Newly diagnosed, feeling "hungover" in AM?

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I was just diagnosed with Frontal Lobe Epilepsy and have been having Partial Complex seizures. I just started Trileptal and it seems to be helping my symptoms improve, but I constantly wake up in the morning feeling hungover (weak, butterflies in chest, fast heartbeat, etc). It doesn't really fade until mid-day. Is this because I'm having seizures during the night? If anyone can provide me with any insight/personal stories/helpful tips about anything involving coping with Epilepsy I would be EXTREMELY thankful. Being the only person in my family/that I know having Epilepsy it's easy to feel alone and confused.
 
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Hey there! And welcome.

I was diagnosed at first with having JME, then switched neurologists who told me they were pseudo seizure and of psychogenic nature. Then dropped me as a patient. After looking through my medical records (takes a long time to get) I have found the my EEG has slowing in the right side of my brain in the temporal lobes, spikes in the left, and an overall diagnosis as having basal frontal lobe epilepsy.

I too feel hungover in the mornings. I have been documenting my blood sugar levels in the morning and the tend to flucuate, so I'm assuming it isn't from being too high or low in the morning. Bu you can ask for a doc to prescribe a meter so you too can check daily when you feel off.

My thinking is that I am either having seizures while I sleep that isn't letting me get rested or I am not actually hitting a deep enough sleep (I have REM problems) or thgat I am dreaming too vividly when I do hit REM.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
 
I'm really glad I'm not the only one. When I told my neurologist, he said many people with FL epilepsy have seizures throughout the night which may be attributing to the way I'm feeling in the morning, but he didn't offer much else for an explanation. I have to go in for a sleep deprivation test to try and pinpoint exactly how serious my epilepsy is I guess? Or how many seizures I'm having when I'm asleep? Once again even when I asked questions he just said it would give him a better idea to what extent I was having seizures (since I had 3 during my EEG) But it's pretty difficult to stay up all night for a sleep deprivation test when I'm taking care of my two year old son every day and night. Thank you for your reply!
 
Hi LaVitaEBella, welcome to CWE!

FLE seizures show up in a ton of different ways, depending where in the frontal lobes they orginate. But one pretty common feature is that they come in short (less than a minute) bursts while you are asleep. So that would make for pretty lousy sleep, and the hungover feeling. There's often body jerking, so that can take a toll too.

Best,
Nakamova
 
Hi, and WELCOME!

Has the hung over feeling changed since you started the trileptal? Trileptal itself made me feel hung over. I felt positively drugged (which I was!)

I still feel that way on mornings when I haven't slept well, or didn't have enough water to drink the day/night before. On seizury days I sometimes forget to drink lots of water.

Be sure to tell your doc. He may up your p.m. dosage of your meds.
 
Yep, I believe the trileptal is responsible for my hung-over feeling in the morning also. I don't have seizures in my sleep (that I know!) and different kind than you, so really think it is just the med. Takes me forever to wake up most mornings. I'm up, but lumber around like frankenstein with half-asleep brain. Sheesh.
 
Ive been on 1400mg trileptal for awhile and started 300mg zonergran but trileptal has always made me feel that way.Kind of drunk and hungover at the same time.
 
LaVitaEBella,
Here's a thought, from my past experiences (32 years)

There is definately a connection between Ep and Sleep Apnea.
(You might want to GOOGLE "Sleep Apnea"

While sleeping, There is a restriction in the air way causing you to snore and/or "fight" for air and as a result, there is a lack of oxygen to the brain possibly triggering a seizure or causing you to wake up "post ictal" or unrested.

After my sleep disorders test the Dr. showed me the EEG from one night, I would stop breathing up to 50 times/hour and had 3 seizures and that I was waking up "post ictal" (moody and spaced out)
I have recently purchased a CPAP machine which provides constant air pressure and have noticed a vast improvement. There are other remedies as well depending on each idividual case.
No more snoring (the whole family sleeps better now), more energy when I wake up, better REM sleep, improved memory (less short term memory loss), and most of all ~ NO MORE NIGHT SEIZURES.

Randy
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