Suicide Risk From 11 Epilepsy Drugs

[stilldancing_98]

That is something. I bragged about it. I stood up in class and announced it. he he.My son is different though, he does not want to talk about it.

[joey]

I was unlucky enough to have just move to a new school in a new state in the 10th grade i had a seizure in front of people i did not know. these people were not my friends. I lived in texas (this new school and state) for about 3 months. I am shy and after this happened, oh, my, god. i can not even begin to tell you how this ruined my social skills. This seizure was what diagnosed my epilepsy. i really wish my neuroligist would have told me to seek some kind of counseling. I really think that should be a big part of epilepsy in young people.

[Ruth]

Hi Joey

They were not my friends in school either. Once they found out I had epilepsy they all left me. I was shy as well.

To be diagnosed in High School would be devastating. I agree, psychiatrist or something to help young people. I was diagnosed in 1949. You did not talk about psychiatrist in those years or when I was in High School. There was no such thing as counseling. Families wanted to keep it in the closet. It was only recently when counseling came around to help young people.

[stilldancing_98]

I don't think the grand mals bother me as much as forgetting words or things that happenned. I have had grand mals while performing on stage a couple of times. Its the speaking and memory now. That is what embarrasses me.

[droolmonster]

when i go to the neurologist they've now started making me fill out a form about how suicidal i am. Like I'd ever tell the truth on that. It's not surprising at all, I've always blamed everything crazy I do on my medication. It's not like those drugs are remotely enjoyable, because of course that would be a bad thing. But it is also impossible when ingesting that many chemicals that they won't affect your mental state, not to mention the various organs they go through when you digest them.

If I'm going to be completely real about the issue, I'd say that people who keep on having seizures and have to take buckets of medicine are more likely to be miserable and suicidal and the FDA should keep their ignorant heads out of the business of pharmacists and doctors. Speaking as a human lab-rat.

Then again, perhaps they've been trying to kill us from the beginning. The doctors I mean. Keppra rage? Not a myth. The stupid effect from too much medicine? That's no accident. They want you complacent so that you sleep all the time before finally deciding enough is enough. I have an over-active imagination.

I think it's weird that they all of a sudden care that these meds make people miserable. They never did before. The FDA can shove they're administration up their u know what.

[neilB]

Thanks Brain,

I actually take both Carbamezapine and Keppra but from the quoted percentages it seems to be relatively low risk but good to know anyway.

Neil

[JRuner]

As a person with past suicide attempts I think it is scary yet important to be honest with medical providers especially if you believe they truly care about your health. I do think some just see you as a new patient to bill or ditch. I really worry about being on Klonopin now because I don't know if it will increase or decrease my depression (it does seem to be reducing my anxiety and my number of seizure episodes but not totally eliminating them). I know if I had succeeded in any of my suicide attempts (years ago now) my children would not have a father my wife would not have a husband and I would not be able to advocate for my disabled daughter or tell people (as I am Christian) about feeling a strange unimagninable peace come over myself and knowing that it just was not time for me to go and that I had things yet to do.

I have a lot of down days with constant pain from my birth defect and now convulsive seizures but I am so thankful to be watching my beautiful children grow and become positive loving young people who don't bully other's but respect everyone for how unique they truly are. My wife who has developmental disabilities keeps showing her abusive parents what a good loving parent is like every day I could be missing that too! We all have issues in this world but with supportive people like all of you here we can all endure and hopefully learn to enjoy our lives and our individual gifts whether they are art, compassion, healing, listening, mechanical, teaching, parenting or just knowing what we each struggle with daily and sharing the struggles together.

To me the greatest blessing is being here with people who get it! We all know life can be rough around the edges but hopefully we all have a supportive friend or family member who makes life really worth living.

If any of you are ever having a rough day please PM me because I have many and am more than willing to listen I may not have answers but I have compassion, I find sometimes that the thing I need most is someone just to truly hear my hearts sorrow and let me know they truly care for me. I truly care for everyone here. to me you are all family.

With much love and respect.

John Ruiner

[stilldancing_98]

I am a single mom with epilepsy who advocates for her son. It is hard. And I get so depressed sometimes. I will sleep. When I was twelve, I tried to commit suicide on Depakote. And then about a year ago I thought about it. Then I noticed my son was getting very depressed and without me there wouldn't be him. He saves my life as well as I save his. Every day. I am on Keppra. I am very honest with my Dr.s But I think they need to let us feel that we can feel that we can be honest.

[JRuner]

Stilldancing our children our such a great gift and it is so great to be there for them. I pray that you Ii and any others here who fight depression regardless of the cause are able to support each other and enjoy all that life has to offer from amazing children and strange wonderful things they do to a sunrise to all the amazing things the beautiful people on this forum share. Life may be tough but it is also very beautiful and I am thankful just to be alive!

John

[stilldancing_98]

Hey John, thank you. It is always a battle. But I believe life is a celebration. After my coma I got to see life in a different way. Sometimes, it's easy to slide back. But now I don't judge so much, I see people in a different light, and my child is so much more fun.Evereything I do is more fun. (most of the time

[rosemary]

Love that quote!

[tripletdad]

Every action has a reaction, every choice a consequence. There are no free rides in life and for those of us that are burdened with a disease, we have to make careful and informed choices that we deem best for our health.

In the case of anti E drugs and suicide, the risk increase is small and there are countless factors that can trigger suicide besides the meds that one takes. And while it is important to note side effects and to be diligent in looking for their signs, it makes no sense to make blanket statements.

IF someone has had good success with diets, or neuofeedback then good for them. For me that has not been the case, as I've had E for 34 years, have tried nearly everything from diets, to feedback and the ONLY thing that has worked for me has been the drugs. And in fact, the only thing that has worked has been the drugs. And while I would not wish Pheno or Dilantin on anyone, it was the only choice I had when I was young. Today there have been so many advances in treatment and medicine that I have had the luxury of getting off those heavier drugs and onto something like Keppra and I am very happy.

I hope whatever course posters on this board take, they find success as we all have unique body chemistries and E is still such a mystery to the medical community that we all still have much to learn.

[lorianng72]

although ive never had suicidal thoughts i do stay depressed and cant seem to find a reason why. i never want to go out or do anything fun anymore, ive been this way for awhile. i wonder if the seizure medicine i take could have something to do with it. i take 600mg of dilantin a day. just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this

[stilldancing_98]

Almost every drug has deppresive side effects, I am so sorry for that. It is so hard to take and what seems very unfair.I have had my epilepsy for 35years and am now what the Drs say Severe epilepsy. They want to put me on Banzel tomorrow. I have been researching it like crazy. I am so sick of western medicine.It's for Lennox Gaust. But for adults with severe epilepsy. what do I do?

[Endless]

I feel the same way. I'm sick of western medicine. I REALLY want off these meds. I'm turning into a zombie. Or maybe a sleeping zombie.

There is an M.D. about 2 hours away that specializes in alternative medicine, but not epilepsy. He's known for going after the root causes of any given disease, and fixing it, whether it's toxins in the environment, allergies, nutrition, or whatever. I don't think he can do much about inherited epilepsy (I think my root cause) or head injuries (another possible contributing factor), but it's worth a shot. My insurance doesn't cover him. My mom said if I want to go, she'll help cover my expenses to see him. I think I'm going to go.

[Bernard]

... i take 600mg of dilantin a day. ...

That's a pretty high dose. Is your doc monitoring your blood syrum levels?

[lorianng72]

Yes, I go in every 3 months for a level check...a lot of people say that's a high dose

[sandi]

Actually I was happy when they made the annoucements that all these drugs can cause serious side effects and suicide- When I was on the depakote and having problems - I was singled out and told No one else has those problems- and I must have an underlying mental problem,not really have E ect.
I felt so distrustful after a while-I chose not to seek any more answers .If I had know what to look for I wouldn't have stayed on the meds as long as I did, and maybe would have had to find an answer, instead of blaming myself as being the inadequate one.

[stilldancing_98]

Depakote sucked for me. Emotionally, I was tired and angry because I was tired all the time. Does that make any sense? I have always had so much energy and then the Put me on Depakote and in my junior year in High school they tried to put me in special ed. When they took me off that med. My head cleard up so much. Oh, I did try to commit suicide while I was on it.This new one Banzel had high depression rates. And you have to be monitored every 3 months on it. Help!

[Chatter-box]

We have such a good group area here for people with mental disorders in addition to Epilepsy (Bipolar disorder, etc.) that has many, many people on it's list but almost no actual people posting. Come on guys, this is the kind of topic that would fit right well on that. Let's not forget it is there and use it more.