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Absence treatment questions
Mon, 11/17/2014 - 06:56We have a 4 year old daughter diagnosed with absenc seizures in September 2014 after an abnormal EEG. She has been taking zarontin, the generic, since then. I posted previously about the trouble we had getting her to take the liquid form but we've managed to get her to take it by breaking the 250mg caps open into juice. The seizures seem to be controlled. So, to my questions, we've had our follow up visit. I asked if we should repeat the EEG to see if the seizures were controlled. The doc said no and he told me there wouldn't be a change. I was shocked because I thought the meds were supposed to stop the seizure activity. Does that sound right? Also her blood levels were lower even though she was taking a higher dose of meds and the blood work was done at about the same time of day. How could that be?
Then there is the problem of the side effects. She takes the meds twice a day at 7:30am and 730 pm. She's tired and asking for a nap by 1130-1200. We've also noticed some aggression and increased emotion. And some mood swings where she gets clingy and sad. It's really beginning to feel like we're losing our daughter. I feel like we're stuck because I'm afraid to go to a lower dose and be back to the liquid, which she fought us to take, and I'm reluctance to switch to Depakote because of the side effects of that drug. The devil you know vs the devil you don't. The doc said to wait it out and her body would adjust. It's been two months. What should we do?
I know thats a lot but any help would be appreciated. We don't know anyone else going through this. We feel lost.
All that is needed for the
Submitted by just_joe on Wed, 2014-11-19 - 12:51
All that is needed for the diagmosis is 2 seizures. An abnormal EEG shows abnormal electrical output (seizure activity) and which area of the brain it comes from. All a seizure is is an electrical impulse going off wrong in the brain causing a chain reaction. Think of it as dominoes all stacked up in a line. Tap one so it falls into the next. Your tap is the impulse going off wrong. One dominoe falls into the next until they all are down (chain reaction) Medications stop electrical impulses from going off wrong. Start the dominoes again only this time put your finger between the second and third dominoe. Tap the first (electrical impulse going off wrong (start of a seizur) which falls into the next which falls into your finger (medications) which stops the chain reaction. This is a way I showed the student body about epilepsy back in 1964.You at least have a EEG showing seizure activity (abnormal EEG). There are many people with epilepsy who have normal EEG.s... I had 20-25 come up normal. It was after a battery of tests and I fell asleep in the last test which was another EEG. So no the neurologist does not need to have another EEG. Side effects will generally go away after 2-3 weeks. The medications are not like asperin or other medications taken to stop pain or gas or other things. It takes some time to build up a level needed to stop the abnormal activity. If she is still moody then contact her neurologist but at least give the mediocation 3-4 weeks.