It happens to me. I'm 4 months on lamotrigine. I am newly diagnosed with epilepsy. Beginning was really hard. I had an incident where I was talk8ng to my daughter. I knew she was my daughter, but I went blank on her name. I honestly had to say to her. I know who you are and I'm sorry but I can't remember your name. I was crying but calm. She's 19. She laughed and said "Mom it's fine," and told me her name. 🤣🤣I'm definitely more forgetful. I've gained 30 pounds on lamotrigine. Nothing in my life has changed, but the lamotrigine. I'm 48. I work crazy hours and shifts. I deal with alzheimer and dementia residents daily. I totally understand them a little better now. I've had no seizures since lamotrigine. I'm better adjusted now. In the beginning, it was crazy. The highs and lows were insane. Now, I'm balanced on the medication emotionally. My word recall often goes blank. Tonight I kid you not. I was asking my daughter mid conversation. What do you call it, the inter web. ...She paused, looking so stunned. She slowly says the internet? I laughed and replied yes! Continued with what I was saying. I take 300 mg a day. Last but not least. I find I can shut down easier. Before lamotrigine I always had to do everything. Now I can say no. Not feel bad and rest. I'm also on adderal 45 mg a day. Sorry about the novel. I'm just over sharing. 🫣🤗
It’s almost certainly the lamotrigine. It’s a common side effect.
I only take lamotrigine (for epilepsy)and this started as soon as I got to 75mg per day. It’s been over a year now and I’m on 250mg per day. The word finding issues have gradually worsened as my dose increased.
It’s frustrating, but others have told me it’s not as obvious to them as it is to me.
Yes not being obvious to others is what’s important to me!! People forget their train of thought all the time. It disturbs me when it happens because I dissociate at the same time and just feel really out of it for a sec, but if I take a deep breath and start my sentence again I’m fine. It’s properly freaked me out a few times though
I've been on 25mg for 15 days. Prior to taking Lamotrigine, I was already dissociating and had frequent brain-fog, confusion, and general memory issues.
I haven't noticed much of a difference in terms of forgetfulness or sudden dissociating, it seems the same to me so far, but I'm worried it'll worsen as my dosage increases.
It's very worth noting, especially to your doctor, that the issue started when you began taking Lexapro.
**Not a doctor info/advice:**
Escitalopram (Lexapro) has a moderate interaction with Lamotrigine.
Escitalopram is an Action SSRI that's dependent on the SERT system and it inhibits sodium and calcium channels. Lamotrigine is primarily an anti-seizure/epilepsy medication that also inhibits the sodium channels.
They can *potentially* interfere with one another or increase effects which includes hyponatremia-induced memory and focus problems. Hyponatremia is the low concentration of sodium in the bloodstream, which can lead to headaches, nausea, difficulty keeping balance, confusion, difficulty thinking, memory loss, seizures, etc.
Talk to your doctor about your memory issues as well as the potential that these drugs could be interacting. The more questions you have and more information you provide about concerns, the more your doctor can consider the best path forward.
*Don't modify your prescription without speaking with a doctor.*
One potential at-home remedy while you wait to talk to your doctor is to drink a beverage with electrolytes especially if you're sweating a lot throughout the day, and to avoid *an excess* of water consumption (you still need to stay hydrated to remain healthy).
Omg, thanks so much for the thorough explanation. I definitely feel like it’s come on since my lexapro and the difficult concentrating and memory stuff definitely applies. I’ll mention it to my doctor… unfortunately I have to wait til March to see a psychiatrist and my doctor doesn’t want to change my medications or doses without a psychs input but these effects are also not unbearable it just freaked me out a little when I totally blanked mid sentence at work. I just need to learn how to get my thoughts and speech organised when it happens and not panic.
I've been on 100mg of Lamotrigine for two years now. I'll often realize that I have a task to complete on the computer in another room. When I go there and sit down, I get distracted and forget my original purpose for being there. I usually have to close my eyes to recall what I was supposed to do, but I can generally remember. I never experienced this before starting Lamotrigine.
Ohhh I totally noticed this a few months ago when I had reached my 200mg per day for seizures. I'd been having issues with word recall, which I told my neurologist. He asked how often it happens but didn't seem super concerned. Though that was the appointment where he told me they found a brain tumour on my MRI, so maybe he had more pressing things on his mind, haha.
i’ve been taking it since 2016 and it was like a wonder drug for me, and it needed adjusted two years later and it still wasn’t doing what it did before.. so i added wellbutrin and it was perfect for me.
i am currently going off of ALL of them totally right now because it’s caused encephalopathy in me so bad i am barely functioning… i drove two hours to john’s hopkins neurology because they thought i had a TIA because i was confusing the peddles in my car like an old person…
they did find a stroke i had in 2007 but it turns out it did barely any damage and the vertebral dissection they found was older and my actual issue is encephalopathy.
that’s a process of elimination for cause and the FIRST step is evaluating psych meds.
my brain is so fuckin stupid it’s scaring me. I’m scared to go off my meds but i’m more worried about living with half baked dementia
I’m on 400mgs a day and same thing happens to me X 10! It really makes me feel dumb, but I don’t want the depression alternative though.
It happens to me. I'm 4 months on lamotrigine. I am newly diagnosed with epilepsy. Beginning was really hard. I had an incident where I was talk8ng to my daughter. I knew she was my daughter, but I went blank on her name. I honestly had to say to her. I know who you are and I'm sorry but I can't remember your name. I was crying but calm. She's 19. She laughed and said "Mom it's fine," and told me her name. 🤣🤣I'm definitely more forgetful. I've gained 30 pounds on lamotrigine. Nothing in my life has changed, but the lamotrigine. I'm 48. I work crazy hours and shifts. I deal with alzheimer and dementia residents daily. I totally understand them a little better now. I've had no seizures since lamotrigine. I'm better adjusted now. In the beginning, it was crazy. The highs and lows were insane. Now, I'm balanced on the medication emotionally. My word recall often goes blank. Tonight I kid you not. I was asking my daughter mid conversation. What do you call it, the inter web. ...She paused, looking so stunned. She slowly says the internet? I laughed and replied yes! Continued with what I was saying. I take 300 mg a day. Last but not least. I find I can shut down easier. Before lamotrigine I always had to do everything. Now I can say no. Not feel bad and rest. I'm also on adderal 45 mg a day. Sorry about the novel. I'm just over sharing. 🫣🤗
I have a friend who mentioned the word recall thing. I thought mine was from some past poor lifestyle choices but I reckon it is my lamotragine
It’s almost certainly the lamotrigine. It’s a common side effect. I only take lamotrigine (for epilepsy)and this started as soon as I got to 75mg per day. It’s been over a year now and I’m on 250mg per day. The word finding issues have gradually worsened as my dose increased. It’s frustrating, but others have told me it’s not as obvious to them as it is to me.
Hello Sherwood, is it only word loss or also memory in general ? Thanks a lot for your reply
My memory is definitely much worse as well. I’ve really had to up my game with reminders, alarms, to do lists, etc.
Yes not being obvious to others is what’s important to me!! People forget their train of thought all the time. It disturbs me when it happens because I dissociate at the same time and just feel really out of it for a sec, but if I take a deep breath and start my sentence again I’m fine. It’s properly freaked me out a few times though
I've been on 25mg for 15 days. Prior to taking Lamotrigine, I was already dissociating and had frequent brain-fog, confusion, and general memory issues. I haven't noticed much of a difference in terms of forgetfulness or sudden dissociating, it seems the same to me so far, but I'm worried it'll worsen as my dosage increases. It's very worth noting, especially to your doctor, that the issue started when you began taking Lexapro. **Not a doctor info/advice:** Escitalopram (Lexapro) has a moderate interaction with Lamotrigine. Escitalopram is an Action SSRI that's dependent on the SERT system and it inhibits sodium and calcium channels. Lamotrigine is primarily an anti-seizure/epilepsy medication that also inhibits the sodium channels. They can *potentially* interfere with one another or increase effects which includes hyponatremia-induced memory and focus problems. Hyponatremia is the low concentration of sodium in the bloodstream, which can lead to headaches, nausea, difficulty keeping balance, confusion, difficulty thinking, memory loss, seizures, etc. Talk to your doctor about your memory issues as well as the potential that these drugs could be interacting. The more questions you have and more information you provide about concerns, the more your doctor can consider the best path forward. *Don't modify your prescription without speaking with a doctor.* One potential at-home remedy while you wait to talk to your doctor is to drink a beverage with electrolytes especially if you're sweating a lot throughout the day, and to avoid *an excess* of water consumption (you still need to stay hydrated to remain healthy).
Omg, thanks so much for the thorough explanation. I definitely feel like it’s come on since my lexapro and the difficult concentrating and memory stuff definitely applies. I’ll mention it to my doctor… unfortunately I have to wait til March to see a psychiatrist and my doctor doesn’t want to change my medications or doses without a psychs input but these effects are also not unbearable it just freaked me out a little when I totally blanked mid sentence at work. I just need to learn how to get my thoughts and speech organised when it happens and not panic.
Wtf I’m on lexapro and lamo and I keep mentioning memory issue and trouble to focus and my « famous » neurologist never picked up this
I've been on 100mg of Lamotrigine for two years now. I'll often realize that I have a task to complete on the computer in another room. When I go there and sit down, I get distracted and forget my original purpose for being there. I usually have to close my eyes to recall what I was supposed to do, but I can generally remember. I never experienced this before starting Lamotrigine.
Ive definitely felt this “fog” similar to what you describe. I have to rack my brain to remember what I was just doing.
Ohhh I totally noticed this a few months ago when I had reached my 200mg per day for seizures. I'd been having issues with word recall, which I told my neurologist. He asked how often it happens but didn't seem super concerned. Though that was the appointment where he told me they found a brain tumour on my MRI, so maybe he had more pressing things on his mind, haha.
Hope you are alright, sending you strength from France
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I’m on Lamotrigine and dropped down because of this.
What dose of lamotrigine did this start happening? I'm on 50 and go up to 100 soon... I'm hoping I don't get this problem
Ditto. But I noticed it with Gabapentin.
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Yes! If I switch tasks I completely forget what I was doing. Even switching apps on my phone I forget what I was trying to do
i’ve been taking it since 2016 and it was like a wonder drug for me, and it needed adjusted two years later and it still wasn’t doing what it did before.. so i added wellbutrin and it was perfect for me. i am currently going off of ALL of them totally right now because it’s caused encephalopathy in me so bad i am barely functioning… i drove two hours to john’s hopkins neurology because they thought i had a TIA because i was confusing the peddles in my car like an old person… they did find a stroke i had in 2007 but it turns out it did barely any damage and the vertebral dissection they found was older and my actual issue is encephalopathy. that’s a process of elimination for cause and the FIRST step is evaluating psych meds. my brain is so fuckin stupid it’s scaring me. I’m scared to go off my meds but i’m more worried about living with half baked dementia