phenobarb and absence seizures

[Philc]

Hello to all , This is my first time posting in such forums.
Please excuse my bad spelling and run on sentences , I had a 30 sec seizure last night feeling a little off today

Im a 41 year old M , Ive been having Absence Seizures symtoms since I was born never knowing it wasn't normal... I was called the day dreamer as a kid.
15 years ago I had a 10 min grand mal seizure then given MRI to see what was going on.
The MRI showed a cystic lesion in Left temple the size of a grape that caused grand mal also learning that 30 - 60 sec spells-Absence Seizure symtoms were not how normal every day life is lived .
Ive went through many medications the last 15 years for treatment...some worked better then ether's.
I got prescribed "Limictal" 200mg twice a day three months ago cutting my seizures down to one every either week ,sometimes once a month which has made life much better.
Today My neurologist prescribed 2 30mg tablet of "Phenobarbital" to be taken at bed time on top of my "Limictal" does of 200mg twice a day.
I'm a little worried about "Phenobarbital" after reading that it should not be used for the type of seizures I have.
Does anyone have the "Limictal" + "Phenobarbital" mix treatment for Absence Seizure and does it work?

Thanks

Phil C

[Bernard]

Hi Phil, welcome to the forum.

.... I had a 30 sec Absence Seizure last night feeling a little off today ... that 30 - 60 sec spells-Absence Seizure ...

Absence seizures rarely last longer that 20 seconds.

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_absence

If your last one was 30 seconds long and you are feeling after-effects a day later, it was probably a complex partial seizure and not an absence.

[Philc]

Thanks for the welcome Bernard

I called my neurologist a hour ago and she let me know that I'm having "complex partial seizure" as you stated.
I find it amazing how some doctors forget to tell there patents the important things...shes only been my neurologist for over 10. years...Ive asked her for a diagnose yet it seems to change ever couple of years.
Ive been on depakot..and so many either medications ive lost count.
Anyway I let her know that I'm uncomfortable with "Phenobarbital" because of side effects caused and also how very very close my symptoms resemble "Absence seizures" ...She seemed a little irked but that's ok
She put me back on "Keppra XP" with "Lamictal" so hopefully all should be well.
The bad news ,I'm over 900 bucs a month in meds and was hoping that "Phenobarbital" could be the "Keppra" substitute due to cost but its not going to happen.
Lack of health insurance due to pre existing condition isn't good to the wallet

Bernard thanks once again

Phil

[Ruth]

A long time ago in a galaxy far away, I was on "Phenobarbital" with my tonic clonic seizures. I was real sick. The doctor refused to give me a blood test.

My DH rushed me to the hospital, forced himself into the neurologist's office and demanded a blood test. The doc had no choice, gave me a blood test. We waited for the results. It was so high, it could have climbed Mount Everest.

We had to move to get another doctor. Thank goodness!!

[LISA J]

hi.im lisa im the same,its taking me ages to get used to this,im new 2 site too..thought id say hi to u x