How common are tics as a side-effect when taking Lamotrigine?
I am on Lamotrogine (specifically in the form Epitec). Last week my dose was raised by 25mg (from 200mg/day to 225mg/day). Over the last couple of days I have developed a tic in my eyes. At first it was intermittent, but compulsive blinking spasms. Now it has settled onto the right side of my face, but have become constant.
The best way I can describe the sensation is it feels like something has hold of the muscle in my cheek (Zygomaticus?) and is pulling it, causing my upper lip the rise on that side and my right eyelid to flutter down to the point of completely obscuring my vision.
I have seen mentions of a couple of case studies (can't find them!) of people reporting tics. But it seems to only be a few out of the thousands who take the medication. But I know that that can not be a good representation, because often these things can go unreported. I have also checked my package insert and it mentioned nothing. But that is the only thing that has recently changed.
What I want to know is: **How common are facial tics REALLY with Lamotrigine?**
I am a Registered Nurse in my doctoral program to be a nurse practitioner. I have researched how common a facial tic is with that medication. I have not found it to be very common. I would recommend seeing your doctor regarding the side effect due to concerns and need to discover the reasoning behind this. Maybe your doctor can adjust the medication dosage to correct it.
