completely lost - pls help

[rsk12]

Hi group

My wife was seizure free for abt 8 years. She was on tegretol all this time doing abt 200mg per day and did not have any issues. About a month ago we went on an amusement ride that was really horrible that spun both of us around pretty violently. Since then she kept telling me that she felt tingling sensation on and off. She was still doing 200mg /day. All of a sudden 2 weeks ago she had a seizure. It was mild and she was conscious. Both of us were completely shocked because we were not expecting the seizure to return after 8 years. After the first attack 2 weeks ago, she went from 200mg to 300mg / day and was on it for abt a week and she got another seizure (also mild). Now she went from 300mg to 500mg after discussing with Neurologist. The neurologist did not ask for any EEG or anything but just asked her to increase the dosage to 500mg. She has been doing 500mg for the past 1.5 week without any problem, but today she had an attack again. For the past 2 week, apart from tegretol she also has been taking ½ teaspoon of Epsom salt in juice in the morning and 1 teaspoon of ionic magnesium at nite, 60mg of B6 and a multi vitamin. We are completely lost. Our lives were smooth for the past 8 years and now everything seems to be slipping away. I & my wife are trying to find what went wrong but are not able to. Our neurologist is not of much help. Can some one pls share heir experiences in such cases and how you guys dealt with it. She has taken off from work for 2 weeks but have to go back next week. They do not know at work as it was well under control for the past 8 years. Now we don’t know what to do. Pls help.

thanks
rsk

[Bernard]

Hi rsk, welcome to the forum.

... All of a sudden 2 weeks ago she had a seizure. ... After the first attack 2 weeks ago, she went from 200mg to 300mg / day and was on it for abt a week and she got another seizure (also mild). Now she went from 300mg to 500mg after discussing with Neurologist. The neurologist did not ask for any EEG or anything but just asked her to increase the dosage to 500mg. She has been doing 500mg for the past 1.5 week without any problem, but today she had an attack again. For the past 2 week, apart from tegretol she also has been taking ½ teaspoon of Epsom salt in juice in the morning and 1 teaspoon of ionic magnesium at nite, 60mg of B6 and a multi vitamin. ...

I'm a little bit confused on the timeline here. If I understood you correctly the first "all of a sudden" seizure was 2 weeks ago, yet she has been upping her meds for almost a month.

Has there been any change to her sleeping pattern? How many hours of sleep does she get every night?

Are there any major changes in your lives right now (family planning, job changes, housing changes, etc.) or unusual stresses (relatives, friends, etc.)?

There are lots of possibilities, but it can be a long journey to find the right answer. Here's my generic advice: Proactive Prescription for Epilepsy

You might look also an Omega-3 supplement.

[RobinN]

Personally, I would ask for an MRI and MRA.
Your intuition seems to point to the amusement park ride as being an event that has changed something. Trust her feelings on this.

For my daughter the meds caused more seizures with each one. New, different, side effects, emotional changes. We have found nutritional changes, supplementing for brain health, healing intestinal issues, neurofeedback, and keeping a journal to be our recipe for success. My daughter is med free.

[josieb]

rsk,

As Robin said, I also definitely think your wife should have an MRI or MRA. During my history with seizures, I was seizure-free for over two (2) years, and then they just started again out of the blue. After my neurologist attempted several medication adjustments (with no success) and then tried new meds (also with no success), it wasn't until about a year later that I had an MRI done. It had been around 6 years since I had one previously. As soon as the MRI was done, that's when they determined the actual cause of my seizures starting again due to problems with the Left Temporal Lobe.
Josie

[skillefer]

Hi rsk! Ask for the MRI....also, remember that sometimes a person's body changes, and even though a med may have worked before, it won't anymore. So your wife may end up having to switch meds.

[seizures4ever]

Hi and welcome to CWE,

I had a thought pop into my head (that's a shocker...it rarely happens) But since I did have a thought, I'll share it

What about hormones? I don't know how old your wife is, but if she is going through menopause (or is pre- or post-menopausal), changing hormones may be a factor.

I also agree with the others on follow-up testing.

I'm so sorry to hear your wife is going through this after such a long time without seizures. Feel free to talk to us, ask questions, and look for support here as you try to re-group.

-Julie

[drarvindr]

Personally, I would ask for an MRI and MRA.
Your intuition seems to point to the amusement park ride as being an event that has changed something. Trust her feelings on this.

I totally agree. I think an MRI is essential to rule out any head injury after the roller coaster.Does your wife have any history of hypertension or diabetes? Perhaps you should try a different neurologist and get a second opinion. My neurologist is cut from the same cloth as yours " If i see arvind , it means he's had a seizure - translation - i need to up the meds" is his thinking. He does a cursory exam and ushers me out with an increased dose. If the meds are not working when they have for eight years , it could be time to change drugs or add another one. Consider getting a fresh start with another neurologist.