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Problems coming back again

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 04:11
Hi, I'm Laura and I an now 17. Just turned 17! Over the last three years I have switched my medication from Epilim to Keppra to Lamictal which I am now on to treat Petit mal migrainal epilepsy. Epilim worked horribly for me, my moods were terrible(it actually caused depression for me) , I was putting on weight and I just felt like I was floating on a cloud not really there. Has anyone else felt that? I I also had hallucinations which were terrible because sometimes when I was having them I didnt know what I was doing but I'd somehow injure myself and wake up with multiple bruises - it only happened at night. When I moved on to keppra my moods improved so much more but I still had that floating feeling of not being there and although I my moods had improved they were still really bad and I could just act up at the randomest times and snap at people. I hated it because I didn't know why I felt like that and why I was doing that. I also started feeling very suicidal and I've told people I only tried to kill myself once but of course that's a lie, I didn't want them worrying about me anymore. I also had this feeling when I'd lie down that my body had somehow lifted off the bed and I was floating. I tried to stay positive and then I started having these episodes where in my vision things around me would just start shaking and turning. It was the most scary thing and of course it looked like an earthquake was happening but I knew it wasn't because I could hear things normally and I couldn't feel the ground normally. That's what really did it for me with Keppra and we discussed changing it to Lamictal my doctor and I. That was last year summer when we started making the change from keppra to Lamictal. Lamictal was amazing for me and I really couldn't believe that things were finally good for me. I started feeling more like the old happy and eccentric me. I also felt like I was like part of the world - things finally felt real. I'd go to certain objects and just touch them because that feeling of reality was just so foreign to me. The tablets allowed me to finally be me and I indulged in a lot of exercise and bettering myself in general. The tablets made me super tired but compared to the benefits that was nothing. So I've been on that since last year. However recently there have been some questionable things going on. So about 3 weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch with my friend just relaxing. I was really tired but I thought nothing of it. I had a cold so I was a bit down. Anyway I started feeling better so we decided to go for a walk. On the way back just a few metres from my house I started to feel really lightheaded and we had to rush home. My friend got my mum and she found that I was running a temperature and I just sat there crying because I was so scared I was going to have an episode and that these tablets would stop working. We thought I had malaria of some sort but we went and had many tests which said I dint have it. I shrugged it off thinking it was probably the cold because my immune system was so bad. That cold lasted for the next two weeks. Then last week I started getting these terrible migraines - I get migraines but this one didn't stop at all, I'd take tablets and they wouldn't make a difference. I'd go to sleep and wake up with a migraine. That lasted up until Friday. I was really worried still but I had Duke of Edunburgh so I decided to toughen up and just do it. I put on a brave face and told everyone I was fine. My group and I had been walking for about 2 hours when some of the girls decided that they wanted a break. When we started walking again immediately I got this wave of confusion and lightheadedness. It was a scary feeling as I got that kind of episode before going on the Epilim and that feeling is associated with those memories. I immediately called my dad crying and told him I didn't feel good, saying 'it's happening again, why me' then my dad got my mum to call me and she asked to speak to a member of my group. They all organised for a supervisor to come and pic me up and find a way to take me home. It was a terrible experience and for that whole time I just kept crying. When I got home I tried to relax which was really hard for me because I'm usually a very energetic person. Anyway I called my best friends and told them what had happened. They all comforted me but I need people who REALLY understand and have experienced such events. Yesterday I went for a walk and tried to do normal things and see how I felt. At first I felt lightheaded but then I started feeling better. One of my friends called me to cheer me up which made such a difference. So now I'm just wondering what I should do. My mum would like me to see my neurologist but I'm not sure if we should do that yet with these things happening because there's not much to derive from those events. I'm just scared that the tablets aren't working for me anymore. I hate changing them and these ones have just been so good to me. I feel like things are going bad again and it's just scary. I have no energy and in general I am just tired. This is also the worst timing, I am now going into my second year of A levels so those are bad enough without this extra baggage. Please help. Has this happened to anyone else and what can I do?

Comments

Any sickness be it a cold or

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2016-09-05 - 11:24
Any sickness be it a cold or flu affects your medications. Your body is fighting the illness. Those headaches, lightheadedness and several other things that happened could be parts of seizures.Your Mum is correct when she wants you to see the neurologist. Your thinking the neurologist can't derive from the visit is wrong. Understand that the doctors ask questions in order to get information. Just like all doctors do they need information in order to make their diagnosis as to what might be happening. As for changing your medications.. It may not be a change if the medications have kept your seizures down and you are happy using it. But adjustments to the dosage can be made to stop the lightheadedness and headaches. I have had adjustments to my medications many times.Also understand that as the body grows and changes medication dosages do ned to be made. I had to have my dosages changed a few times when I changes fron a kid to a teen. Agining about 50 lbs and growing almost a foot does affect the meidcation levels. Also know that hormonal changes can affect your meds too.I hope this helps and you get your meds set back up so they will stop the seizures againJoe

I have a lot of expierence

Submitted by taylorrenee on Sat, 2016-10-01 - 00:51
I have a lot of expierence with Keppra and it is in my opinion one of the worst drugs out there. I'm also on lamictal, I have side effects extactly like you described. If you want to feel free to email me, it's nice having someone that is the same age as you and is going through the same thing. My email is- msrenee166@yahoo.com

Sorry I didn't mean to post

Submitted by taylorrenee on Sat, 2016-10-01 - 00:53
Sorry I didn't mean to post as anonymous, I can't figure this out lol. But I'm Taylor :)

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