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Depression
Fri, 04/18/2008 - 03:09Hi
I was diagnosed with E, 2 year ago and am still trying to control my seizures. I am not sure how many I am having, but guess approx 2 a month but not sure since I am on my own the majority of the time. My neurologist is trying to control these seizures so that I return to work and get back to what I was doing prior to diagnosis which obviously came as a shock as I was in my mid 30's whehn this occured. He has recently increased my dosage of Keppra and ever since this has occured, I am so emotional and depressed it is scary.
My question is this, how can I determine if it is the AED's that I am on that is causing all the emotional instability, or if it is the fact that I am bored, not working and generally hate the fact that I have had this E sprung upon me. Which is it.... is it the medication that I need to reduce, or do I just need to be a big boy and get used to what is happening and grow up???
I don't want to go on anti depressants if I can avoid it as this yet another medication to stuff my system up, but I don't know what to do anymore. I guess in a round about why I am trying to ask you :
- 1s it the AED that is causing me to be an emotional, depressed wreck that ultimately noone would want to employ in anycase and I need to find another solution or
- Is it me that needs to get a grip and realise that life is not that bad and stop fighting the dosages which right now is Topamax 50mg, Keppra 2000 mg and Tegratol, 250mg
I feel I cannot continue like this for much longer, I take care of my diet, and exercise and all of that so am trying my best to help myself but this is just not working and I am destroying relationships in the process not to say that I would not last in a job.
Re: Depression
Submitted by 1nevermore on Sat, 2008-07-26 - 20:24
That's the harsh reality man. I went through the same stuff and quit taking meds all together a few months ago, now I have heart troubles on top of epilepsy. And like you, I am also alone in the world, and I'm only 19 and have already had a heart attack as the result of a seizure. Unfortunately when I was on meds, I smoked marijuana to counter the emotional effects of the Keppra, it worked for that reason, but made me burnt out to the tenth degree. In California, they often prescribe medical marijuana to patients w/ epilepsy. But if your not in California, or have a job that drug tests, you need to get your meds switched. If you have preoblems with Keppra, try not to get put on Lamictal. They don't tell you this, but it's primarily used to treat bi-polar disorder. For individuals such as myself that have never been diagnosed or shown signs of bi-polar, Lamictal makes you a raving lunatic. I mean an agressive, angry, very intense individual. You will be in a mental fog on this stuff. There were times when I was on it that I did'nt even recognize myself. After that, I quit medication all together, as well as the pot. I still have seizures, but I'd rather have seizures than be on the meds. Either get your meds switched, or start recognizing the signs of an on-coming seizure.