Can anyone tell me anything about this issue?

[jlh3281]

My daughter has had seizure disorder for about 13 years. She is now 33. She began by being allergic to dilantin. Then she was on depakote and then a few other drugs. Now I believe that she is on Topamax. About four years ago she began to believe that her husband was cheating on her. Knowing the human condition, we, her family, did not rule out the possibility although we doubted it. Since that time many things have been said or happened that we are reasonably sure that that is not going on. Most of what she says leads me to believe that much of what she believes is coming from some kind of sleep abnormality. She says that she hears him talking to "her" while she is sleeping and that she can hear everything they are saying. She said that the person is standing right there in the room with her talking and that she has heard her husband say just about every name that has come from my daughters own acquaintances over her lifetime. 90 percent of these people, he has never met or heard of. Every place is "somewhere" that "SHE" is somehow linked to. We move 1100 miles away. My daughter thinks that the woman has followed her husband here along with a circle of friends and that is why everywhere we go she will interrigate total strangers. She suspects people from my church, her church, the library, McDonalds, most restaurants either in town or out, people at the gas station, people riding near us in cars. neighbors, Walmart cashiers, women in the Walmart beauty shop, floral shop, law offices, emergency rooms, doctors offices, everywhere. They are somehow associated with "HER". She started saying that her husband tells all in his sleep. He submitted to a sleep study and they said that he did no talking but did stop breathing many times per minute and prescribed a C-pap{?}. My other daughter doesn't want to be with her because the conversation will move to her husband's unfaithfulness. He is with her all the time with very few exceptions as he has given up working because she was hanging out at his places of employment waiting for lunch with him or parking close by. He was doing very well but needed to leave. Stayed out of work a few weeks hoping things would improve and when they didn't, he tried again, another good job, but didn't make it though the probation as she called and demanded that he come home or made him leave late on one occasion. Now he is with her at home all the tme except to take his children (on a rare) occsion down the street 1/4 of a mile to their church for one hour. What kind of nut would sneak around for four or five years to see someone at a distance or while his wife is sleeping with her their? You see the likelyhood is so slim it isn't funny! My daughter believe everything that she says she has hear said. She can't see she has a problem. Now for the question: Can seizure medicine cause sleeping abnormalities or mental illness? I keep praying that God will somehow break through. Do any of you know anything about this behavior? Thanks abd God Bless!

[Nakamova]

Some seizure meds can affect sleep and mood dramatically, although what you're describing seems to go beyond that. Some forms of epilepsy, especially temporal lobe epilepsy can produce delusions, and/or have the symptom of hearing voices. You need to have your daughter see her neurologist to review her medications and behavior to try and determine what's going on. If her obsession is seizure-related, then changing the dosage or the med might help.

[occb]

One of the less common side-effects of Topamax is severe paranoia, which it sounds like your daughter has. An acquaintance of my partner's and mine behaved in a similar manner when she was on Topamax for bipolar disorder.


Is there any way to talk to her neurologist to get her medication changed?

[Mike]

Topamax was a really bad drug for me. I just couldnt stop crying when I was on that drug. It works with G.A.B.A and changes my memory function. Prayer is the very best thing. Nerofeedback works for some of us and has no sideeffects.

[Rae1889]

Prayer is the very best thing because Jesus can do anything if you have faith and love in your heart.

Well, I know this is a slightly touchy subject to bring up but.... For those of you who have heard about "The Tim McLean vs Vince Li" case. THis is what happened to Vince. He stopped taking his medication believing that he would not need it, because he believed in Jesus, and Jesus would save him. Turns out, he also thought Jesus and God told him to kill Tim (and some other nasty horrible heart wrenching things) because Tim was unpure and probably a demon.

Stopping meds with a delusional disorder can make it worse. I say, have her titrate down from one drug to another to see if that helps first. Then maybe start talking about other obtions if the paranoia and voices are not stopped. I think this is some symptoms of schzophrenia.

What ever you choose to do, just make sure that it is safe and in the best interest and health of your daughter (and son-in-law)

[RobinN]

Drugs certainly can cause behavioral changes. We know that the top 11 prescribed for seizures are known to cause suicidal tendencies for some patients, so it would seem to reason that they could cause extreme mental distress as well. In addition to abnormal brain functioning, it would be difficult to diagnose which came first.

Also, I had a great video of a gal that had extreme mental distress due to blood sugar imbalances. She was even committed to an in-patient facility. It wasn't until she found a doctor with belief in her instincts that it was a chemical imbalance that she was able to heal and recover. They worked together and made nutritional changes and she is now symptom free. I will see if I can find the video link.

Gluten sensitivity and or Celiac Disease is connected to schizophrenia and seizures. You might consider doing research on that.

[Cint]

Some seizure meds can affect sleep and mood dramatically, although what you're describing seems to go beyond that. Some forms of epilepsy, especially temporal lobe epilepsy can produce delusions, and/or have the symptom of hearing voices. You need to have your daughter see her neurologist to review her medications and behavior to try and determine what's going on. If her obsession is seizure-related, then changing the dosage or the med might help.

I have temporal lobe epilepsy and have "heard voices" while in the pre-ictal state, right before the bad tonic/clonic seizure for me. I'm also currently taking Topomax and it hasn't caused me to be "psychotic", although it may depend on the dosage.
I agree with Nakamova, your daughter needs to see her neurologist and determine what in the world is going on with her behavior. Is it seizure related or does the medication need to be altered or changed?

[RobinN]

[Inaara]

Well, I know this is a slightly touchy subject to bring up but.... For those of you who have heard about "The Tim McLean vs Vince Li" case. THis is what happened to Vince. He stopped taking his medication believing that he would not need it, because he believed in Jesus, and Jesus would save him. Turns out, he also thought Jesus and God told him to kill Tim (and some other nasty horrible heart wrenching things) because Tim was unpure and probably a demon.

Stopping meds with a delusional disorder can make it worse. I say, have her titrate down from one drug to another to see if that helps first.

Along these lines, I really like my former pastor's advice regarding medications: "yes, Jesus can do anything - anything at all. So while I'm taking the medication that my doctor prescribed me, I make sure to say, 'thank you Jesus that you can use this medicine to heal me'."

[Rae1889]

What a smart girl.

I understand her when she says to not eat sugar. it always "whacks me out" when I do. I get overly hyper first, and then when I start to crash, I get moody and cranky and could smash down the whole place cuz I have a huge headache

Yup. I like to go for the salty foods before the sugary.