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Scared saw 1st seizure have question

Sat, 01/17/2004 - 07:37
My husband had a seizure about two months ago all his test came back fine we decided to go ahead and for him to be put on Dilantin because his job requires driving. My question is will this medicine keep him from having anymore seizures? All I do is keep reliving the day it happened and just start thinking oh my gosh is it about to happen then and if it does what will I do.

Comments

RE: Scared saw 1st seizure have question

Submitted by kayakmom on Tue, 2004-01-06 - 16:56
It is such a scary thing to see someone that you love having a seizure! The Dilantin is a good medication to start with for many people. There is not a guarantee that it will stop all seizures. You have to start somewhere though. It can take awhile to find the affective dose for each person. I have been told that it is important to use Dilantin rather than the generic Phenytoin. The blood levels stay more consistent with Dilantin than the generic. Colds, illness can through blood levels off, causing seizures. I hope things go well for your husband and that he can be seizure free.

RE: Scared saw 1st seizure have question

Submitted by EpilepsyDotComEditor on Wed, 2004-01-07 - 13:19
Many people who have one seizure never have another one. Taking Dilantin will not guarantee that your husband will never have another seizure, but if all his tests were normal, his chances should be good. I'm sure that the doctor would not have permitted him to keep driving if more seizures seemed likely. Your husband can improve his odds by taking good care of himself -- getting enough sleep, minimizing stress, being careful about alcohol, and especially taking the Dilantin on time every day.

RE: Scared saw 1st seizure have question

Submitted by WashkuhnR on Wed, 2004-01-07 - 20:56
I'm not sure if you saw a general doctor or a nurologist, but go see a specialist. Dilantin may be O.K. for short term use, but over a long term it is hard on the teeth and gums. I took Dilantin when I was young and had to stop because of this reason. Go have an EEG done and that will give you a better idea if this was a one time thing or if you can expect more.Good luck to you. The first person to respond offers you good advice as far as get a lot of sleep and try to stay away from stress. Alcohol and drugs not just illegal but caffine or lots of sugar are good to stay away from.

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