Over-Medicated or Not Enough?? PLS HELP!

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My 10 yr old son has intractable epilepsy of the right frontal lobe - he has complex partial seizures - he currently takes 1650mg. of trileptal (total) per day; 175mg topamax (total) per day and 7.5mg of valium per day. He weighs 110 lbs. and is 58" tall. Can someone please help me determine if he is being over-medicated? Walking next to him is like being with a drunk, he is "lethargic" at school, cannot do hardly any school work at school or at home, I am constantly repeating directions to him, YET he has no trouble playing video games, reading his favorite books, riding a bike/scooter, or talking about his dreams/day,etc. Thanks for any input!!

Comments

Re: Re: Over-Medicated or Not Enough?? PLS HELP!

Submitted by shannon1220 on Thu, 2006-09-07 - 19:42

Thank you so much for your reply - it made me smile too & your kind words even helped me to understand my son a little better - I know he struggles all day with people telling him what to do,etc.. and he has such a hard time concentrating, focusing, doing anything pretty much - so i know the video games are his "down time" - I try to give him at least an hour a night for it - its hard to fit it in with also getting him to bed early, since sleep is sooo important! how was school for you? its horrible for him - any suggestions on what may help him? i am pushing his new dr to get him off the valium - and to lower the trileptal, BUT just like his last dr this dr is ignoring us already. thanks again & how are you now?

Re: Re: Re: Over-Medicated or Not Enough?? PLS HELP!

Submitted by spiz on Fri, 2006-09-08 - 00:44

Let's just say the aquisition of epilepsy showed me who my real friends were. School became difficult in every aspect of the word. My teachers were great in trying to make it easier for me but I could sense that some of them had become uncomfortable around me too. This was in 1974-75. It's a shame more progress in the outlook on epilepsy hasn't changed much. I realize people have a tendacy to fear what they don't understand. Becoming epileptic taught me to question what I don't understand. I believe epilepsy has taught me alot that I wouldn't have otherwise learned. There's a positive side to even the negative. I'm sure you are doing what I could think of to tell you to do to help him: Teach him to believe in himself; he can do anything he sets his mind to...it may take him longer at times but he can do it. Encourage and praise him for what he does well and try to include it in with his schoolwork. Example: I have always loved poetry and writing poems. My mom used to slip sheets of unfinished poetry in with my homework where she had written the first two lines of each stanza and I had to write the last two. It broke up the monotony and helped to relax me as it was something I enjoyed. Encourage daily talks with him with topics such as: Is there anything you don't like about yourself? - and talk it through with him. Through these types of questions, you can root out possible problems he may be having with kids at school that he has taken as a reason to not like himself. Liking himself is so all over important and is so hard to do when you feel so different. Point out famous people with epilepsy; who they were and what they accomplished. That's usually always an uplift and encouragement. He learns to like himself, others through life will be drawn to him. He'll still have his moments, but you'll be there to talk him through it. I know these are words on a page dealing with the feelings of a little boy and it's never that simple to deal with, but I hope I've given you something you haven't already thought of. Hugs to you both! -Spiz