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Answers for my Mom
Tue, 09/28/2004 - 17:10Topic: Family & Friends
Hello everyone,My mom has had epilepsy since she has been a little girl. When she was younger she would have terrible seziures and go into the whole shaking thing. Now that my mom is older she no longer has those types of seziures. What happens now is really weird. My faimly calls it her "slow" time. Its like my mom becomes this other person and becomes very mean. She says a lot of mean things and does a lot of things that she would never do if she was in her "normal" state of mind. When my mom comes out of her "slow" time she does not remember anything that she says to us. I know this must sound very weird and not make sence but its so hard to explaine. Its almost like a Dr.Jeckle/Mr. Hyde type thing. I don't want to sound mean or anything. I love my mom with all my heart and it hurts me to see her like this. It gets soooo bad that I have to get out of the house because she lashes out at anyone. She has been this way now for as long as i can remember too....I just wish there was some way she could somewhat get relief from this. Her "slow" time usually last around a week and its usually once a month. Lately it has been happening for 2 weeks out of a month. I hope this makes sence....if anyone would like to e-mail me my address is harleydgal9@hotmail.com I would love a reply back. I'm searching for some answers and it would be wonderful if my faimly and I were able to help my mom. Thanks so much for reading this and please reply!Thanks a lot!ErikaP.S My mom is taking pills for her epilepsy but i'm not too sure what she is taking. She also has been to the dr and they dont find anything wrong with her.
Comments
RE: Answers for my Mom
Submitted by karenzim on Fri, 2004-07-02 - 11:23
Hey, are you my daughter writing that message??? :) See, I could be your mom!! I'm 38, and the medicines and even my seizures themselves have side effects that include......crabbiness. I mean REAL crabbiness. And when I'm tired I'm reallllllllllllly crabby. So on those bad days, I spend half the day yelling at my poor kids, the other half apologizing! And I really can't help it. But I am trying hard. I go with all my kids to a counselor so we can talk about it together-- or even alone if they want to. And I started medicines called Antidepressants that hopefully will help stop that grouchiness. Because trust me, I hate it more than the kids do. I feel so awful about it, but honest, we moms are not doing it on purpose.
RE: Answers for my Mom
Submitted by mexican_fire on Fri, 2004-07-02 - 14:04
Karenzim~~Just a word of caution about the anti-depressants with a seizure disorder.They don't mix well with the epilepsy, and MOST of them are what is called epileptogenic, or seizure-causing. It can worsen your seizures, and make them occur more frequently.I was on something like 8 different anti-depressants at one point in time over an 8 year span.I took Nortriptyline, Zoloft, Elavil, Trazodone, Paxil, Remeron, and Librium. There were a few others, that I can not remember.I had to give up the BuSpar and the Remeron to have my epilepsy treated with anti-convulsants, and I just work with a counselor, and psychiatrist, and go to a women's group therapy session.I seem to be coming along great as far as that is concerned. The anti-depressants will not necessarily take away the "crabbiness" you have experienced, especially if they are drug-induced side effects. There isn't a drug out yet that will take away side effects of another drug being taken. I wish there was, though, because I would need one of those, too.I haven't run into any mood changes since being Dx'd with epilepsy. I had to go through a VEEG the first of March and was in there for 8 days, and released on the morning of the 9th.I got the Dx on May 6th when I went back to the Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic, that I go to, and was told by my epileptologist that I had a mixed seizure pattern, and that I had TLE in association with other seizure types.I have the Simple and Complex Partial seizures, and I also have Grand Mal, and Myoclonic.If anyone in my house gets a bad case of the "crabbiness", it is MY mom, and she isn't the one with epilepsy. She has just been stressed out from everything that has happened to me, she just loses it sometimes.Some of that crabbiness can be from stress, and then that is where the anti-depressants would help out.Just be warned about it now, if you get into some trouble with them in anyway, you need to see your psychiatrist immediately, and get him or her to re-adjust it, or take something else, or nothing at all.That is just what I was told by mine, and he refused to put me back on anything else after I was home. The epi I have also said no to it, as well.I have also had classes on drugs--pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics, and many more, and it was the same thing discussed in class, before I had the psych I have now.Just letting you know, not trying to tell you what to do with this.I wish you the best with it, and I hope that the Anti-depressants do work for you without incidence, and that you get some relief from these mood swings.Your poor kids will enjoy being around you more. I know from experience that before I was medicated, I was the one that was the snarling tiger, and snapped at everyone. I was told that that was from the unmedicated seizure activity that caused that. It has changed alot since I have been on my meds. My mom tells me that I am alot more fun and enjoyable to be around, now that they finally have me on the right combo of meds.I was on them for 3 years before I got to Phoenix, and then for the 1 1/2 years I have been here my doc pushed to get me to a neuro, and then that neuro sent me to Barrow Neurologic Institute to the Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic to see an epileptologist, and that is who has been treating me. He completely changed all my meds and more than once.I came here on Tegretol XR 800 mgs, and the first neuro added Neurontin after doing 2 EEGs that both came back with abnormal activity in the left temporal lobe, and he gradually increased the Neurontin to the max over a month's time. Then my epileptologist added Topamax, and those 3 drugs together for 6 months, and I failed them all.That is when they decided to do the VEEG, and caught 3 in 8 days, all different.When I was released they put me back on the 3600 mgs of Neurontin, and 2 weeks later gave me Depakote.That is where I stand, and I have no side effects from either one, however they do intereact with some stuff, just not each other.Mine is not controlled like it should be, but sometimes it can't be, at least it hasn't gotten worse.Good luck,Nancy
RE: Answers for my Mom
Submitted by mexican_fire on Thu, 2004-07-01 - 14:38
Being a major in Allied Health, and an EMT and have studied when I was in college, what I think makes sense to be wrong with her.The first subtle give away, was "it lasts for one week a month".Guess what, girls go through something every month that effects how they behave, and it lasts about a week long. It is referred to as PMS.No, the epilepsy pills wouldn't be doing any good, for something she may not have, I can agree with you there.That is one thought.The other one is a type of seizure called a Complex Partial seizure, and people can have major changes in their personality, and behavior during those seizures. I have them, but without the behavior stuff. They can be EXTREMELY viscious to others, and say mean things that are hurtful, all the while not able to comprehend what is going on or what they are doing. However, seizures don't last a for a week, usually. Unless...she is having one every day for a week, and then that is where that is coming from.She desperately needs to be checked out AGAIN by a neurologist or epileptologist, NOT a general practioner, or whomever else she is seeing. She needs to be seen by someone who specializes in epilepsy or seizures.She probably needs to have an EEG done again while she is in one of those times, so the brain activity can be caught. If that is the case, then that doc will either adjust her already existing meds, or change them all together.Good luck, you are an intelligent girl, and I give you all the credit for wanting to be caring to, for and about your mom.Nancy--NREMT-B