My medication, my epilepsy and my alcoholism.

I am 55 years old and this is my story. I do not condone my behaviour but it's what happened to me. I was diagnosed when I was 14 after a few grand mal seizures. I was put on dilantin and phenobarbital and the seizures changed to petit mal about once every month. When I was 19 I was switched to tegretol (carbamazepine) and they changed to once yearly, still petit mal. When I was 18 I discovered beer. I loved it. Where I live, in Alberta, Canada the drinking age is 18 so I had all I could afford. When I was 20 I discovered drugs. From age 20-30 I did lots of cocaine, mushrooms, acid, and of course pot and LOTS of beer. As long as I took my meds and slept well (sleep is THE trigger for me) I was fine. No more or more severe seizures, just the same. When I was 30 I quit the drugs except pot but kept drinking....a lot. The alcohol never did effect my seizures as long as I slept well. I went to bars all the time and strobe lights never effected me; neither did stress, hunger or anything else. I have been sober now for five years (and two months, one week and three days) and still, nothing regarding my epilepsy has changed. I can still count on about one petit mal seizure every year. I am still on tegretol (800 mg daily) and phenobarbital (135 mg daily) and life is good being sober. :)