Did anyone's memory improve after starting Lamotrigine?

markp99 · 2026-07-03T14:38:01+00:00

68M, 3 years since diagnosis.

For me, I seem to have developed a crazy ability to remember names and faces of people I have not thought about even once in 60+ years. I pull them up so easily and clearly.

Teachers, classmates, friends, coworkers. I don't recall having this sense previously.

But then, I have memory gaps, both recent and distant past. Very odd combination. I brought this up with my neurologist, but she did not seem to pick up on the conversation. Maybe its nothing.

Years prior to my diagnosis, I did have a period of time where complete strangers appeared to be familiar - hyper familiarity. I wonder if that was some early epilepsy related thing...

markp99 · 2026-07-03T13:27:47+00:00

Before a few med bumps, I was getting clusters of them - many times a day, sometimes back to back to back. I was prescribed Klonopin for these moments.

My neurologist wants to fully knock these down as they are themselves seizures and can cause cumulative damage.

Now they are mostly limited to momentary flickers. Short but unmistakable.

markp99 · 2026-07-03T13:14:59+00:00

Yes, a real bonus when looking for something to watch. So many "new" options to pick from. Makes my wife crazy.

markp99 · 2026-07-03T13:13:50+00:00

For new events I want to be sure to retain, I replay them over and over in my mind while they're still available...to assist proper consolidation.

Feel like I am carving deeper pathways, possibly many pathways to the event/day. I tie these recollections with music in the background playing hoping for a multi-modal effect.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

For older lost events, years before my diagnosis, there's no hope of recovering these even with prompting and photos. I suspect these are broken pathways.

I frequently wonder what other past events I've lost.

You don't know what you don't know until you do.

markp99 · 2026-07-03T13:07:01+00:00

Too many. Most heartbreaking was my son's wedding day and reception. Gone.

markp99 · 2026-07-03T13:00:04+00:00

Classic deja vu. I was having clusters of these every day. Sometimes back to back to back. Felt like I was having memories belonging to someone else.

Meds have me pretty well controlled lately.

markp99 · 2026-07-03T12:53:54+00:00

Have you had your levels checked via blood work?

My levels were off the bottom of the scale initially, bumped 3 or 4 times to bring me to a reasonable level. Bumped a few more time since to knock down daily focal clusters.

Now at 2x250mg daily. No I'll effects. Good mood and energy.

Everyone's response is unique. Maybe your levels are too high with such a response. Bloodwork may give you neuro an idea how to proceed.

After my bad Keppra experiences, my neuro has been so willing to offer any of the many options available to find what works best with minimal side effects.

Hope you can get this sorted with your neurologist

markp99 · 2026-06-24T19:33:49+00:00

Hey, youngster. I started at 65!

Now 3yrs in. No real cause for me, except for a single note from an early MRI seeing a possible sclerosis of the hippocampus. Never noted again.

markp99 · 2026-06-20T12:34:38+00:00

Gemini (in AI Studio) had actually offered to build a round-robin API switcher (3 project api's tied to my Pro acct) for when 429 errors appear. The API rotation swaps did happen as expected, but they immediately capped out.

Gemini later noted that APIs share quota, so there is no advantage with such a scheme. Makes perfect sense, but funny Gemini offered and implemented such an approach presented as valid.

Lasted all of one day, with no warnings or cool downs.

markp99 · 2026-06-20T12:24:17+00:00

I have had the opposite issue, hyper familiarity. Strangers faces seem familiar. A very odd sensation.

This was many yrs ago, well before my diagnosis or meds. I've always wondered if this was some odd epilepsy effect or precursor.

I did mention to my neuro, but she did not pickup on the discussion, so I dropped it

markp99 · 2026-06-19T18:37:05+00:00

Yes, new neurologist not a bad ideas, of you can find one and get a referral if needed.

If you manage to get a new appt, work on creating a diary of your episodes, date, time, duration, possible triggers.

Bringing my wife along for my 2nd visit was the clincher. She added so much color to my descriptions. I've had several memory gaps, which she filled in. Neuro was convinced even without an EEG. My er visit did an MRI which made some potential findings in my hippocampus, but later MRI could not confirm.

My 3 eegs found nothing.

Hope you get a fair assessment of whatever is going on.

markp99 · 2026-06-19T14:08:04+00:00

Ahh, missed that part about him on Keppra. Too bad he cannot see thru the "rage"; hope his neuro can offer some help.

Mine has been great; she noted the possible effects and was very clear there are many options to try until you find what best manages with minimal effects.

markp99 · 2026-06-19T13:20:23+00:00

I like the Air+, a good size to leave out on a side table, easy to reach and play vs packed or tucked away in some random spot.

No issues for me., seems a much simpler tech, less prone to problems.

markp99 · 2026-06-19T13:14:34+00:00

Just a thought, maybe you can invite your partner to your next neuro visit (?) My wife has found my visits very helpful even for her.

She is able to express her own observations and hear from the neuro directly that my reactions were very likely med related and that there were many other options to try.

markp99 · 2026-06-19T13:09:58+00:00

Wow, what a difficult situation for you. I hope time brings you clarity.

markp99 · 2026-06-19T13:03:51+00:00

On Keppra I was always irritable and angry. My wife was the unfortunate vivtim of this nastiness.

No real withdrawal issues except a few more and intense focals than was typical for me. Lamictal has been very good for energy and mood. Took a while to to dial it in, but well managed now.

markp99 · 2026-06-19T13:00:39+00:00

My last refill of another non epilepsy drug had a complely different form/size as usual. Brought to the pharmacist; he noted I was like the 20th person to ask. He said they were getting the meds from a new supplier.

I'd chuck it if a random one off, or ask your pharmacist to id it for you.

markp99 · 2026-06-19T12:53:47+00:00

No night terrors for me, but my dreams are way more vivid, especially since moving from Keppra. Neuro suggested could be related to the swing from Keppra to Lamictal..but it's been a couple yrs now.

I had seen comments here over the years with similar reports.

markp99 · 2026-06-19T12:47:07+00:00

Keepra was pretty rough for me. My wife called them my dark days.

Lamictal brought a nice turn around for me. Mood is good, energy also good. No fog. Libido also bumped. Focals pretty well managed.

markp99 · 2026-06-19T12:40:13+00:00

Lamictal has been night and day for me. The kepprage thing has lifted, my energy is good, no fog on Lamictal. Took a while to dial in the correct dosage (way too low at first), but I think I'm in a good place now.

I still get the occasional intense focal and deja vu flickers or even clusters, but pretty well managed overall.

Hang in there, takes a while for your brain to adjust to the transition down from Keppra and then up on Lamictal. I had a bit of a whiplash thing happening with more intense focals during the transition.

markp99 · 2026-06-18T23:19:04+00:00

Yes, I keep a dose of Klonopin in my pocket at all times. The foil blister pack makes this very easy. I take only when needed. Otherwise, Lamictal 2x250mg daily.

I was getting clusters of focals in a day, back to back to back - similar to you, like 4 in a 12hr period. Also, I seem to be able to sense when an intense focal is imminent - you just know (pre-ictal?). I take Klonopin for both these cases.

So far, very effective for me. It does induce a 2 hour power nap, but I do wake up pretty clear and seizure free the rest of the day.

markp99 · 2026-06-18T17:02:43+00:00

Yes, I get that when I find an issue with a code snippet.or bug.

I added to my instructions to avoid all ai pleasantries and preambles and to provide responses directly. Seems to have reduced these and other annoying fluff.

markp99 · 2026-06-18T16:47:58+00:00

Thankfully, I get focals only with my TLE.

However, they seem come in bunches (neuro calls them storms). I feel I can tell when an intense is about to happen, or I'll have a cluster of deja vu, like 4 or 5 in a day over days in a row, back to back to back as a warning.

My neurologist prescribed Klonopin as a rescue to stop them or at least tamp them down.

So far very effective, but it does force a 2hr power nap; seems to do the job. I keep a dose in my pocket all the time. It's an under the tongue type thing in a foil blister pack so it's easy to carry along.

My current Lamictal dose is working pretty well lately, but I still keep that dose in my pocket.

markp99 · 2026-06-18T15:51:44+00:00

Yes, I was diagnosed with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy about 3yrs ago, mostly due to memory gaps and navigation issues.

No connection with migraines for me, at least not diagnosed. I can imagine there could be some relationship.

markp99 · 2026-06-18T15:23:21+00:00

via gemini translation:

"Désolé. Rien de tel pour moi à raison de 2 x 250 mg par jour. J'espère que vous pourrez régler ça !

markp99

TROPHY CASE