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Dilantin Withdrawal & Depression?
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 17:16After a stressful 2 months on dilantin, my neurologist has decided it is safe to take me off of it (normal eegs and question as to whether or not I actually had a seizure in the first place). I'm slowly weaning off, and am down from 300mg to 200mg for almost a week now, but the last 3 days or so have been feeling depressed. I'm not sure if it's the reduced amount of Dilantin or just the ordeal I've been through or what. I'm presently on an SSRI for depression which has come and gone for years, but until now I've been fine (although I did suffer greatly from anxiety the last 2 months).
I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced depression when coming off of dilantin or knows whether this is a side effect or not.
Comments
Re: Dilantin Withdrawal & Depression?
Submitted by Autumns mom on Thu, 2008-07-03 - 12:30
AUTUMNS MOMMA CHERI
My daughter is currently on 5 differnt seizure meds. Including Dilantin, they are in the process of trying to remove the dilantin as they feel it is reacting negatively with the felbatol, her newest med. I dont know that I have really noticed a lot of depression in her but she has beeen so dizzy and tired she sleeps a LOT. I mean she takes her morning pills then goes to bed for several hours. School has been difficult to impossible. I dont know if this will improve with the removal of the dilantin or not. They have always had a hard time regulationg the dilantin level in her though! Its either too high or too low.
They have tried in the past to remove the dilantin from her but she had so many problems they were forced to put her back on it. They are thinking since they have added the felbatol that removing the dilantin will be ok this time.
AUTUMNS MOMMA CHERI
My daughter is currently on 5 differnt seizure meds. Including Dilantin, they are in the process of trying to remove the dilantin as they feel it is reacting negatively with the felbatol, her newest med. I dont know that I have really noticed a lot of depression in her but she has beeen so dizzy and tired she sleeps a LOT. I mean she takes her morning pills then goes to bed for several hours. School has been difficult to impossible. I dont know if this will improve with the removal of the dilantin or not. They have always had a hard time regulationg the dilantin level in her though! Its either too high or too low.
They have tried in the past to remove the dilantin from her but she had so many problems they were forced to put her back on it. They are thinking since they have added the felbatol that removing the dilantin will be ok this time.
Re: Dilantin Withdrawal & Depression?
Submitted by nverkist on Thu, 2008-07-03 - 19:02
oh boy do I ever, know how your daugher feels I have had my epilepsy since I was 5 yr old and growing up my mom could see how luthargeic and tierd I would get. I would also get dubble vision where I had to sit or lay down some times to but I never would of decribe it as being dizzy really. My doctor told me the reason for my dubble vision and tierdness was because of how much I was taking doseage wise( to much) or taking it to soon I have to take my meds twice a day 12 hrs a part. So remembering to take my meds now, plus having short term memory & taking care of my family one day at a time is the one jurney I get to exprence. That's why I use my clock alarm and a watch that has 3 alarms on it to help me remmber things better like family stuff as well. If I didn't have thoughs things in my life to help me out I would be having a lot more siezures than I do now! plus I take a ani-depressint for my depression I have ever since I had my first child I got that. I might of even had it when I was a teenager for all I know? anyways here are some websites I know that could be of some interest for you to look at maybe if she dosn't have an anti-depressent already.
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/medical/related/depression/epilepsy.cfm
my Solution & maybe yours?: last year my prays finally got anwsered to where I didn't have to feel like a turtle any more. I had more energy! I was more awake! and I finally actully had the energy that I needed to keep up with my family! I found a vitamin that had 17 whole fresh fruits & vegatbles + grains in a capsule or chewable. it's called JUICE PLUS.And it has been proven that it works also with the amount of reaserch that they've done on it to back it up with. you get sick less,it rebuilds your immune system way better than it was before. and it is a protection vitamin agenst all disesis. espiclly since the National Cancer Institute said that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will have so kind of cancer in his or her life time! the main reasons people get disesies in the first place is lack of mal nutrition ,overweight or obse. It helps prevent you from getting cancer and a lot more!So if it can help someone like me I know it could help your daugher!
So if you are interrested in more information about Juice Plus you can e-mail me back at
dntav4@msn.com Sincerely, Nicole
oh boy do I ever, know how your daugher feels I have had my epilepsy since I was 5 yr old and growing up my mom could see how luthargeic and tierd I would get. I would also get dubble vision where I had to sit or lay down some times to but I never would of decribe it as being dizzy really. My doctor told me the reason for my dubble vision and tierdness was because of how much I was taking doseage wise( to much) or taking it to soon I have to take my meds twice a day 12 hrs a part. So remembering to take my meds now, plus having short term memory & taking care of my family one day at a time is the one jurney I get to exprence. That's why I use my clock alarm and a watch that has 3 alarms on it to help me remmber things better like family stuff as well. If I didn't have thoughs things in my life to help me out I would be having a lot more siezures than I do now! plus I take a ani-depressint for my depression I have ever since I had my first child I got that. I might of even had it when I was a teenager for all I know? anyways here are some websites I know that could be of some interest for you to look at maybe if she dosn't have an anti-depressent already.
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/medical/related/depression/epilepsy.cfm
my Solution & maybe yours?: last year my prays finally got anwsered to where I didn't have to feel like a turtle any more. I had more energy! I was more awake! and I finally actully had the energy that I needed to keep up with my family! I found a vitamin that had 17 whole fresh fruits & vegatbles + grains in a capsule or chewable. it's called JUICE PLUS.And it has been proven that it works also with the amount of reaserch that they've done on it to back it up with. you get sick less,it rebuilds your immune system way better than it was before. and it is a protection vitamin agenst all disesis. espiclly since the National Cancer Institute said that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will have so kind of cancer in his or her life time! the main reasons people get disesies in the first place is lack of mal nutrition ,overweight or obse. It helps prevent you from getting cancer and a lot more!So if it can help someone like me I know it could help your daugher!
So if you are interrested in more information about Juice Plus you can e-mail me back at
dntav4@msn.com Sincerely, Nicole
Not depressed, but definitely feeling something awkward.
Submitted by apmast on Thu, 2008-07-03 - 08:54
Hi there. A few months back, I began feeling weird at times during the day. I checked and my Dilantin level was determined to be sub-therapeudic. So, we increased it from 300MG to 400MG. But then we switched to Lamictal. Anyway, I definitely felt something and told my doctor.
I have been told by my doctor that I may have some anxiety (NOT FROM DILANTIN,but perhaps from the worry that I will have a seizure), but I told him that I don't want to take any medications because I want to learn to cope with the feelings and let my bodies' chemistry work to balance it on its own. It paid off since my body seems to recover quickly. I pray that God watch over me. That helps me every day!
Let me describe the feelings I get: Sometimes I get this bodily feeling like I'm nervous in my tummy or heartbroken. It can sometimes feel like a chill in my body or something... it's hard to explain. I even found myself feeling it as I awoke in the morning. Anyway, I'm tapering from Dilantin to Lamictal and I notice that each time I reduce Dilantin, I have about a week or two of increased weirdness (anxiety or whatever) but it gets lighter and lighter each day and then fades away.
I found this to help: Before bed, I drink a nice big cup of "sleepy time" Chamomile tea (http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/detail.html/herbal-teas/sleepytime) with a spoon of honey. I have been sleeping like a log. It's my new relaxation tool and aids in my sleep and sometimes during the day when I am tired from a bad nights sleep and I feeling those weird sensations.
Cheers, Andrew
Hi there. A few months back, I began feeling weird at times during the day. I checked and my Dilantin level was determined to be sub-therapeudic. So, we increased it from 300MG to 400MG. But then we switched to Lamictal. Anyway, I definitely felt something and told my doctor.
I have been told by my doctor that I may have some anxiety (NOT FROM DILANTIN,but perhaps from the worry that I will have a seizure), but I told him that I don't want to take any medications because I want to learn to cope with the feelings and let my bodies' chemistry work to balance it on its own. It paid off since my body seems to recover quickly. I pray that God watch over me. That helps me every day!
Let me describe the feelings I get: Sometimes I get this bodily feeling like I'm nervous in my tummy or heartbroken. It can sometimes feel like a chill in my body or something... it's hard to explain. I even found myself feeling it as I awoke in the morning. Anyway, I'm tapering from Dilantin to Lamictal and I notice that each time I reduce Dilantin, I have about a week or two of increased weirdness (anxiety or whatever) but it gets lighter and lighter each day and then fades away.
I found this to help: Before bed, I drink a nice big cup of "sleepy time" Chamomile tea (http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/detail.html/herbal-teas/sleepytime) with a spoon of honey. I have been sleeping like a log. It's my new relaxation tool and aids in my sleep and sometimes during the day when I am tired from a bad nights sleep and I feeling those weird sensations.
Cheers, Andrew