Yes I take Vimpat, 350 mg a day. In the beginning I would get alot of nausea, now just every now and then. I also get vision probs, double vision, caleidescope vision, what ever you want to call it. Also did not stop my 4 seizures a month. I hope it works for you, its supposed to be the newest and best drug out there.

Maxine :-))

Hi rr,

How are you doing? Good to see you again. :) I assume since you are trying a new med that seizure activity is still on-going. :(

I have met several PPL over the past YR or 2 on Vimpat. But, their experiences shouldn't matter to You! Everyone reacts differently to their medications. The best thing to do is talk w/ your Pharmacist about side effects & what to Watch for. :) Also, ask about OTC drug interactions ( which OTC's are safe to use w/ these meds. :) )

Give your new med/dose 4-6 weeks. (Unless side effects are intolerable.) It will take your system that long to adjust to the new med & to reach Therapeutic Levels. I hope it works for you. :) Are you keeping a journal? (Clik on highlighted words for more Info. :) ) Your Journal will be a Very helpful tool for you & your DR. But, is most helpful when trying new meds. :)

I just found my 2010 Guide to Prescription Drugs. Here is what the Pharmacy/Researchers know.
Life Threatening: Rare allergic reaction (rash, hives, itching, trouble breathing, tightness in chest, swelling of lips or tongue or face. )

Common: dizziness, unsteady walk, shakiness or trembling, unusual drowsiness, lack of co-ordination,. Continue, but call Dr right away.
Blurred or double vision, headache, nausea or vomiting: Continue. Call DR when convenient.

Infrequeunt: Mood or Mental changes (B6 is good Supplement for control w/ Keppra mood changes so may work for Vimpat, also)
Feeling sad or irritable, forgetfulness, itchy skin, tiredness, trouble sleeping or concentrating (Hmm? If you are having trouble sleeping or concentrating, just makes sense ya would be Tired! :) :) ) unusual eye movements, depression.
Diarrhea, weakness, spinning sensation. (HMMM? A case of Diarrhea will makes me feel that way, anyway. :) )

Rare: Tingling or prickling feelings, noises in ears, chills, fevers, changes in heartbeat, (fast, slow, irregular pounding) unusual bleeding or bruising, yellow skin or eyes, new or worsening seizures, shortness of breath, fainting, behavior changes, euphoria. Continue, call DR right away
Indigestion, heartburn, dry mouth, constipation, muscle spasms Continue. Call Dr when convenient. :) And of course all the usual warnings/ precautions about alcohol, driving, depression, etc. :)

Love Candi

If Vimpat doesn't work for you the FDA just released a New Drug for Partial-onset seizures. :)
http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/news/20110613/fda-oks-new-epilepsy-drug

If you ask me Vimpat SUCKS!!!! My dr. had me try it just to try something new. Everytime I would take it, I would get sooooo dizzy I couldn't walk. I couldn't see straight, it made me nauseated. It just down right SUCKS!!! I had to take several days off from work because I would take the pills and would not be able to see or walk straight for over an hour.
Of course like dancer said, all of these meds effect everyone in a different way.
Good luck. I hope it works for you.

I have tried various meds but have gotten off of all except Vimpat. I have taken it alone for over a month. Very happy no seizures and only a few minor side effects for the first couple of weeks. I was nervous at first because if I seize, no driving for 6 months! That really takes a bite out of your activities. Hope it works for you as well as me.

I took Vimpat and it was terrible. I had double vision, nausea, fatigue and then mood changes occurred and caused severe depression, which I am normally a VERY happy go lucky person. So they got me off of that drug asap

I totally agree with embo. I had to wait over an hour just to be able to see straight to walk.
It made my stomach so sick.
When the dr. was putting me on vimpat, he was also putting me on depokote and coming off of keppra and I was already taking lamictal, so he had me taking 4 meds at once.
I was at the point to where I couldn't get out of bed after I took my meds.
I finally decided to just go off the vimpat and depakote on my own and stick with the keppra and the lamictal which is what I had started out with.
I really don't know how people could go through all of that.

TomiAnne I agree. Vimpat just made me worse. I also had extreme weight gain. I am also taking Lamictal and keppra and it seems to be a great combo. Going back and forth on all of the drugs is a pain, and requires alot of strength to put up with it.

I can agree with all of you who have had bad experiences with Vimpat. My Dr. first put me on this med for about a month now and have found that Vimpat has made it hard to focus I am soooo dizzy and have lost control of my mobility. It makes my body feel heavy like I'm trying to move a ton of bricks. I DON NOT LIKE THIS NEW DRUG!!

Vimpat worked great for me with Keppra. I was thrilled to be seizure free. However as time went on I became depressed. We did not realize that was a common side effect of Vimpat and I did a great job hiding it and thinking it was nothing until some night I wrote a suicide letter to my parents via email and I was five hours away. They showed up at my door in the middle of the night and I had no reason why and they showed me what I had written and I had not even realized how much the Vimpat had changed my brain chemistry. I hope it works for you....but ask people to keep an eye on you for mood changes. They are reporting more and more people having that effect.

I have been taking Vimpat for the past two months and it has worked well with my other medications when it comes to controlling my seizures. The only down side is that it caused major depression. I thought it was me, but after seeing my neurologist she said it was a common side effect.

My daughter was on this in combination with Keppra. She got more seizures than ever and we stopped it.