New to here also

Me and my sis both have epilepsy. My sis had all sorts of seizures the only med out of dozens that work for her is keppra. I was on depakote and it was great, but in females depakote is tricky because it can cause birth defects in fetuses if there is a pregnancy while taking it. Keppra is causing me to have huge mood swings and depression. My parents had such a struggle with my sisters epilepsy it would just keep altering after each new drug til finally 5 yrs ago she was put on keppra. My mom has notebooks full of stuff from my sisters seizures and doc appt ments. I only have Grand Mal seizures i do suggest you keep a journal of her activities everyday on even the littlest details. I wish you the best of luck, and email me if you want.

Hi I'm new also. My daughter is going to be 7 and had 2 grand mal seizures in Sept., she was started on a small dose of Trileptal because her EEG was abnormal. Six weeks later she had several more smaller seizures and the Trileptal was increased. She is doing pretty well on the med at this point. When do you get the results of your daughter's eeg? I know how you feel it can be overwhelming very often. I'd like to email eachother if you want.It's good to talk to someone who understands. clinn67@aol.com

Welcome to the site. It is always a mixed feeling that I have when I see new members sign up. It's always hard to know that there is now one new person suffering with this disorder, but it is also very nice to see that there is a place like this to reach out and get support. I'm glad you found the site. My daughter began to have seizures when she was 9 years old. She has tonic/clonic (gran-mal), type seizures. She is now 22 years old, and expecting her 1st baby on April 2. Her seizures have never been completely under control, but we still remain hopeful. I began to have seizures at age 47, so I finally "really" understand what she is going thru. It's much harder to watch her have a seizure than it is for me to have one. As a mother, it is so difficult to watch your children go thru any difficulty like this. I would encourage you to learn all you can about your daughter's condition. For a long time, I didn't know anything about it, except for what her doctor's told me, which was definitely NOT enough. I have learned so much about epilepsy and the treatment options from researching on this site and others. Knowledge is Power !! I agree with keeping a journal on all your daughter's symptoms. It's good to have with you each time you go to the doctor. A detailed description of her seizures will help the doctor in their diagnosis. (although it is really hard to be "analytical" when they are actually seizing). Make sure she gets a good amount of rest, and that she takes her meds on a regular schedule. Lack of sleep can be a big trigger for many people. Make sure and read the 'first aid for seizures' section on the main site - <a href="http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/firstaid.html">http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/firstaid.html</a> It would be good to make sure her teachers and the school administration know first aid protocol also. You might want to arrange a meeting with her teacher to go over her condition, and set up a plan for communication between the teacher and you. Some of the medications can cause sleepiness, lowered cognition, etc., so making sure the teacher is aware and lets you know will ensure that you catch this early, and plan appropriately. Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I would be happy to share experiences with you, and to provide support whenever you need it. ((( hugs ))), Barbie *************************************** "We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing each other." -lucian de crescenzo