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Depakote

Tue, 08/10/2004 - 21:50
Hi, I am new to this comunity, and I need some support.In December 2002 my husband had a scheduled aneuryzm surgery. 3 days later he had a stroke, was in coma for 15 days, and paralized on his left side. Doctors put him on Dilantin 300mg a day. This medication worked pretty well at the beginning, and he did not have seizures, but later on his Dilantin level was very unstable, and every time it was out of the therapeutical level he had seizures. As you know the free level is therapeutical btw 1-2, and the total level is btw: 10-20. These seizures lasted sometimes 30, 40, and 50 minutes, so we ended up at the ER, and in the ICU with status epilepticus. Every time they knocked him out, because they were not able to stop the seizures otherwise. What was stange in this seizures, he was always conscieus, you talked to him, and he aswered your questions. In 2003 he was more at the hospital, and rehab centers than at home. They changed his medication several times. First Dilantin, than Keppra, than Dilantin again, than they added Topomax to his Dilantin. This last combination was on for a long time, but because he was still having this long seizures, some doctor called it grand mal, some other partial tonic clonic seizure, doctors changed again medication. Left him on Dilantin and added Trileptal. This combination was no good either, then they eased him off of Dilantin and added Keppra. I think the best combination for him was Trileptal and Keppra, because he acted like as he was before the surgery. But doctors changed again (in my opinion for some mistake,because they thought he had a seizure, and he did not) and we ended up with Depakote and Keppra. Now he is taking 1250mg of Kepra 2x a day and 500mg of Depakote 3x a day. He is very sleepy, sleeps from 8PM to 8AM every day, sometimes longer, and takes other naps during the day, and now lately he has difficulty walking with the cane, or walker and has difficulty transferring to the wheelchair or bed or toilet. The last time we checked, his Depakote level was 100.33, still acceptable, because the therapeutical level is btw. 50-100. I kind of don't like Depakote, but I am afraid of a change, because he still has some seizures, about every 2 weeks, but they are now 2 min or less. He was disabled after the stroke, but rehabilitation get him back, almost as he was before. Then the seizures started, and he was not able to walk again, he is very week. Doctors say, that the scar tissue in the brain causes these seizures. He cannot be left alone, I have a lady who is watching him during the day, when I work. He stilll has therapy, but if it is after a seizure it seems that he made 1 step forward and two steps back. His Neuroligst gave us Diastat, what is a great medication: it is a rectal gel (valium), it has to be given only if the seizure is longer then 5 min. Wherever we go, I take it with me. I had to use it one time, and have to tell, it stopped the seizure instantly.Sorry to bore you, but perhaps sombody has some suggestions, and support for me.ThanksK

Comments

RE: RE: Depakote

Submitted by ermeszter on Tue, 2004-08-03 - 20:42

Hi Nancy,

I told you, you were very noledgable, and I was right, seeing all your answers to everybody on the site, you know a lot and give good advise.  I would like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind.  Or if anybody else, has some suggestions.

As you know, my husband went through a lot of ups and downs in 2003.  This year seems to be better then last year, at least riguarding  the seizures.  He still has them, but they are short (1.5 min or 2), and they leave him exhausted with no strenght at all.  There is no pattern, they can be 6, 10, 26 days apart,  only in the morning, a short time after he wakes up. 

Until now he was progressing, very little, but he was progressing. The last week or so, it seems to me, he is declining.    He is not so talkative,  when he transferes from the wheelchair to, the bed, car or toilet,  etc. he does not remember how to turn, and even if I tell him to move his feet, he does not.  To come down the stairs, is a tragedy, I almost cannot hold him. Walking with the walker streight, is OK.  He is very sleepy and tired all the time, sleeps 12 hrs in the night and takes at least 2 naps during the day.  Can this be from the Depakote?  (1500mg a day or Keppra 3000mg a day.)  Or could it be stroke related?

I read today, that you said that Depakote is kind of a bloodthinner, or did I misunderstood?  I am concerned because tonight, my husband was transferring from the toilet to the wheelchair, and as usual he was not moving his feet, I could not hold him, he slid to the floor, and he bumped  his head  very little on the door. Can you let me know?

How are you doing?  Everithing OK?

God bless

Katalin

 

 

 

Hi Nancy,

I told you, you were very noledgable, and I was right, seeing all your answers to everybody on the site, you know a lot and give good advise.  I would like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind.  Or if anybody else, has some suggestions.

As you know, my husband went through a lot of ups and downs in 2003.  This year seems to be better then last year, at least riguarding  the seizures.  He still has them, but they are short (1.5 min or 2), and they leave him exhausted with no strenght at all.  There is no pattern, they can be 6, 10, 26 days apart,  only in the morning, a short time after he wakes up. 

Until now he was progressing, very little, but he was progressing. The last week or so, it seems to me, he is declining.    He is not so talkative,  when he transferes from the wheelchair to, the bed, car or toilet,  etc. he does not remember how to turn, and even if I tell him to move his feet, he does not.  To come down the stairs, is a tragedy, I almost cannot hold him. Walking with the walker streight, is OK.  He is very sleepy and tired all the time, sleeps 12 hrs in the night and takes at least 2 naps during the day.  Can this be from the Depakote?  (1500mg a day or Keppra 3000mg a day.)  Or could it be stroke related?

I read today, that you said that Depakote is kind of a bloodthinner, or did I misunderstood?  I am concerned because tonight, my husband was transferring from the toilet to the wheelchair, and as usual he was not moving his feet, I could not hold him, he slid to the floor, and he bumped  his head  very little on the door. Can you let me know?

How are you doing?  Everithing OK?

God bless

Katalin

 

 

 

RE: RE: RE: Depakote

Submitted by mexican_fire on Wed, 2004-08-04 - 14:58

Hi Kaitalin.

That sounds more like stroke activity, and the risidual damage from the stroke that didn't appear right away.

I took a class on Advanced Medical Life Support, actually it was a required class for those in the paramedic program, and we spent a considerable amount of time on strokes, diabetes, adn head injuries.

I also saw alot of unfortunate peopple come through the hospital doors who had strokes, so I got to see it first hand, and treat it first before they went to a bay.  ALOT of them came through the doors via ambulance, and then I wouldn't get to do ore treatments and assesments.

He may have also had a TIA or another small stroke that you are unaware of, becasue that can also happen.

Unfortuanltely for people who have had any type of head injury or brain injury, or CVAs can have a period of time where they don't have the symptomology that one expects to find with it.  ALOT of times it shows up at a later date in time.

I would schedule an appointment with his doc, and get him rechecked just to make sure he hasn't had a series of small strokes that you aren't aware of.  Better to be safe than sorry.

Seizures can come in clusters, spurts, on a time schedule, only wuring certain stimuli, and with no reconizable patter to them.

Mine are like that all the time, and have been for years.  They happen when they feel like, not when I want them to.  The longest I have gone with out one was 3 weeks. 

They can happen several times ina night, then nothing for a few days, then some more, and then nothing for several weeks, and then boom, I get a huge one.

No rhyme nor reason to it, just all over the map.

As for me, I am okay.  I reinjured my foot that I had surgery on back in Feb, so now I am back in the cam boot and using crutches.

My Depakote got increased to 1000 mgs after being at 500 for a long time.

I was accausted and threatened by the cab driver that took me home yersterday.

I have had a variety of my seizures.  I get those stinking Myoclonics all the time, and have had simple and copmplex partial seizures, along with absences.  No grand mal.  Haven't had one of those since the end of last year.

The depakote increases bleeding time in people taking it, so any surgery to be had, has to be discussed with the doctor, and drugs containing aspirin should be avoided, so as not to have the double effect on the bleeding time.  Taking drugs like warfarin with any of the depakote drugs is not advisable.

Nancy

 

 

 

Hi Kaitalin.

That sounds more like stroke activity, and the risidual damage from the stroke that didn't appear right away.

I took a class on Advanced Medical Life Support, actually it was a required class for those in the paramedic program, and we spent a considerable amount of time on strokes, diabetes, adn head injuries.

I also saw alot of unfortunate peopple come through the hospital doors who had strokes, so I got to see it first hand, and treat it first before they went to a bay.  ALOT of them came through the doors via ambulance, and then I wouldn't get to do ore treatments and assesments.

He may have also had a TIA or another small stroke that you are unaware of, becasue that can also happen.

Unfortuanltely for people who have had any type of head injury or brain injury, or CVAs can have a period of time where they don't have the symptomology that one expects to find with it.  ALOT of times it shows up at a later date in time.

I would schedule an appointment with his doc, and get him rechecked just to make sure he hasn't had a series of small strokes that you aren't aware of.  Better to be safe than sorry.

Seizures can come in clusters, spurts, on a time schedule, only wuring certain stimuli, and with no reconizable patter to them.

Mine are like that all the time, and have been for years.  They happen when they feel like, not when I want them to.  The longest I have gone with out one was 3 weeks. 

They can happen several times ina night, then nothing for a few days, then some more, and then nothing for several weeks, and then boom, I get a huge one.

No rhyme nor reason to it, just all over the map.

As for me, I am okay.  I reinjured my foot that I had surgery on back in Feb, so now I am back in the cam boot and using crutches.

My Depakote got increased to 1000 mgs after being at 500 for a long time.

I was accausted and threatened by the cab driver that took me home yersterday.

I have had a variety of my seizures.  I get those stinking Myoclonics all the time, and have had simple and copmplex partial seizures, along with absences.  No grand mal.  Haven't had one of those since the end of last year.

The depakote increases bleeding time in people taking it, so any surgery to be had, has to be discussed with the doctor, and drugs containing aspirin should be avoided, so as not to have the double effect on the bleeding time.  Taking drugs like warfarin with any of the depakote drugs is not advisable.

Nancy

 

 

 

RE: RE: RE: RE: Depakote

Submitted by ermeszter on Wed, 2004-08-04 - 21:37

Hi Nancy,

Thank you.

I will definitly make an appointmet at the doctor's office, because I was thinking also, he could have had a small stroke, and I did not see it.  We were at the neuro's office 2 weeks ago, but then he was OK.  And now, guess what, he is on vacation!  After the surgery, he had a hemoragic stroke, does that matter?  I forgot, sometimes he thinks I am his sister.

What is a TIA and a CVA, I could not find this words in the dictionary. 

Sorry about your foot, how long do you have to have crutches? What happend to the cab driver, why was he treatening you? 

Thanks for clearing th Depakote story.

Yes the seizures are all over the place, and mostly they happen at times when they should not.

Katalin

Hi Nancy,

Thank you.

I will definitly make an appointmet at the doctor's office, because I was thinking also, he could have had a small stroke, and I did not see it.  We were at the neuro's office 2 weeks ago, but then he was OK.  And now, guess what, he is on vacation!  After the surgery, he had a hemoragic stroke, does that matter?  I forgot, sometimes he thinks I am his sister.

What is a TIA and a CVA, I could not find this words in the dictionary. 

Sorry about your foot, how long do you have to have crutches? What happend to the cab driver, why was he treatening you? 

Thanks for clearing th Depakote story.

Yes the seizures are all over the place, and mostly they happen at times when they should not.

Katalin

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