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Should I go to the doctor?
Mon, 04/30/2007 - 19:26I've had 6-7 episodes this week, and it's taken a toll on my mind and body. I'm having horrible migraines and I don't know if I should go to the neurologist. I was diagnosed with epilepsy after my first episode in November (I have complex partial seizures) and since I was put topamax and tegretol I usually only have 1-2 a month. I am very sensitive to flashing lights, and I tend to be more prone to seizures around my period, so I assume that's why I have been having them...but I now I am rather weak. I am wondering if you think I should go and see if I should get a change in medication now that it's spring (lightning) and see what's going on. I shouldn't be able to have this many seizures in one week in the first place, but yeah. If my mental speed hadn't slowed down enough in the first place, it definately has slowed down a bit more. By the way, I am only 18.
Re: Should I go to the doctor?
Submitted by InsaneEnsign13 on Wed, 2007-05-02 - 22:27
I ended up going in, they called and wanted me to. I have something called occipital neuralgia..."Occipital neuralgia is a distinct type of headache characterized by piercing, throbbing, or electric-shock-like chronic pain in the upper neck, back of the head, and behind the ears, usually on one side of the head. Typically, the pain of occipital neuralgia begins in the neck and then spreads upwards. Some individuals will also experience pain in the scalp, forehead, and behind the eyes. Their scalp may also be tender to the touch, and their eyes especially sensitive to light." Luckily that can be treated with anti-convulsant medications so we're going to up my tegretol (which needed to be done anyways because I've been having way too many seizures lately) as soon as my blood work comes back. Btw I just got blood work done so we could figure out what my tegretol levels are to see if it is safe to up it, which it should be, and those results should be back tomorrow. We're going to double the tegretol, they gave me a new prescription to replace my relpax (the migraine stuff), and they gave me vicadin for pain. (neck, head) It's been a long day, and I'm off to work in 45 min. Oh and if the anti-convulsant doens't work for the occipital nueralgia, the next step is injections and physical therapy.