Introducing myself

[mikefromdel]

I just joined this forum yesterday and thought I'd introduce myself, as the forum suggests.
I'm 49 and have been epileptic since I was 24. I believe (though no Dr has ever confirmed it) that my condition started from being an idiot in a drinking contest. I had already been drinking all day, then participated in a whiskey drinking contest with someone where I downed a pint of liquor all at once, fell on the floor almost immediately and had a grand mal. I wasn't taken to the hospital at that time, slept for about 16 hours straight and didn't even know what happened. Then, 3 months later and sober, I had a 3-4 minute grand mal at work and was taken to the hospital and diagnosed. I continued to have them for years afterward, but they are pretty well under control now and have been for about 5 years with carbemazepine (Tegretol).
In 1996 I started having a secondary complex partial frontal lobe seizure and have had them ever since. I take 3000 mg of Keppra per day (plus the carbemazepine) and this keeps the frontal lobe seizures at about 12 per month instead of the original 30-40 per week that I was having when they started.
My biggest problem with E is the depression that follows. It seems that I am extremely depressed for 2-4 days after my seizure days and I find this much more difficult to deal with than the seizures themselves.
Any replies on this depression topic would be appreciated.

By the way, I am sober for 12 years, so alcohol has no effect on the seizure problem anymore.

Thanks,
Mike

[Meetz1064]

welcome to CWE, Mikefromdel! It's very nice to "meet" you!

Hopefully you will take the time to check out all the nooks and crannies here at CWE. There are lots of them, and most of them are filled with lots of information, especially the Kitchen and the Library. The Padded Room is great for venting when needed, also.

Have you considered starting a journal? It is a great thing to help find your triggers, and it may help you find the source of your depression too. Also, it may help you work out some of those negative feelings that are just swimming around inside you. It can help your doctor in the long run, too. Here's some things to put inside it (where is Skilly to help me remember what to put in? I will prolly forget something...):

1. Sleep (how much, when)
2. Eating (how much, when and what)
3. TV/computer/video games (how much, what and when, how long)
4. Exercise (how much, when, what)
5. Auras--if you get any, what are they like? describe them in detail
6. Seizures--if you are awake during them, describe them in as much detail as possible, for the rest, get witness descriptions, and write it down in detail
7. Negative feelings--write these down, no matter what they are, and DONT erase them. Just let them pop out, and leave it.
8. Oh............I forgot.......nope, won't apply, cuz you're not a woman, so never mind.......

***********

THINGS TO KNOW

1. Sleep You MUST get 7 to 7.5 HOURS EVERY NIGHT, no ifs, ands or buts about it.

2. Eating -- Skilly, one of the other super mods, promotes eating 6 small meals a day, and I think she's right. One protein for every carb, and no more than will fit on a dessert plate. There is a LOT of information here on CWE about diets........and RobinN is a PERFECT source for that.

3. TV/computer/video. Some people ARE photosensitive and don't know it. If you find that you have a reaction of some sort after limiting one of these, then you will know you are photosensitive. It's not the end of the world...some people can use lenses for their glasses that are blue polarized lenses and do quite well........

4. Exercise....DO NOT skip this. We E patients do much better when we are fit, but some of us have seizures that are triggered by exercise, or SPECIFIC TYPES of exercise. If you find that there is a SPECIFIC type of exercise that triggers you DON'T do it. Likewise, keep in mind that you aren't supposed to swim or bike by yourself, or take a shower/bath without someone around, either.

The remaining items are self-explanatory, I think.......Hope that helps, and isn't too confusing........

Oh, and depression IS co-morbid with E. DO have a talk with both your neurologist and your pharmacist to make sure that your meds are not working against each other. Also, check for yourself at either www.drugs.com or www.rxlist.com. They both have interaction checkers on them that are excellent.

Take care, and I really hope you like it here at CWE.

Meetz

[Overproof]

Areet.

Ex-big-drinker here. Little (!) drinker now.

Was on Tegretol, now on carbremazepine etc.

So far, aye, so similar. There's nowt to say that it will be easier, that's for sure. Depression is a constant for most epileptics, at least the ones I've managed to hound out in my country. What's your GP say?

[Bernard]

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum.

I don't have an answer for you on the post-ictal depression. My wife has experienced it at times, but it's never been a long term problem.

Did the depression symptoms start when you added the Keppra?

[Nakamova]

Hi Mike --

Have you tried specific things to deal with the post-ictal depression? Maybe something therapeutic that appeals to you: Exercise, or a walk in a favorite location, or a group activity -- a get-together with friends or group therapy. I know that it's hard to self-start when you are depressed, so is there someone you can ask to help out at this time?

Best,
Nakamova