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confused mom of 21yr old seizure patient
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 09:34Topic: Parents & Caregivers
My son became epiletic at the age of ten he Is now 21 and on oct the 6th after being absent from his meds for about one week (depakote er) he had a grand mal seizure playing basketball. I had been thinking for a good while now to reduce or all together take him off depakote i have never liked this medication and the way i feel it has changed my son's personality. He drives and since this last episode he tells me that he is more paranoid now and is having trouble at work focusing because he's afraid he's going to have another episode. I believe this medication causes him to think slow mood swings i don't know he just doesn't seem normal. Let me back trac a bit before he became epileptic he suffered from headaches bad headaches that would wake him at night at ten when he had his first seizure soon after that he had another one both grand mal they put him on meds and saw a neurologist after some time the neuro said you should have his blood pressure regularly at school (middle school)at this time mean while from the first time of episode to now in middle school he was still having headaches on and off in the eight grade he had another grand mal in his computer lit class we took him to the hospital they did an mri and said he had had a non hemorrhagic stroke on the left side of his brain i was mortified at this time here was talking tregretol they then switched him to depakote and told me your son has high blood pressure but they could not tell me why he was epileptic later his neuro told me that because that part of the brain was scaared he will be epileptic forever so he's had two minor strokes has high blood pressure and is epileptic taking depakote which my gut instinct tells me to wean him off and seek another less aggressive drug please help i feel lost
Comments
Ok after reading your post it
Submitted by just_joe on Tue, 2015-10-13 - 15:59
Ok after reading your post it seems like you are kind of bumfuddled. All a seizure is "Is a electrical impulse going off wrong in the brain (the start) causing a chain reaction ( the seizure itself).As for what they found in the MRI they at least found something and did know what it was. A hemorrhage to the brain can cause scared brain tissue. Depending on where In the brain it would determine if it surgery is an option. My epilepsy is caused by scared brain tissue. A blow to my head cause the hemorrhage. So it does happen not only to your son but many others.oct the 6th after being absent from his meds for about one week (depakote er) he had a grand mal seizure. << absent from his meds. Did your son stop taking his meds? After not having a seizure for about a year. I stopped taking my meds. Things went fine for about 6-8 weeks. After that I ended up in the hospital in status epilepticus. Having 40 convulsions an hour. This was back in 1970, The docs got me out and had contacted my Mom but before she got back I went into it again. So he needs to keep taking his meds and if he wants to get off he needs his neurologist to help wean him off.The way I got better medication and got the number os seizures is all because I asked my neurologist questions. Neurologists are like other doctors they ask questions which helps then see what is wrong. If nothing is different then he goes to the next patient. Which me for every question I am asked I have one for the doctor to answer.. Is this the best medication for my seizures? Is the dosage too high or too low? Ca we couple m medication with another one that will reduce the number of seizures? Is there another newer medication with fewer side effects that controls my epilepsy?As for his head aches and really bad head aches. In some seizures they do have head aches. Has your son ever looked like he was daydreaming? Absence and focal seizures look like the person in them is daydreaming.As for him and high blood pressure. A person can have both.I know I have epilepsy. I also have A-fib with intermittent A-flutter. So I do know I need to make sure my meds are taken daily and at the same time morning and night.
We are currently waiting to
Submitted by nelliepers on Wed, 2015-10-14 - 08:59
We are currently waiting to see his neurologist but yesterday he came to me telling me that he truly feels that something is strong with me i said what what's going on he said mom i feel so paranoid at work i feel like i don't want too drive anymore im thinking I'm the cause of the paranoia because after this episode i kept telling him do you know how lucky you are you were moments away from having this seizure on the road i don't even want to think what could of happened to you i then ask him are you having suicidal thoughts he said no but i feel more nervous and just paranoid I'm thinking i want him too see a physiologist one more thing do you know anything about facial gestures and facial tics my son developed these sometime last year i related this to his doctor and didn't give me much insight but said it was not a side effect of the depakote i can't shake the feeling of this medicine my son was not like this
If you are having concerns
Submitted by kristicain12@gmail.com on Tue, 2015-10-13 - 11:35
If you are having concerns about his medication by all means advocate for your son to his neurologist. Depakote is a medication that carries many undesirable side effects much more so than many others. However it is more potent than many and has a solid track record of stability and control and is particularly effective with absence seizures. There are dozens of meds out there and it can be a very long and frustrating process to find the one that provides the best balance of seizure control vs. quality of life. Remember always that the first priority is seizure control and that no medication is side-effect free but to be without meds will statistically shorten his life span. Whatever decision you make about his treatment be sure to work under the guidance of a neurologist. There is no wisdom in changing meds & treatments on your own and it will inevitably lead to regret and fewer, less desirable options for your son. Another thing to consider if your son has a certain area of his brain responsible for the seizures is if there is a possibility of surgery to cure his seizures permanently. Take a proactive, informed approach and do your research on his condition and treatment options which will empower you not only to help your son but to make an informed decision about whether a change of neuro is ever needed (which can happen in many cases). These boards will be a great resource for you throughout this journey, so kudos for finding them and prayers for the road ahead!!