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toxic dilantin level

Mon, 11/03/2008 - 18:57

Hi to everyone,  I had a dilantin level surge up to 60.4, has anyone had a level that just surged this high before? I felt i was insane and no one could tell around me that i was out of this world, felt like i was living a bad dream.  I can not think straight and it's been over a month since this happened.  I take 400mg a night. 

david

Comments

Re: toxic dilantin level

Submitted by srchtt3 on Fri, 2009-04-10 - 14:36

One of the first meds they put me on was Dilantin. I kept having more and more seizures. The doctors kept upping my dosage, even though I kept telling them I didn't feel right. They were insistant that I get to the 'therapeutic level'. Finally I collapsed at a friends house. By this time I couldn't sit still, I was constantly jerking and rocking, couldn't walk right, looked like I was a drunkard, had stopped driving obviously and I didn't make any sense when I spoke. If you talked to me you'd have repeat things over and over to help me understand and even then it was iffy. When I collapsed they hospital the emts took me to did blood work and I was over twice the 'therapeutic level'. I was admitted to the hospital for a week and half to get detoxed off the meds and was in NICU. I had lost over 35lbs which was a lot for me because I'm not overweight by any means. I was completely out of my mind. I don't even remember most of it.

I never went back on that med though and I fired that doctor. I had been calling and leaving messages for him the whole week before I collapsed, telling him that something was wrong. Letting them know my symptoms and begging for help. They did nothing. I've learned to become more pushy and tell them when I'm coming down from a dosage rather than asking. Then I take their advice on how to do it and which level of mg to try. But I listen to my body more than the doctors. After all, it will let me know when something isn't right.

The other thing I learned, some people can't take the 'therapeutic level'. It is simply too much meds for them. Such as me. I'm sensitive to medication, I need a small dosage and it works better. A higher dosage and I will have more seizures. And I, most importantly, can't function at all! That is not an option. I'm a mother. I've got to keep going. At least as much as my brain will let me. =D

One of the first meds they put me on was Dilantin. I kept having more and more seizures. The doctors kept upping my dosage, even though I kept telling them I didn't feel right. They were insistant that I get to the 'therapeutic level'. Finally I collapsed at a friends house. By this time I couldn't sit still, I was constantly jerking and rocking, couldn't walk right, looked like I was a drunkard, had stopped driving obviously and I didn't make any sense when I spoke. If you talked to me you'd have repeat things over and over to help me understand and even then it was iffy. When I collapsed they hospital the emts took me to did blood work and I was over twice the 'therapeutic level'. I was admitted to the hospital for a week and half to get detoxed off the meds and was in NICU. I had lost over 35lbs which was a lot for me because I'm not overweight by any means. I was completely out of my mind. I don't even remember most of it.

I never went back on that med though and I fired that doctor. I had been calling and leaving messages for him the whole week before I collapsed, telling him that something was wrong. Letting them know my symptoms and begging for help. They did nothing. I've learned to become more pushy and tell them when I'm coming down from a dosage rather than asking. Then I take their advice on how to do it and which level of mg to try. But I listen to my body more than the doctors. After all, it will let me know when something isn't right.

The other thing I learned, some people can't take the 'therapeutic level'. It is simply too much meds for them. Such as me. I'm sensitive to medication, I need a small dosage and it works better. A higher dosage and I will have more seizures. And I, most importantly, can't function at all! That is not an option. I'm a mother. I've got to keep going. At least as much as my brain will let me. =D

Re: toxic dilantin level

Submitted by wonderwoman on Fri, 2009-04-10 - 19:14
Well...isn't that interesting? I have been talking to one or two other people here, and doing some research, and I was 99.9% sure that everything was caused by the dilantin. You just gave me that last bit I needed. That's exactly what happened to me, except my local hospital left me alone to deal with it myself. I am lucky I have a nursing family, and a very good GP who figured it out. I am so upset right now. They just left me to go through exactly what you went through for days, and treated me like I was mentally defective. My kids had to watch me do that. My eldest daughter is autistic, and it's not fair that she had to see that, but my youngest is finding it the hardest to understand. If it wasn't for my GP, no-one would have even checked my levels and I would have stayed on 500 mg and toxic for god knows how long. The worst part - twitching on the floor, unable to get up, with a nurse in the doorway (I am assuming) saying "Oh, this is just what she does. Stop it. Get up," and listening to my husband cry. I am looking forward to my new neurologist and hopefully someone who will be competent and treat me with some respect, and not leave me for a year without getting my dilantin levels checked. Thanks for telling me what happened to you - it helped a lot. Wonder Woman

Re: toxic dilantin level

Submitted by srchtt3 on Sun, 2009-04-12 - 13:51

Oh my word! I can't believe they didn't help you come down off of it! It is a toxic level for a reason, it can KILL you.. My gosh! People can be so ignorant it is just beyond aggrivating!

Listen to your body. U know it better than anyone else. Trust yourself.

Crystal

Oh my word! I can't believe they didn't help you come down off of it! It is a toxic level for a reason, it can KILL you.. My gosh! People can be so ignorant it is just beyond aggrivating!

Listen to your body. U know it better than anyone else. Trust yourself.

Crystal

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