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First seizure in 2 years, Now Battling depression.
Wed, 09/05/2007 - 12:05Comments
Re: First seizure in 2 years, Now Battling depression.
Submitted by GottaBelieve on Mon, 2008-04-14 - 21:09
Hi There, Hope I can help! I just developed E 3 years ago at the age of 38. My life WAS full. 3 kids, full time job, was able to drive, run 5k a day, work out at the gym etc., yes it does suck! Feels like you are trapped in a body that you want out of. Meds make you sick tired, docs make you feel like you are nuts and your friends think you are a freak. Yeah, depression comes with the E! I would like to encourage you to chat online with others with this. It gets pretty funny in there sometimes and also there are so many of us going through the same thing. Without them, some nights I don't know what I would do without them :) I'm here for you hun. [email protected]
~Nina~
Hi There, Hope I can help! I just developed E 3 years ago at the age of 38. My life WAS full. 3 kids, full time job, was able to drive, run 5k a day, work out at the gym etc., yes it does suck! Feels like you are trapped in a body that you want out of. Meds make you sick tired, docs make you feel like you are nuts and your friends think you are a freak. Yeah, depression comes with the E! I would like to encourage you to chat online with others with this. It gets pretty funny in there sometimes and also there are so many of us going through the same thing. Without them, some nights I don't know what I would do without them :) I'm here for you hun. [email protected]
~Nina~
Re: First seizure in 2 years, Now Battling depression.
Submitted by Anie on Fri, 2008-03-21 - 11:04
Hi.
I totally agree with andrew and karen.
My husband also had a phase of depression and suicidal thoughts.
what helped him was some councelling sessions.
Maybe you should try that as well if you can.
What medication are you on? Some drugs may cause depression.
Maybe you should check that and talk to your doctor.
anything you need to talk about, we are here to help you in every way we can.
Take care of your self.
Anie
Smile :)
Hi.
I totally agree with andrew and karen.
My husband also had a phase of depression and suicidal thoughts.
what helped him was some councelling sessions.
Maybe you should try that as well if you can.
What medication are you on? Some drugs may cause depression.
Maybe you should check that and talk to your doctor.
anything you need to talk about, we are here to help you in every way we can.
Take care of your self.
Anie
Smile :)
Re: First seizure in 2 years, Now Battling depression.
Submitted by bearmkt on Sat, 2009-01-24 - 20:02
Hi there,
I can definitely relate to how you feel. I developed Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME) when I was 17 and was misdiagnosed by at least 4 different neurologist over the years. It wasn't until I hit 37 yrs old and went to an epileptologist (a neurologist who specializes in treating E ) that I was correctly diagnosed with JME and put on the right medication; currently take 700 mg of Lamictal. I'm very angry that I spent all those years under marginal control when I could have been better controlled which of course would have made me much happier. Like you my seizures are all tonic-clonic/Grand Mal. I don't have auras are partial seizures. The good news is that I only have them 2-3 times a year and they only occur in the morning. But it still sucks and as you know seizures are terrifying.
After years of depression I sought out treatment from a psychiatrist. He put me on Lexapro (2.5 mg/day), which is an SSRI that doesn't interfere with anticonvulsants. I feel much better and I don't dwell on things as I did in the past. You may want to talk to your doctor about it (your regular doc can prescribe it so you don't have to see a shrink if you don't want to). After I had my last seizure about a month ago I took a little extra Lexapro and believe it helped me recover from the subsequent depression more quickly. Your thoughts of suicide mean that you should get some help ASAP. An antidepressent may very help those thoughts go away.
After my seizures I used to feel out of it for the entire day (sometimes two days). However now I take Ativan (strong Valium) after I have a seizure and find that my head clears up within a couple of hours. Your doctor should be able to prescribe it for you (provided that you only use it when absolutely necessary - it's addictive). Remember that all sorts of people get epilepsy. In fact it affects 1 out of every 100 persons and can happen to anyone (smart people, not-so smart people, good people, jerks, etc...). Despite my epilepsy I graduated from college, have a good job in the financial services industry and a supportive family. Don't let self-doubt or pity stand in your way of success. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
Take care
Mark
Hi there,
I can definitely relate to how you feel. I developed Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME) when I was 17 and was misdiagnosed by at least 4 different neurologist over the years. It wasn't until I hit 37 yrs old and went to an epileptologist (a neurologist who specializes in treating E ) that I was correctly diagnosed with JME and put on the right medication; currently take 700 mg of Lamictal. I'm very angry that I spent all those years under marginal control when I could have been better controlled which of course would have made me much happier. Like you my seizures are all tonic-clonic/Grand Mal. I don't have auras are partial seizures. The good news is that I only have them 2-3 times a year and they only occur in the morning. But it still sucks and as you know seizures are terrifying.
After years of depression I sought out treatment from a psychiatrist. He put me on Lexapro (2.5 mg/day), which is an SSRI that doesn't interfere with anticonvulsants. I feel much better and I don't dwell on things as I did in the past. You may want to talk to your doctor about it (your regular doc can prescribe it so you don't have to see a shrink if you don't want to). After I had my last seizure about a month ago I took a little extra Lexapro and believe it helped me recover from the subsequent depression more quickly. Your thoughts of suicide mean that you should get some help ASAP. An antidepressent may very help those thoughts go away.
After my seizures I used to feel out of it for the entire day (sometimes two days). However now I take Ativan (strong Valium) after I have a seizure and find that my head clears up within a couple of hours. Your doctor should be able to prescribe it for you (provided that you only use it when absolutely necessary - it's addictive). Remember that all sorts of people get epilepsy. In fact it affects 1 out of every 100 persons and can happen to anyone (smart people, not-so smart people, good people, jerks, etc...). Despite my epilepsy I graduated from college, have a good job in the financial services industry and a supportive family. Don't let self-doubt or pity stand in your way of success. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
Take care
Mark