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Does a seizure disorder = epilepsy?
Sat, 03/29/2008 - 00:15Greetings, all!
Six weeks ago I was diagnosed with "idiopathic seizure disorder." At my follow up appointment today I asked my neuro for my diagonsis and he said the same thing. He doesn't seem to know what kind of seizures I am having. The EEG showed seizure activity in various parts of the brain. The only thing we seem to know for sure is that I am NOT having grand mal seizures.
So, does having a seizure disorder = epilepsy? Is there a magic moment when a seizure disorder converts to epilepsy? I am not eager for a label, but I just would like to know what to call the stuff happening to me. My seizures change and seem to cover both the complex and simple partial seizure arena.
I am currently on Keppra 3000 mg and Dilantin 300 mg a day and I still have seizures. I have started the long process of starting Lamictal and in 8 weeks he will start weaning me off the Dilantin.
Anyone else have a seizure disorder? Any advice to long and slow process of starting and weaning meds. The side effects of my Keppra/Dilantin cocktail is driving me crazy. I can't tell you how excited I am to add another med to the mix. (Can you hear my cyber-voice dripping with sarcasm?)
Any advice or comments welcome. I've been reading everything I can about seizures, but I can't seem to find myself in any article or textbook. If my EEG wasn't abnormal I would think it was all in my head. (pun intended)
Thanks in advance!!
~christy
Comments
Re: Does a seizure disorder = epilepsy?
Submitted by just_joe on Wed, 2013-07-17 - 17:33
Your neuro may be telling you that because he wants more information. Which you can give him by using the diary at the top of this page. If you go to your internet explorer type in idiopathic seizure disorder and see what you get. That does come up as epilepsy.
Diabeties can also cause seizures in some cases. But the EEG showing seizure activity may be epilepsy
Understand that a seizure is an electrical impulse entering the brain wrong. That impulse starts a domino effect and lasts until the dominos have fallen or the medication acting like you finger being put between the dominos which stops the donimos from falling. As for being moved from one medication to another, That happens to lots of us and in most cases there are few if any problems. I know as the saying goes "been there done that". What your neuro may be doing is looking at the information he has and trying to find the meds that will work for you and stop your seizures.
One thing you might do is go to the top of this page and use the diary. In the diary you can set your med up. It has a place for side effects also. I use the notes section to note the seizures I have and what I think might have caused them. I had a cluster today at about 1:30 it was about 4 seizures which lasted about 30-45 seconds focus time was about the same. The keppra I take is the medication that has shortened the length on time in the seizure and focus time is also shortened. This set of seizures was probably due to heat and being out in the humidity. I wrote that down in the diary. It has where you took your meds or forgot to take them as well as taking additional medication. The other thing about it is it can be sent to your neuro or you can download it and take it to him yourself.
Your neuro may be telling you that because he wants more information. Which you can give him by using the diary at the top of this page. If you go to your internet explorer type in idiopathic seizure disorder and see what you get. That does come up as epilepsy.
Diabeties can also cause seizures in some cases. But the EEG showing seizure activity may be epilepsy
Understand that a seizure is an electrical impulse entering the brain wrong. That impulse starts a domino effect and lasts until the dominos have fallen or the medication acting like you finger being put between the dominos which stops the donimos from falling. As for being moved from one medication to another, That happens to lots of us and in most cases there are few if any problems. I know as the saying goes "been there done that". What your neuro may be doing is looking at the information he has and trying to find the meds that will work for you and stop your seizures.
One thing you might do is go to the top of this page and use the diary. In the diary you can set your med up. It has a place for side effects also. I use the notes section to note the seizures I have and what I think might have caused them. I had a cluster today at about 1:30 it was about 4 seizures which lasted about 30-45 seconds focus time was about the same. The keppra I take is the medication that has shortened the length on time in the seizure and focus time is also shortened. This set of seizures was probably due to heat and being out in the humidity. I wrote that down in the diary. It has where you took your meds or forgot to take them as well as taking additional medication. The other thing about it is it can be sent to your neuro or you can download it and take it to him yourself.
Re: Does a seizure disorder = epilepsy?
Submitted by mooseee on Wed, 2013-07-17 - 14:11
I began and went through the slow process of getting established on Lamictal. I have now been taking it for over a year (200mg twice per day) along with Topamax, and they control my seizures well. My only complaint is some short-term memory loss which I believe is related to the Lamictal. Also, I was told by both my internist and my neuro that if one has one seizure, it's called just that...a seizure. If there are more seizures, it's called epilepsy.