hi, I believe you have hit the nail on the head - but maybe not personality changes so much as,

suddenly having to deal with life in a completely different way or ways. NO driving, no this, no that. even my neurologist doesn't want me to walk to the end of my block.

I did find ways to get around and that helped so much.

I found a...it is like a senior and disabled transport, for the county, dial a ride? but you get a reduced rate and even coupons once you go through the red tape. so that is a help. they pick me up at my house and drop me off at the dr, or the store - wherever I need to be.

I am trying to ride the city bus w/my electric scooter to get me to the bus stop - that is good if your town has a bus system and you are feeling up for it, learn it. it is even fun some days :O) the drivers are kind and helpful here. I have done this twice now.

mostly it is frightening and my family - well, they don't understand, or want to really. it is depressing to think of trying to explain this to them.. I have MS too, so i don't do well with my sister's hammering questions.

most of the time i rest and do a little this or that as i feel up to it : ) my hope is that i can stay on the sunny side of the street with help from people here. it takes time, you just got diagnosed. this is not easy stuff to find out, but it does help to come here and talk about things.



gentle hugs, you are not alone

Yes. I'm allergic to Phenobarbitol. It turns me into a monster of sorts. I was in the Neurological Institute for brain surgery and was on Mysoline. After the surgery I saw I was on two yellow pills. One I knew was Valium, but I did not have an idea what the other was. Then I got to wanting to be nasty which was not a desire I wwanted to keep having. It was not a part of me. After some time I asked what the other yellow pill was. I was told it was Pheno. I told my mother as soon as she came to see me at the hospital and told her and begged her to have them take me off of it(I was sixteen and a minor). But she did. Told those nurses a thing or six and I was off of it fast.

Yrs I am in the process of getting off of Topiramate right now. It made me have trouble thinking, getting sentences out, working. I felt like I was new, and I've been there 3 years. Everything made me angry or irritated me. Anyone talking, I was in my head telling them to shut up and being mean. Everything. The day I started decreasing I felt that go down and almost gone now. I never got much for side effects until my doctor raised my Carbamazepine to 1000mg/day, now the combination of meds doesn't go well.