Partial Seizure medications?

CDC funded page

Not a CDC funded Page

I am 36 years old and have been dealing with what my doctor thinks are partial seizures for 20 years. I had always assumed it was anxiety until about 10 years ago, when a psychologist suggested that it was something medical. It feels like a slight shock then I get a strange sensation down the left side of my body, travels down through my left leg and goes out my left foot. It only lasts about 10-15 seconds at a time. I am completely awake and functional the whole time, able to continue doing everything, it's just a feeling that I get. They come in cycles- I will go months without any then will get one or two up to several dozen in a day depending on my stress and anxiety level. The cycles will last from a day or two to a week or two, the current cycle has been going on for over a week. There doesn't appear to be a pattern to the cycles, but they often seem to be triggered by stress and tough life events.

My neuro has had MRI, EEG done with normal results. (I did have some during the EEG but nothing showed up on results.) The doctor wants me to have an ambulatory EEG but I've never been able to schedule it when I was actually having a cycle.

He prescribed me 100mg gabapentin to take 3 times daily PRN- take when the cycle starts with the idea that it would shorten/lessen the cycle. However this is the first opportunity I've had to try out the medicine and it's not doing anything. I even tried doubling the dosages and it's had no affect.

Does anyone have any suggestions? The doctor suspects partial seizures, although hasn't officially diagnosed it. Does anyone have similar experiences? If so, what medicine has helped? It sounds bad, but alcohol does seem to help- I think because it calms down my nerves and right now during a bad cycle like this, my nerves are definitely making it worse and increasing the number of spells. But I know alcohol is not a real solution-is there a medicine that would have a similar effect? Would an anti-anxiety med help?

Thank you for any advice!

Comments

The EEG he wants does not

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2015-10-19 - 16:41

The EEG he wants does not need to be when you are having one.The EEG is showing where the electrical impulses are going off in your body. The Ambulatory EEG is longer and will show the output during sleep and just setting around. If the abnormalities are deep in your brain the EEG might not be able to pick them up since it can only read them to a certain depth. There are many people that have gone thru all kinds of tests and had all of them come back normal. I had 20-25 different EEG's and all of them came back normal. I had gone thru a battery of tests and they all came back normal. One was the MRI of the 1690's. The last test done that week was another EEG. I fell asleep in it and they saw abnormalities (seizure activity either spikes or waves). By seeing them they knew where in my brain it was coming from and they then went back to the MRI and looking closer they found scared brain tissue.The neurologist wants the medication started with the amounts that you were given. Nothing more or less. It takes time for the medication to start building up in your system so the therapeutic levels get to where he wants them.The seizure you are having is what used to be called a focal motor seizure. today they could be partial seizures or even complex partial seizures.With me a focal seizure affects my right hand. It feels weird but I know what's going on and understand everything going on around me. For me the area the seizures start is the left side of my brain since the left side of the brain controls the right side of my body.When I was diagnosed the types of epilepsy were not what they have today. Nor were the seizures like the types today. So it took longer to come up with answers since a neurologist back then handled everything stemming from the central nervous system.As for medications that work. They all work. A medication that works for one may not for the next. They are just like seizures. No seizure is like another persons. Each persons body is different. The neurologist is prescribing a medication he knows will work and the strength is one he knows works too. With m neurologist he generally has a patient on the medication and the same strength. It can be raised or lowered depending on what has happened. Remember seizure medications are nothing like Aspirin where once it is taken it is gone an hours. You will see a list of side effects that can happen. They might and they might not. If they do they generally go away after your body has gotten used to the medication. Which is generally 4-6 weeks. The neurologist will generally have the next apt about 3 months after starting you on a medication. He will ask questions. Answer them. Are you having the seizures now? How many have you had since we started your medications? Just simple questions. I generally have a question for every question he asks me. Is this the best medication for my kind of seizures? Can we change the medications to 2 times a da since it is a little hard to remember when to take them in the middle of the day since I am at my desk and working with a customer at that time? How long does it take for this medication to start controlling my seizures since I still have some? How far apart should I take my meds. If to times a day is 122 hours should 3 times a da mean 8 hours?As for alcohol helping.... It does help calm down the nervous system. However once you start taking meds your alcohol needs to be curbed. Some neurologists will say No Alcohol. But there are just as many that say a glass of wine or a beer now and then will not hurt. I limit my drinking to just that. I have both at home. I end up using both for food. Beer beans or bread and wine in may other dishes. If friends come over yes I'll have a drink with them and that is another reason I have it. But just wine and beer.As for other medications like the one you take for anxiety for your sake and safety by all means tell all your doctors ALL of the medications you use. That also includes the over the counter meds. one med can counter another.

The EEG he wants does not need to be when you are having one.The EEG is showing where the electrical impulses are going off in your body. The Ambulatory EEG is longer and will show the output during sleep and just setting around. If the abnormalities are deep in your brain the EEG might not be able to pick them up since it can only read them to a certain depth. There are many people that have gone thru all kinds of tests and had all of them  come back normal. I had 20-25 different EEG's and all of them came back normal. I had gone thru a battery of tests and they all came back normal. One was the MRI of the 1690's. The last test done that week was another EEG. I fell asleep in it and they saw abnormalities (seizure activity either spikes or waves). By seeing them they knew where in my brain it was coming from and they then went back to the MRI and looking closer they found scared brain tissue.The neurologist wants the medication started with the amounts that you were given. Nothing more or less. It takes time for the medication to start building up in your system so the therapeutic levels get to where he wants them.The seizure you are having is what used to be called a focal motor seizure. today they could be partial seizures or even complex partial seizures.With me a focal seizure affects my right hand. It feels weird but I know what's going on and understand everything going on around me. For me the area the seizures start is the left side of my brain since the left side of the brain controls the right side of my body.When I was diagnosed the types of epilepsy were not what they have today. Nor were the seizures like the types today. So it took longer to come up with answers since a neurologist back then handled everything stemming from the central nervous system.As for medications that work. They all work. A medication that works for one may not for the next. They are just like seizures. No seizure is like another persons. Each persons body is different. The neurologist is prescribing a medication he knows will work and the strength is one he knows works too. With m neurologist he generally has a patient on the medication and the same strength. It can be raised or lowered depending on what has happened. Remember seizure medications are nothing like Aspirin where once it is taken it is gone an hours. You will see a list of side effects that can happen. They might and they might not. If they do they generally go away after your body has gotten used to the medication. Which is generally 4-6 weeks. The neurologist will generally have the next apt about 3 months after starting you on a medication. He will ask questions. Answer them. Are you having the seizures now? How many have you had since we started your medications? Just simple questions. I generally have a question for every question he asks me. Is this the best medication for my kind of seizures? Can we change the medications to 2 times a da since it is a little hard to remember when to take them in the middle of the day since I am at my desk and working with a customer at that time? How long does it take for this medication to start controlling my seizures since I still have some? How far apart should I take my meds. If to times a day is 122 hours should 3 times a da mean 8 hours?As for alcohol helping.... It does help calm down the nervous system. However once you start taking meds your alcohol needs to be curbed. Some neurologists will say No Alcohol. But there are just as many that say a glass of wine or a beer now and then will not hurt. I limit my drinking to just that. I have both at home. I end up using both for food. Beer beans or bread and wine in may other dishes. If friends come over yes I'll have a drink with them and that is another reason I have it. But just wine and beer.As for other medications like the one you take for anxiety for your sake and safety by all means tell all your doctors ALL of the medications you use. That also includes the over the counter meds. one med can counter another. 

The EEG he wants does not need to be when you are having one.The EEG is showing where the electrical impulses are going off in your body. The Ambulatory EEG is longer and will show the output during sleep and just setting around. If the abnormalities are deep in your brain the EEG might not be able to pick them up since it can only read them to a certain depth. There are many people that have gone thru all kinds of tests and had all of them come back normal. I had 20-25 different EEG's and all of them came back normal. I had gone thru a battery of tests and they all came back normal. One was the MRI of the 1690's. The last test done that week was another EEG. I fell asleep in it and they saw abnormalities (seizure activity either spikes or waves). By seeing them they knew where in my brain it was coming from and they then went back to the MRI and looking closer they found scared brain tissue.The neurologist wants the medication started with the amounts that you were given. Nothing more or less. It takes time for the medication to start building up in your system so the therapeutic levels get to where he wants them.The seizure you are having is what used to be called a focal motor seizure. today they could be partial seizures or even complex partial seizures.With me a focal seizure affects my right hand. It feels weird but I know what's going on and understand everything going on around me. For me the area the seizures start is the left side of my brain since the left side of the brain controls the right side of my body.When I was diagnosed the types of epilepsy were not what they have today. Nor were the seizures like the types today. So it took longer to come up with answers since a neurologist back then handled everything stemming from the central nervous system.As for medications that work. They all work. A medication that works for one may not for the next. They are just like seizures. No seizure is like another persons. Each persons body is different. The neurologist is prescribing a medication he knows will work and the strength is one he knows works too. With m neurologist he generally has a patient on the medication and the same strength. It can be raised or lowered depending on what has happened. Remember seizure medications are nothing like Aspirin where once it is taken it is gone an hours. You will see a list of side effects that can happen. They might and they might not. If they do they generally go away after your body has gotten used to the medication. Which is generally 4-6 weeks. The neurologist will generally have the next apt about 3 months after starting you on a medication. He will ask questions. Answer them. Are you having the seizures now? How many have you had since we started your medications? Just simple questions. I generally have a question for every question he asks me. Is this the best medication for my kind of seizures? Can we change the medications to 2 times a da since it is a little hard to remember when to take them in the middle of the day since I am at my desk and working with a customer at that time? How long does it take for this medication to start controlling my seizures since I still have some? How far apart should I take my meds. If to times a day is 122 hours should 3 times a da mean 8 hours?As for alcohol helping.... It does help calm down the nervous system. However once you start taking meds your alcohol needs to be curbed. Some neurologists will say No Alcohol. But there are just as many that say a glass of wine or a beer now and then will not hurt. I limit my drinking to just that. I have both at home. I end up using both for food. Beer beans or bread and wine in may other dishes. If friends come over yes I'll have a drink with them and that is another reason I have it. But just wine and beer.As for other medications like the one you take for anxiety for your sake and safety by all means tell all your doctors ALL of the medications you use. That also includes the over the counter meds. one med can counter another.

Partial Seizure medications?

Comments

The EEG he wants does not

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2015-10-19 - 16:41

Sign Up for Emails