I'm in your system as [old name] - I just got married. :)
I'm on Week 5 of beginning on Trileptal. I'm currently taking 325mg/day of Lamictal and 1200mg/day of Trileptal. I've been experiencing an array of side effects that aren't unusual - nausea, exhaustion, balance issues, etc. - but for the past few weeks, I've been experiencing side effects that render me fairly nonfunctional.
The effects in question:
Double vision. I have the severe double vision for about 1 1/2 hours after I take my medication; I do have trouble focusing for another two hours after that, but I can see enough to perform basic tasks in the workplace, which I can't during the period of double vision.
*Severe* balance issues. Essentially, I stagger like I'm drunk. This makes it very difficult to navigate around my home and office, as I'm sure you can imagine! This is a side effect that I also experienced when starting the Lamictal, but it's more severe with Trileptal.
The nausea is compounded by the balance issues and the double vision. I threw up yesterday.
The other effects are livable, but those really aren't! I'm actually going part-time to allow my body the extra rest it needs, but I need to work in the mornings, because I can't afford to lose half my paycheck *and* pay $250/month in childcare...
I'm sure that there's probably not much to be done - but I'd like to know if I can start reducing the dosage of Lamictal a little early. Given that Lamictal's side effects are why I'm switching in the first place, I'm concerned that the Lamictal may be exacerbating the effects of the Trileptal.
Thank you!
-['song]