Meds Causing Night Terrors

[GoFigure]

Hello!

I've recently been put back on Depakote after being off of it for a couple years. As before, I am having terrible night terrors since starting it. Like clockwork, I have them bout 45 minutes into sleep, sensing the room I am in, and like something is in there with me, and then finally wake up screaming. (Often my husband has to grab me so I don't jump out of bed.)

I should note that if the above sounds strange, it's pretty par for the course as far as night terrors go-even the part about sensing some other presence in the room.

I am so curious to know if anyone else has these issues with their seizure meds. This subsided before, so I'm hoping it will again, but in the mean time, it's been a real pain, and making it very hard to want to go to bed at night.

Thanks for any input.

Amy

 

[Endless]

Hi, Amy,

Welcome to the forum!

The meds can certainly mess with your sleep. I haven't taken depakote, but when I was taking Trileptal I had incredibly vivid dreams that I thought were real, even after waking up. Still have that a bit on Lamictal, but not as bad. The vivid dreams aren't such a big problem if it's a good dream, but if it's a nightmare, it's awful.

What you are describing could also be a simple partial seizure. That includes sensing someone that isn't there, and feeling bone-chilling terror. Fear seizures wake me up at night and during them I'm terrified. I usually don't scream, am not breathing fast and my heart is beating pretty normally, and am frozen in place rather than jumping out of bed.
But everybody is different.

Q: If it's a night terror, can you remember it? Do you breathe fast or have a fast heart rate? Wikipedia says that night terrors are usually not remembered, and have physical symptoms that go along with it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_terror

Definitely call your neurologist and let him know what you are going through. He'll sort out what it is and what to do about it. Your meds may need adjusting.