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Switching from Keppra to CBD Oil

Mon, 06/05/2017 - 12:06
Hello everyone! My name is Julia , and I am 19 years old. I have been doing some research for a long time, and have kind of given up with doctors, and was just hoping to get some advice from other people. Anyways, I got my first seizure when I was a freshman in high school, and was sent to the hospital. They said everything was fine, and that all the tests they ran came back completely normal, so no medication was needed. The doctor even said if I get another one, to not worry about it. Well fast forward to junior year I got sick with the flu, and was taking various forms of antihistamines (dayquil/nyquil/theraflu). I guess I was taking too much medication, so I ended up having 2 seizures. My mom called 911 and I was sent to the hospital. When they were wheeling me to get an MRI, I had another seizure. So they ended up giving me an IV to stop my seizures. And then they asked my mom if we would like to get me started on some medication. Not knowing any better, we agreed to keppra. And I started out taking 500 mg twice a day. From the very beginning, I began to have mood swings (very angry and upset), fatigued, not able to focus, and weight gain that lead to my depression. Eventually I had enough, even though I didn't have any seizures while taking keppra, I had asked to switch medication. So they suggested that I try vimpat. Even worse. The first day that I took it, I almost immediately had a seizure. And my mom did not like the idea of me having another one, so we switched back keppra the next day. So eventually I gave up and stayed on keppra for a while. I asked my doctor later on (about a year) if I was able to get off/lower my medication, and he told me no, not until I have been seizure free for like 5 years. But I refused to listen, and demanded to try to get completely off. So I began to lower my medication to 250 mg twice a day instead of 500 mg twice a day. Everything was good, then lowered it to 250 mg once a day. Everything was fine, until I was on my final day of being completely off, and I had a seizure. So my doctors told me that since I was fine on the 250 mg twice a day, to keep me on that amount. So that is what I stayed on, and am currently on. So basically I again, became seizure free for the whole time until one night I went to my friends house, and she had cat that I didn't know about, and I am very allergic. Not knowing that benadryl was an antihistamine, I had another seizure. Everything was fine, just had one and done. But feel as if I know what the causes of my seizures are- antihistamines (and the vimpat...), and I strongly believe that I do not need medication. The amount of depression (somewhat caused by weight gain) that I constantly feel is not healthy, and I will do just about anything to get off of pharmaceutical medication. I hear a lot of good things about CBD oil, and how some people are able to get completely off their medication while using CBD when weaning off. I understand that my situation is minor, and that the amount of keppra I take is very low, but I still would like to try to get off medication. And I would not want to try switching/mixing different anti-seizure medication. I was just wondering if anyone has had any luck with CBD oil, or has any advice for me regarding getting completely off of medication, since I haven't really heard anyone that has a similar situation like me before. Thank you in advance!

Comments

HEY I didn't want to take

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2017-06-05 - 16:37
HEY I didn't want to take meds either. But it seems that many people HAVE to take them for something they have to live with. Epilepsy is only one of many different ailments that are controlled by medications..Now as to your medication and getting off it. Each person has a threshold for everything that hits them. Seizures are just one issue. So your seizure threshold may be higher then other peoples which is why you need a lower dosage them most people. You got down to 250 once a day. which was good. But you didn't know that seizure medications build up a therapeutic level in your body. That level is to keep you from having a breakthrough seizure if a dose is laken late or even missed. After the last pill is taken you still have that therapeutic level of that dosage in your body. Which takes about 3 weeks to get completely out of your system. So you need to take the medication as directed and if things go right and you haven't had a seizure for a few years have your neurologist run a long EEG to see if there are any abnormalities. (spikes, waves, epileptiforn or seizure activity)CBD oil has helped some people and testing is still being done on it. But it is still illegal in some states. Which means getting and using it may be a problem for many people

I have successfully weaned

Submitted by NurseTami on Tue, 2017-06-06 - 01:20
I have successfully weaned myself off lamictal with CBD oil.  I have temporal lobe seizures, and I don't lose consciousness.  I use charlottes Webb CBD that has little to no traceable THC (and is legal in all 50 states).  My highest dose was 200mg lamictal twice daily.  The side effects were unbearable.....I would rather have seizures! I slowly lowered my meds as I increased my CBD oil.....it was a lot of guess work and trial and error because I had no one to guide me through it. So far, I'm seizure free and taking CBD tincture sublingually morning and night.

That's amazing! Thank you so

Submitted by jazandy on Tue, 2017-06-06 - 12:53
That's amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. Now I don't feel so alone, and have some hope:) Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions regarding the CBD oil?Does it cause weight gain? Because that is one of the many reasons why I am wanting to stop Keppra. And when I asked one of my many neurologists, he told me that CBD causes weight gain. Is this true?And how long did it take you to completely wean off of your medication? Did you lower the dosing every week or so?

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