletely there is less than a 15% chance that any AED will ever stop them, please seek out an Epileptologist at a Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and discuss other options. There are other options, and with TLE and being refractory, that may be where you find your new life. Complex patials are the hardest to stop with meds. Tattoo