Has anyone else experienced their care partners Alzheimer's seeming to progress after taking a seizure medication. In this case lamotrigine. Husband had one bad seizure in Feb this year and medication dose now at 100mg twice daily. It's like we have more confusion including not recognizing family at times, mood changes, maybe we just have not learned the work arounds of what will be calming or accepting rather than just annoying and frustrating to him.
Disease progression following seizure medication
- Thread starter Poplar
- Start date
Hello @Poplar
My OH has seizures and takes this medication (plus others). I don't think it is the medication that is progressing the dementia - dementia will progress anyway, and seizures are a sign of the brain damage caused by the dementia. Seizures can also progress the dementia. It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation, but I have found that the right medication for OH actually helps a bit.
My OH has seizures and takes this medication (plus others). I don't think it is the medication that is progressing the dementia - dementia will progress anyway, and seizures are a sign of the brain damage caused by the dementia. Seizures can also progress the dementia. It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation, but I have found that the right medication for OH actually helps a bit.
I would agree with canary in that it is more likely the seizure that caused progression rather than medication. This happened to my husband and it was noticeable even before he started the medication. I am convinced my husband does have some petit mal or simple seizures and I do notice some additional changes after that.
My mother had epilepsy, and was on medication for it, most of her life. In her late 60’s she developed dementia. We were told it was not uncommon for people with epilepsy to develop dementia. No one ever suggested that her medication, for epilepsy, could cause dementia.
Spoke with neurologist and she said it's the seizure causing the changes. Tuning in now to behaviour triggers...usually me in wife mode rather than carer mode!. He wears hearing aids too which adds to the mix. Early onset so very fit and likes to go walkabout. Its a cruel disease as we all know.
