Help with a question!!

[doihaveepilepsy]

What does depressive episode with somatic symptoms in the context of epilepsy mean? any ideas?

[Nakamova]

Have you been having a tough time lately? BIG HUGS to you. I know there can be a lot difficult things about epilepsy, and depression is one of them. Unfortunately, people with seizure disorders have higher rates of depression than in the general population. It's unclear whether one causes the other, or if both arise from the same source, and how much the meds and/or social struggles that come with epilepsy might play a role. And it also varies from person person.

Typical examples of "somatic" symptoms are: Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that are normally enjoyable; lack of emotional reactivity to normally pleasurable surroundings and events; waking in the morning 2 hours or more before the usual time; excessive fatigue; depression worse in the morning; marked loss of appetite; weight loss; marked loss of libido.

Of course many -- if not all -- of the somatic symptoms mentioned above can be side effects from meds.

Hope this helps.