Epilepsy & Seizures Support Group
Epilepsy (often referred to as a seizure disorder) is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. It is commonly controlled with medication, although surgical methods are used as well. Seizures (or convulsions) are temporary abnormal electrophysiologic phenomena of the brain, resulting in abnormal synchronization of electrical neuronal...
How willing are you to try new medications? I have had seizures since I had a tbi when I was ten. After my bones were healed, they let me out of the hospital and quit treating me. I was on my own. Every time my mom took me to the hospital, they just told her there was nothing wrong with me, I was just 'a bad kid'.
When I was 25 (1990) I checked into a mental hospital and that is when I was diagnosed and started getting treatment. At first the doctors just kept playing around with different medications. I was still pretty unaware and passive and just did whatever they said.
In 1993 I married and my husband and in 1997 my husband was able to get me checked into a major hospital to be taken off all the medication and observed by a good doctor. He was able to get me stabilized on dilatin and Elavil.
Dilantin can harm your liver if you are on it for too long. But finally my life was almost normal and I was very unwilling to try anything new. After several years, I agreed. Some of them were downright painful. I would try to get out of bed and just fall flat on my face. Or walk right into walls or doorways. My legs would give out from under me. Some of it messed with my perception of reality. Some of it made my blood pressure go crazy. It was awful.
A few weeks ago I agreed to try a new medication. Zonisamide. 100mg twice daily to increase 50mg a morning until I reached 400mg a day, on top of the 300mg of Dilantin twice a day that I was already taking. Four weeks in my husband asked me if I wanted him to back of the medication. I didn't understand why he would say such a thing. I really didn't everything seemed fine to me. Two weeks after that I started getting electric shocks in the center of my brain every ten seconds twenty four hours a day. I didn't say anything to my husband, because I thought it was because I was not sleeping enough. Finally, after five days, I just couldn't take it anymore. I blew up and started screaming at everyone around me. Including my poor service dog. My husband called my doctor and told her he was backing me off the meds. During that time I ran out of my Dilantin. I haven't refilled it. He is now increasing my Zonisamide (zombinal).
So how willing are you to try new meds and go through this crap?
When I was 25 (1990) I checked into a mental hospital and that is when I was diagnosed and started getting treatment. At first the doctors just kept playing around with different medications. I was still pretty unaware and passive and just did whatever they said.
In 1993 I married and my husband and in 1997 my husband was able to get me checked into a major hospital to be taken off all the medication and observed by a good doctor. He was able to get me stabilized on dilatin and Elavil.
Dilantin can harm your liver if you are on it for too long. But finally my life was almost normal and I was very unwilling to try anything new. After several years, I agreed. Some of them were downright painful. I would try to get out of bed and just fall flat on my face. Or walk right into walls or doorways. My legs would give out from under me. Some of it messed with my perception of reality. Some of it made my blood pressure go crazy. It was awful.
A few weeks ago I agreed to try a new medication. Zonisamide. 100mg twice daily to increase 50mg a morning until I reached 400mg a day, on top of the 300mg of Dilantin twice a day that I was already taking. Four weeks in my husband asked me if I wanted him to back of the medication. I didn't understand why he would say such a thing. I really didn't everything seemed fine to me. Two weeks after that I started getting electric shocks in the center of my brain every ten seconds twenty four hours a day. I didn't say anything to my husband, because I thought it was because I was not sleeping enough. Finally, after five days, I just couldn't take it anymore. I blew up and started screaming at everyone around me. Including my poor service dog. My husband called my doctor and told her he was backing me off the meds. During that time I ran out of my Dilantin. I haven't refilled it. He is now increasing my Zonisamide (zombinal).
So how willing are you to try new meds and go through this crap?
Brave(Kim)
So for now I will be more willing to try other ways to control my seizures instead of being housebound because the other stuff knocks me out.
Good luck with your choice of medication and have patience.