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Daily struggles and side effects
Wed, 05/01/2019 - 22:32Topic: Medication Issues
I’ve always had a hard time with depression and it was always controllable or I could live a normal life and put it aside when needed.
I got diagnosed with epilepsy 2 years ago after having a grand mal seizure at school out of nowhere. Since starting keppra I started experiencing my depression getting worse, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, lethargic constantly, lowered drive to do anything, and cloudiness to get through a work day. I have told my doctor about this and that it continues to be a problem. My doctor keeps saying that I’m just sensitive to the medication and I’ll adjust. Two years into this medication and it’s getting worse. When something minor happens my thoughts get all jumbled and I can’t function normally for sometimes days at a time. I know it’s not situational ether because I could be at home, with a glass of wine, cuddling with my dog, watching my favorite movie and I’d still feel like that’s to much for me to handle. I’m tired of feeling useless all the time. Is this my medication or does this just come with epilepsy?
Comments
Doctors often don't want to
Submitted by Athena_5ce4563aba984 on Wed, 2019-06-05 - 15:00
Doctors often don't want to hear anything that they don't believe or that goes beyond the standard medical practice. For instance, I've almost given up trying to explain some of my cognitive and memory problems to the doctors as they just don't believe me. I can talk fluently, and am still intelligent, so they just assume that I'm making a fuss about nothing, but that doesn't mean that I am functioning like I was before. I've had lots of resistance to my views on medication as well. You have to be persistent, and also maybe try more than one doctor if that is possible.
I agree that I've found it
Submitted by birdman on Thu, 2019-06-06 - 16:36
I agree that I've found it useless to tell other people of my memory and cognitive side effects. Everyone only believes epilepsy causes seizures and that's it. But when a drug caused aggressive actions that's serious. Since my comment 35 days ago I was furious enough with my mom that I was ready to knock her in the head. Instead I went in the house smash our drinking water container on the table, shattered my glass cup and went downstairs to be alone. I then convinced my doctor I needed to cut back on the dose and I've been feeling better since. I just switched from a doctor a couple years ago who would not listen but played the "I know best" role. This one is good. At least the fourteenth doctor I've had in my life for epilepsy. RNS implant went well on Tuesday. In several weeks we should be able to turn it on and eventually discontinue the Zonegran.
If side effects don't go away
Submitted by Athena_5ce4563aba984 on Wed, 2019-05-22 - 11:32
If side effects don't go away within a few months, I'd say that they should definitely be discussed with a doctor, though I'm not a medical expert. It may be that the symptoms are not related to the drug. I got lots of side effects with Keppra - it is known for them, both the number and the potential seriousness. It is often used to get situations under control quickly, as you don't have to titrate it as with many of the other AEDs. My doctor changed me onto something (lamotrigine) with supposedly fewer and less harmful side effects as soon as I complained of Keppra side effects.