Hello, Hola, Bonjour.

[Roondog]

Hi, it's nice to join an epilespy community as I've never actually talked to anyone before who like me also suffers from epilespy. I was first diagnosed with epilepsy just after my 19th birthday and I'm now 20. My first major seizure was in my sleep and I knocked a tooth out and badly burnt my hand, luckily my excellent dentist was able to reattach my tooth.

I was first put on epililm and started to have problems with it, my memory and concentration dropped and as I'm doing a degree in chemistry it caused my grades to fall sharply making me take a year out of university. I'm not sure if it was acutal memory problems or just a confidence drop, either way my epilespy caused the problems. Since then I've been taken of epilim and been put on 100mg daily of lamictal, which has no concentration problems from which I can gather but does have the problem of causing very vivid dreams, which I remember when I wake up and they feel extremly real for a while as if I have done the things I've done in my dream in reality. Quite annoying but at least I'm not knocking teeth out still.

Anyways just wanted to say hi.

[RobinN]

Hello Roondog - Welcome... you are among friends.

My daughters first seizure was at the age of 14. She is now 17. Actually as I think of it, June 23 will be the three year mark. She has tonic clonic seizures. The medical community that we found ourselves frequenting, tried her on four different meds. Her life spiraled out of control. I won't go into what she suffered with due to the meds.

I considered that she had lived seizure free for 14 years, so I needed to return her to that level of health. Or as we say it here, I needed to raise her threshold once again.

I have researched this, and have found good reason that nutrition plays a huge role in this disorder for many. It isn't a quick fix as is a pill, but it will return her health. She has increasingly fewer and fewer seizures to date. I can tell, from a calendar journal that I keep. I was also able to tell that blood sugar levels played a role in her seizure activity as does her female cycle. The routine tests that are done in the conventional medical office were not enough to pick this up. It has taken putting the puzzle pieces together to realize this and fight for additional testing.

We also have done Neurofeedback. It not only helped with her cognitive functioning, it reduced seizures over time. It would not have worked however, if I had not created an environment in her system through nutrition that allowed for the kindling of seizures to stop.

I don't understand your doctor putting you on multiple drugs at this point. Monotherapy is recommended.

Anyways.... Hi back.

[skillefer]

Hi Roondog! Welcome to CWE. It's a real friendly group, so feel free to ask questions, chime in, or just vent in the padded room as needed. The library here has some great basic info. Sorry to hear about your tooth. Glad that you have a good dentist though. As for your degree, don't stress about the year out of school. you'll do fine when you get back into the groove. As for memory, try taking fish oil capsules. Many anti-epileptic drug's, and the seizures themselves, can cause memory issues.

[Meetz1064]

and how do you do? It's nice to "meet" you, Roondog! LOL

This is an interesting and funny group of people that you have found here at CWE. And there is plenty of information to be had, too.

Feel free to kick your feet up and have a cuppa (Eric and Buckeye make it better than I do, I've been burning it badly lately cuz I keep falling asleep), check out the Library, and there is a Padded Room to vent in should you need to. Check out all of the nooks and crannies here--I'm sure you'll find that Mr B (our host) has built us an AWESOME home here.

Sorry to here about the Epilim experience. I'm back on Lamictal now, for a 2d time myself, and am slowly titrating up on it. I've been on ooooooo, countless number of meds over the past 40+ years now. Hopefully, Lamictal and I can mix well this time.

RobinN is right about the nutrition. I have used the GARD diet over the last several years to help control my seizures with a lot of success until a couple of odd types popped up in the last couple of months. Now, I have been diagnosed as a Celiac patient, which is a diet that is even more strict. There are quite a few vitamins that are also very beneficial to the brain, and RobinN knows quite a bit about those, too.

Good luck with your son, and take care,

Meetz

[Nakamova]

Hi Roondog!

I had vivid dreams when I first went on Lamictal last fall but only for couple of months -- the intense dreaming and light sleeping went away after my body adjusted. Maybe the same thing will happen for you.
Best,
Nakamova