Can epilepsy medication cause Alzheimers Disease?

[lebasor]

My wife increased her dose of Levetiracetam to 750 mg twice a day on 3rd February which succeeded in finally ending her focal epilepsy episodes after three days. Because very itchy eyes resulted, our neurologist suggested a change to Lamotrigine starting at 25 mg per day, with the intention of progressively removing the dose of Levetiracetam once Lamotrigine had increased in three steps to 100 mg per day. My wife dropped her dose of Levetiracetam to 625 mg twice a day at around this time. However, after 8 days on 625 mg of Levetiracetam and 25 mg of Lamotrigine, my wife woke with some confusion which she has never had before. On the neurologist's advice, the Lamotrigine was stopped immediately and the dose of Levetiracetam increased back to 750 mg twice a day (eye drops have helped to reduce the itchiness of her eyes now). After two weeks, my wife's confusion seemed to reduce but in the three weeks since, she has continued to be confused from time to time and my wife says it is like being "in a fog".

We are very concerned that my wife may now have Alzheimers disease. Has anyone else known of this outcome?

[Adlon57]

Some of the epilepsy medication can cause slowness, lack of concentration, lethargy! I have JME epilepsy and there is ALWAYS some sort of side effects with them, topamax, fycompa, keppra caused effects like that with me. I have early dementia but that was caused plainly by the number of seizures! Lamotrigine had long term side effects but it always depends on the particular patient, having epilepsy over 50 years the medication can very much a hit and miss affair, also the particular mixture of the two medications can be a factor. Certainly that exactly the effect topamax had on myself, slow in thought, concentration bad and memory pretty awful, even nicknamed the 40 minute pill, he would ask me a question, 40 minutes later I would give him some sort of an answer. So it could just be the side effects of the medication, certainly two years later after I stopped them I got a BA in University! Good Luck👍👍

[lebasor in reply to Adlon57]

Thanks.

[Angie140720]

I was on Levetiracetam for 3 years and ended up taking 1000mg twice a day. The side effects got worse with the higher dose. I felt like I was in a fog and could not process what was being said to me. This made conversations difficult as by the time I had processed what was said the conversation had moved on leaving me feeling on the outside. I could not concentrate or remember things and as I am still working decided enough was enough as my quality of life had become poor and not worth living. When I had a breakthrough seizure I changed medication and the fog has gone, I can concentrate again and join in conversations but I have epilepsy symptoms, twitching and jerking which I did not have on Levetiracetam. It may be a while before finding a medication that works with more tolerable side effects at the right dose. Medication is very much a balance between controlling seizures and side effects we can put up with. If the side effects become too much, the mood goes down which is not good either. Good luck finding your balance .

[lebasor in reply to Angie140720]

Thanks