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Hives and Medications

Sun, 10/27/2019 - 01:43
I’ll try to make this short. I have a minor case of epilepsy with partial nocturnal seizures, if I miss a couple doses of meds. When put on Lamictal in about 1995 I had hives for a short period of time, but they went away within a year. In 2012 I started to get hives again. It turned into weird allergies and constant hives. I switched back to Tegretol, which I had been on before Lamictal, and things calmed down, but the corn intolerance stayed around. Until the beginning of this year. New weird allergies, off and on. I switched to Keppra over the summer. My corn intolerance went away and the hives calmed down for a little while but hives are back and I can not seem to pinpoint any triggers of the hives/swelling that has become almost 24/7. Is anyone else having these kind of problems? I’m happy that I don’t have the anxiety and depression problems of the previous meds but there are other side effects of generic Keppra that I’m not thrilled by (sickness, high blood pressure). Are there any other medications out there that don’t mess with the digestive/immune system and/or the mental side of life? Or is there a way to get rid of these past side effects that seem to linger? Thank you.

Comments

Hi, Thank you for posting.

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2019-10-28 - 07:28
Hi, Thank you for posting. Treatment varies for each individual, so it’s very important that you’re following- up with your healthcare team to determine what individual treatment plan is best for you and if you continue to experience any changes side effects,symptoms, seizure types, frequency and behaviors. The goal of treatment with medicines should be –No Seizures and No Side Effects. However, we know that some individuals may experience too many side effects, that are very bothersome or cause other health problems. To learn more about medication side effects, please visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/seizure-and-epilepsy-medicines/side-effectsBe open and honest with your doctor about side effects and how they affect your health and daily life. If you can’t talk openly with your team, or you aren’t working towards the same goals, it may be time to get a second opinion.For information regarding second opinions or assistance finding a specialist please visit : https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/diagnosis/you-and-your-healthcare-team/second-opinions https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/find-epilepsy-specialist You may also contact our Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline: 1-800-332-1000, contactus@efa.org,  epilepsy.com/helpline , where a trained information specialist can connect you to resources, provide referrals and additional support.Or contact your local Epilepsy Foundation: epilepsy.com/localsupportAdditionally, you may want to consider keeping a diary, or a journal. My Seizure Diary: https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/epilepsy-foundation-my-seizure-diaryis a great tool for tracking seizures, setting reminders, recording your medical history, managing medications,side effects, moods, behaviors & triggers, which can be shared with your healthcare team. 

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