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Newly diagnosed and new to site

Sun, 08/28/2016 - 02:58
So I had a seizure over a year ago on Christmas Eve the doctors thought it was a fluke. Then I had another one in May on Mother's Day... I did not go to the hospital for this one as I thought they find the same thing they did the first time which was nothing. Normal ct, normal labs, etc . Then over a year later not that June of 2015 but this year June 2016 I had one again. I was thinking I was out of the gray area because I had went a whole year without one. I again had one while shopping they took me to the local hospital and gave me Dilantin and told me that they were prescribing me Dilantin and that they wanted me to stay for overnight observation. Me being the know it all I am signed out against doctors orders. Abuout three hours later I found myself having an aura once and again and then waking up in an ambulance. This time they transferred me to a better and bigger hospital to get to the bottom or why. I was in the hospital three days and they did a ct scan, labs every day, an eeg, an mri, and god knows what else they found nothing abnormal which was a relief but also a disappointment. I just recently met with my neurologist for the first time this month. It took three months to get in. They had me on keppra twice a day 500 mg it works great but gives me bad anger problems so she is switching me to lamitogrine I don't know if I spelled that right. I took 25 mg twice daily for one week,50 mg twice daily for a week, and know am taking 75 mg twice daily. After she changes my medicine I meet with again in November this time she wants to tackle another issue which is my drinking. I don't Drink but on the weekend and only socially I'm not an alcoholic and never have been but she thinks I need to stop to make sure it's not causing it. After three months of no drinking the final issue she wants me to attack is my Xanax issue. I say issue because I've been on Xanax for three years and am taking two mg at night just to sleep. She wants me to slowly get off Xanax and see if maybe when I was going a couple days without I wasn't having withdrawals...I'm so new to this , a little scared and just want help and answers if anyone can comment with thoughts about this or any information relatable that would be amazing Thanks Kyle

Comments

Well you have been getting

Submitted by just_joe on Sun, 2016-08-28 - 12:48
Well you have been getting answers.Neurologiasts are looking to help their patients, Alcohol is one thing that is looked at by neurologists. I have had many and many say NO DRINKING. Even my last neurologists assistant said that. However Doc also said a drink now and then would not hurt. By every now and then it was at home with friends or family. A drink Doc was talking about was a beer or glass of wine that I generally nursed to make it last some time. I drink or at least have wine or beer when friends come over. I MAY drink one but what is left is generally used in my cooking. Alcohol does affect the way medications work to some degree which is why they look at drinking it. If your casual drinking was at clubs with friends you can still go and enjoy yourself with them. They do have non alcoholic drinks that look like everybody elses. Been there done that. The way I drank I knew the bartenders and I told them no alcohol because of medical reasons. They do want to keep their customers. We closed the bars on many nights and my friends that didn't know I had epilepsy never knew I was drinking non alcoholic drinks.Now to your Xanax and the neurologist wanting you to not take it. Youe neurologist has reasons which are pertantant to the reason. All of your doctors need to know all the different medications you take. That includes over teh counter medications. The reason for that is one medication can counter another. My PCP would not prescribe a medication that would help me stop smoking. The reasoning is the medication side efffects say MAY CAUSE SEIZURES IN SEIZURE PRONE PEOPLE. Well having epilepsy means I am seizure prone.Below is a site pretaining to the side effects for Xanax. Scroll down to the LESS COMMON side effects and you will see seizures on the list.Your neurologist is trying to get all possible triggers out so things will work better and they can see just how your medications are working to control your seizures.https://www.drugs.com/sfx/xanax-side-effects.htmlKyle I hope this helps and you get seizure freeJoe

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