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UPDATED: Wed, 07/02/2008 - 1:16pm
avalon1
Dilantin Withdrawal & Depression?
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After a stressful 2 months on dilantin, my neurologist has decided it is safe to take me off of it (normal eegs and question as to whether or not I actually had a seizure in the first place). I'm slowly weaning off, and am down from 300mg to 200mg for almost a week now, but the last 3 days or so have been feeling depressed. I'm not sure if it's the reduced amount of Dilantin or just the ordeal I've been through or what. I'm presently on an SSRI for depression which has come and gone for years, but until now I've been fine (although I did suffer greatly from anxiety the last 2 months).
I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced depression when
coming off of dilantin or knows whether this is a side effect or not.
By avalon1 at Wed, 07/02/2008 - 1:16pm | 81 views | 12 comments
Topic: Medication Issues
Recent Comments on this Discussion
Well, all I can say is bingo, you nailed it. I've been taking Dilantin for most of the time since 1994, when I first suffered a seizure. It is a pretty nasty drug. It probably has a longer list of notable adverse side effects than any other seizure control drug. It also is one of the first prescription drugs ever devised, which shows you that it's not particularly sophisticated. But, if it works, it works.
A big problem with Dilantin is that it is not linear in its effects. A small decrease can have big consequences in side effects. Not doubt in my mind that it is not anxiety, but just typical Dilantin behavioral impact that you're experiencing. (Please don't substitute my lay judgement for your neurologist's).
Dilantin makes me very irritable, snappy, moody, and even angry. I take Prozac to offset it somewhat, but not completely. I know it's Dilantin that does this, because when I've tried to switch to other drugs (and I've tried them all, unsuccessfully), those symptoms disappeared (except Keppra, which made me crazy). In my case, I'm so darn grumpy and unpredictable that I've recently had to move to an apartment, because I was such a negative influence in my household. Not fun. You'll feel just fine once you're off Dilantin, but it may be a bit of a rough go. Just hang in, and be sure to tell everybody that your temporary behavioral issues are just the result of your reducing your Dilantin dosage, and not anything willing on your part. Thank God you can go off it.
this is my first post, I am asking for any help please,.
I too just started Dilantin and am very very moody,depressed and
extremely tired. is this normal? I'm on a dosage schedule that is to
end my Dilantin in about 5 weeks, starting at 150mg. I dont think I can
make it sometimes. The prescription is weening me off of Dilantin and
increading my Topomax. Of course it is normal for me to be depressed
because my life has changed forever and had an unexplained siezure, I
understand this, but I feel that my mind is always in a fog and I cry
a lot. will this ever end? please tell me Dialntin is causing much of
this, ( or might it be the topomax) and what might i do. thanks so much
for any help.
hi
this is my first post, I am asking for any help please,.
I too just started Dilantin and am very very moody,depressed and extremely tired. is this normal? I'm on a dosage schedule that is to end my Dilantin in about 5 weeks, starting at 150mg. I dont think I can make it sometimes. The prescription is weening me off of Dilantin and increading my Topomax. Of course it is normal for me to be depressed because my life has changed forever and had an unexplained siezure, I understand this, but I feel that my mind is always in a fog and I cry a lot. will this ever end? please tell me Dialntin is causing much of this, ( or might it be the topomax) and what might i do. thanks so much for any help.
After over 10 years of taking Dilantin, I am currently in the process of stopping it. I had surgery (mid-temporal lobectomy) 16 months ago. It has worked well. So, now that I don't need the medicine anymore it makes me feel very bad. Within 20 minutes after I take it(10:30 p.m.), I get a headache and dizzy. When I get up in the morning I am in a very irritable mood. This lasts almost all day. I sometimes get so mad that I cry. Thankfully I only have 26 days remaining until I am through. I guess I can't gripe too much. This can't be any worse than 20 years of having siezures. To the best of luck!!
We're not different, We're fighters.
I recently was placed back on dilantin, and for the last day or so, all I can do is cry, about everything. I don't want to leave the house, I feel useless, they took my license, now they're talking about taking my job as well.
I have spent the last 10 hours feeling so alone and so afraid, degraded, humiliated, and embarassed.
I'm going to see a neurologist in the morning, and hopefully I can get some answers, all I know is I can't sleep, I can't feel anything but depressed//sad. Any advice???????PLEASE
this is my first post, I am asking for any help please,.
I too just started Dilantin and am very very moody,depressed and
extremely tired. is this normal? I'm on a dosage schedule that is to
end my Dilantin in about 5 weeks, starting at 150mg. I dont think I can
make it sometimes. The prescription is weening me off of Dilantin and
increading my Topomax. Of course it is normal for me to be depressed
because my life has changed forever and had an unexplained siezure, I
understand this, but I feel that my mind is always in a fog and I cry
a lot. will this ever end? please tell me Dialntin is causing much of
this, ( or might it be the topomax) and what might i do. thanks so much
for any help.
AUTUMNS MOMMA CHERI
My daughter is currently on 5 differnt seizure meds. Including Dilantin, they are in the process of trying to remove the dilantin as they feel it is reacting negatively with the felbatol, her newest med. I dont know that I have really noticed a lot of depression in her but she has beeen so dizzy and tired she sleeps a LOT. I mean she takes her morning pills then goes to bed for several hours. School has been difficult to impossible. I dont know if this will improve with the removal of the dilantin or not. They have always had a hard time regulationg the dilantin level in her though! Its either too high or too low.
They have tried in the past to remove the dilantin from her but she had so many problems they were forced to put her back on it. They are thinking since they have added the felbatol that removing the dilantin will be ok this time.
I know how you feel, my 12 year old is also on 5+ seizure meds, one of which is Dilantin. I have never seen such terrible side effects... he is dizzy and seems intoxicated all the time. He sleeps until noon everyday... only awake 8 hours a day. They want to wean him off of Dilantin because we can't get the right dosage, it's either too high too low and his doctor says he cannot be on this long term. We are scheduled for the wean on Mon 7/7, he is going to be hospitalized, and I am scared to death. But something needs to be done, he is currently on Keppra, Topamax, Lamictal, Diazepam, Lorazepam, Dilantin, and Phenobarbatol. There is not much else they can try, except start from scratch. Epilepsy sucks!!
Definitely know how your son feels. Since i developed epilespy 4 years ago (i'm now 22) iv been on and off nearly every type of med there is. i'm currently on dilantin, lamictal, keppra, diazepam and they're considering trying the topamax as well. Going to uni is hard, sometimes i'll sleep til 12 and miss half my classes and obviously the concentration in class and the inability to remember information is frustrating. i used to be the smartset person at high school in my year, i was awarded a very high medal for the state but now i'm happy when i achieve a pass in a subject.
Out of all my medications dilantin seems to be the IQ killer and responsible for my depressive moods and the cause of an unplanned pregnancy and so we have tried to ween me off it several times without luck with the seizures. I recommend if your son is going to head to uni, obviously a long way off,
definitely do a smaller than normal workload, and from the start go and talk to the dean of the university , he has been my angel when the lecturers are far less than understanding.
good luck to your son
My son is finally completely off Dilantin now and he is a whole new person. Gets up at 8am instead of noon and is happy again. No more dizziness or sleepiness. He did a pretty quick wean though, went from 250mg per day to zero within 4 days. He's been off for almost a week and his seizures have not increased at all, actually I think they went down a little.
oh boy do I ever, know how your daugher feels I have had my epilepsy since I was 5 yr old and growing up my mom could see how luthargeic and tierd I would get. I would also get dubble vision where I had to sit or lay down some times to but I never would of decribe it as being dizzy really. My doctor told me the reason for my dubble vision and tierdness was because of how much I was taking doseage wise( to much) or taking it to soon I have to take my meds twice a day 12 hrs a part. So remembering to take my meds now, plus having short term memory & taking care of my family one day at a time is the one jurney I get to exprence. That's why I use my clock alarm and a watch that has 3 alarms on it to help me remmber things better like family stuff as well. If I didn't have thoughs things in my life to help me out I would be having a lot more siezures than I do now! plus I take a ani-depressint for my depression I have ever since I had my first child I got that. I might of even had it when I was a teenager for all I know? anyways here are some websites I know that could be of some interest for you to look at maybe if she dosn't have an anti-depressent already.
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/medical/related/depression/epilepsy.cfm
http://www.healthywomen.org/resources/womenshealthinthenews/dbhealthnews/teenswithepilepsypronetodepression
my Solution & maybe yours?: last year my prays finally got anwsered to where I didn't have to feel like a turtle any more. I had more energy! I was more awake! and I finally actully had the energy that I needed to keep up with my family! I found a vitamin that had 17 whole fresh fruits & vegatbles + grains in a capsule or chewable. it's called JUICE PLUS.And it has been proven that it works also with the amount of reaserch that they've done on it to back it up with. you get sick less,it rebuilds your immune system way better than it was before. and it is a protection vitamin agenst all disesis. espiclly since the National Cancer Institute said that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will have so kind of cancer in his or her life time! the main reasons people get disesies in the first place is lack of mal nutrition ,overweight or obse. It helps prevent you from getting cancer and a lot more!So if it can help someone like me I know it could help your daugher!
So if you are interrested in more information about Juice Plus you can e-mail me back at
dntav4@msn.com Sincerely, Nicole
Hi there. A few months back, I began feeling weird at times during the day. I checked and my Dilantin level was determined to be sub-therapeudic. So, we increased it from 300MG to 400MG. But then we switched to Lamictal. Anyway, I definitely felt something and told my doctor.
I have been told by my doctor that I may have some anxiety (NOT FROM DILANTIN,but perhaps from the worry that I will have a seizure), but I told him that I don't want to take any medications because I want to learn to cope with the feelings and let my bodies' chemistry work to balance it on its own. It paid off since my body seems to recover quickly. I pray that God watch over me. That helps me every day!
Let me describe the feelings I get: Sometimes I get this bodily feeling like I'm nervous in my tummy or heartbroken. It can sometimes feel like a chill in my body or something... it's hard to explain. I even found myself feeling it as I awoke in the morning. Anyway, I'm tapering from Dilantin to Lamictal and I notice that each time I reduce Dilantin, I have about a week or two of increased weirdness (anxiety or whatever) but it gets lighter and lighter each day and then fades away.
I found this to help: Before bed, I drink a nice big cup of "sleepy time" Chamomile tea (http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/detail.html/herbal-teas/sleepytime) with a spoon of honey. I have been sleeping like a log. It's my new relaxation tool and aids in my sleep and sometimes during the day when I am tired from a bad nights sleep and I feeling those weird sensations.
Cheers,
Andrew