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Anyone here have JME??

Wed, 06/29/2005 - 17:07

Hi,

I just wanted to see who all has JME, what meds they are on, for how long, what bothers you the most about this annoying syndrome, what age were you when it was diagnosed, did you have to do any time in the EMU, Anyone else in your family have it (it is genetic).

I was on Tegretol for 3 years before they finally removed it and the Topamax.

After them 2 week stint in the EMU last year, they sent me home with Depakote, within the last month, recently, I was swithed over from regular Depakote to Depakote ER, and left the Neurontin alone.

I still have some Myoclonics, but not like I did before they put me on the Depakote.

Tegretol makes the Myoclonic jerks worse, and isn't usually given to people who suffer from this so who knows why they did it.

My Absences are still there a little, but a lot better than last year at this time.

The Grand Mals are the ones I am worried about, because nothing that has been done stops it, and surgery can not be done on someone with generalized seizures as a rule.

They especially couldn't do one on someone who has a nasty collection of generalized seizures, like I do.

I take Neurontin-3600 mgs, and 1500 mgs of Depakote ER.

They were able to catch the Absences in action by making me hyperventilate.

The rest of the time it just showed generalized spikes and waves, and burst-supression activity.

They are taking a guess with the history that my mom gave from when I was a kids through high school, that this started at 13 years old. 

I wet the bed until I was 14 or 15.  It was from undiagnosed and untreated seizures.

So, I was never treated like I should have been.  But the theory goes---if epilepsy isn't teated, hard to control seizures may continue through out a person's life.

Nancy

Comments

RE: Anyone here have JME??

Submitted by mlbspnc on Thu, 2005-07-07 - 07:48
Hi:My son has either JME or JAE, the Drs seem to go back and forth on it. My son is 3 and 1/2 years old. He is currently taking Topamx for the Grandmals and Zoration for the Absences and the tonic - clonic szs. The main side effects with the Topamax are word finding and with the Zoration are moodiness, but due to his age we felt that those were beter than some of the other poss side effects. We everything we can ion E and szs, and we are kind of learning as we go. I understand that the szs should be controlled with meds, and there is a slim chance that he will out grow it. As far as other relatives with JME, none in our primiary family. However, my ex-husband and I both had one sz each from a high fever and the Drs believe that to be the genetic link for our son. Do you have any info on either JME or JAE?All the best to you.Mlb

RE: RE: Anyone here have JME??

Submitted by uvmalum93 on Fri, 2005-07-08 - 08:11

Willsmom,

I take 200 mg of Zonegran once a day at night.  There is a long half-life with Zonegran that can allow for once daily dosing which is very convenient.  I had been on Topamax 100 mg. (50 morning, 50 night) and even as low as 90 mg. (50 morining, 40 night) to try to decrease the effects of the speech problems.  Depakote had been up to 1500 mg (750, 750) but was at 1000 mg for a long time before I discontinued.

uvmalum93

Willsmom,

I take 200 mg of Zonegran once a day at night.  There is a long half-life with Zonegran that can allow for once daily dosing which is very convenient.  I had been on Topamax 100 mg. (50 morning, 50 night) and even as low as 90 mg. (50 morining, 40 night) to try to decrease the effects of the speech problems.  Depakote had been up to 1500 mg (750, 750) but was at 1000 mg for a long time before I discontinued.

uvmalum93

RE: RE: RE: Anyone here have JME??

Submitted by Willsmom on Sat, 2005-07-09 - 09:47
Thanks uvmalum.The amount of meds. that you are taking sounds ideal. Less drugs less side effects, less remembering what and when to take pills...On this topic of JME I wonder if anyone with JME has had their immune system tested?My son's IGE is low. He has had several ELISA blood tests in the past year all with the same low results. The last normal result he had was before he ever had a myoclonic jerk.His allergist / immunologist is not concerned. I wonder if the worsening seizures ( more frequent) have anything to do with a compromised immune system...

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