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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

CBD has not caused any weight

Submitted by NurseTami on Wed, 2017-06-07 - 20:01
CBD has not caused any weight gain for me so far.  The kind I am taking (charlotte's web) has no traceable THC, so I think that the THC might be the appetite part of things ;). I started weaning myself slowly, dropping my dosage every 2 weeks and simultaneously increasing my CBD tincture.  I had absolutely nothing to guide me, so I went really slow and kept really detailed notes on my symptoms (or lack of). The entire weaning off process took about 2 1/2 months.

please don't stop seizure

Submitted by epihelp on Fri, 2017-06-09 - 16:09
please don't stop seizure meds and go onto cbd oil by yourself.. It sounds like you first need to see an epilepsy specialist and clarify the diagnosis, seizure type, and what medicine is best. There are certainly many other medicines that would work well for you but that depends on type of seizures.Also, while some people report doing well on cbd and one report just came out on a double blind study, many do not do well and it does have side effects and drug interactions. Even if anonymous below said she or he did okay, do not take advice from an anonymous source on the internet, especially not on your health. Please read on the legality of it - it's not legal in all states and can not be carried across state lines. Learn more by looking at this page- http://cqrcengage.com/efa/medical-cannabisCannabis is a medication and needs to be treated and taken seriously. 

Julia, I am glad you shared

Submitted by Marsha Williams on Sat, 2017-08-19 - 13:41
Julia, I am glad you shared this. I am going through the same thing with my down syndrome daughter. Keppra has kept her from having seizures but the hallucinations of seeing people that aren't there are so disturbing. She constantly See's people and talks to them and sometimes it gets very emotional for her because they scare her or make her angry and she yells at them. My concern for her getting upset and afraid I contacted the Dr and he prescribed her trileptal, that cause her to have a seizure and the jerks so I stopped that and put her back on Keppra, seizure free again but still seeing people, now I am very confused to what to do because the Dr when I took her back in asked me was I sure she was even having seizures. Now I still have her on Keppra but I'm wondering if I could give her a little CBD oil to calm her down some. Thanks again for sharing.

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