side effects?

[sillymissy]

Would you change your medicine because of side effects? I'm on lamictal and I have pretty much all the side effects. My mom thinks we should talk to my doctor about changing but I don't want to. I only changed to lamictal a year ago and since then I haven't been able to drive. If I change again then I still won't be able to drive!
Maybe I'm young and foolish but I'd rather drive than not.

[Endless]

Hi, Missy,

Your mom is right, you need to talk to your doctor. Some side effects are really serious, like a rash, face or lips swelling, sores, deep depression, etc. They would be a reason to change because you could get really sick or hurt.

Other side effects your doctor may decide are a grey area - they may not cause you serious harm, but they impact your life, and it's your choice what you are willing to put up with.

This is what I found for the laws for driving with a diagnosis of Epilepsy in Illinois:

State Illinois
Seizure-Free Period - No set seizure-free period
Periodic Medical Updates Required After Licensing - At discretion of Medical Advisory Board
Doctors Required to Report Epilepsy - No
DMV Appeal of License Denial - Within 30 days

Here's the link to look up all state's laws: http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/li...rivinglaws.cfm

So it kind of sounds like it's up to your doctor. He's not even required to report your diagnosis and status to the state. He's the one you need to convince. It wouldn't hurt to discuss it with him before making a change, to see what his opinion is. You may be risking him insisting you switch meds, and that you not drive. You know your doc, so it's your choice. If it was me, I'd go in and hear what he has to say.

[Nakamova]

Changing meds is no guarantee that you will find something better, but if the side effects you're experiencing now on the Lamictal are intolerable, then it's worth discussing alternatives with your neurologist. Everyone has a response in terms of side effects, and also a different tolerance level. what's acceptable for one person can be a dealbreaker for someone else. If the side-effects are tolerable to you now, but might not be 5 years down the road, that's worth considering too.

Aside from meds, have you considered alternative approaches involving nutrition and neurofeedback? For some, these can result in a higher seizure threshold, so you may want to look into them with an eye towards reducing your Lamictal dosage. You can search for info and anecdotal feedback here at CWE.

[sillymissy]

When my doctor first told me I could not drive anymore he said he wouldn't report me to the state unless he found out I was still driving. That doesn't make sense to me now that I see the Illinois laws...

As far as treatments besides medication, my mom is all about not medicating anyone for anything but I don't know if I trust alternative methods. They scare me a bit!

The whole situation is just bothersome. Hmmph.

[seizingbeauty]

I understand where your coming from on this topic.
Personally, I had no one helping with these choises. I was 19, unwilling to accept that I had a condition that needed to be medicated and that with meds came side effects. I went through a bunch of meds and side-effects, one day said NO MORE! I stopped taking my meds, stopped going to my Dr. and pretended that everything was fine. Until 3 or 4 years ago (memory hazy).
I had a T/C while playing at the park with my little one. We were seeing who could swing higher and suddenly it hit. Having my daughter nearly watch my life come to end made me re-evaluate my situation.
I went back to my doctor, I've been on Keppra ever since. In December he added Topamax, which I really didn't like! After my last visit he took me off that and now we are trying Epival. We are working together, he understands that my quality of life is important and if the meds mess with that too much then we try and find another way.
Don't give up just yet! Most on here have been through at least 6 drug cocktails before finding the right mix for each of us.

[RobinN]

Hi Sillymissy - I am a mom of a teen that has a seizure disorder.
My daughter tried four different meds, and the side effects were not acceptable to either of us. My daughter still does not drive, but we are finding ways to control her seizures by making nutritional changes. She is 3 months seizure free at this time, and seems to do well during her TOM when she is very careful with what she eats. Sure is better than having 6 seizures a month on medication... with all the side effects.

[Zoofemme]

Like others have said, it depends on what you are willing to live with. I was on Tegretol for a long time, gradually increasing the dosage. By the time I hit the max I couldn't take it anymore so for me; falling down all of the time and feeling drunk/hungover 24-7 and throwing up was too much. I tried to wait it out for 3 months but just couldn't hang anymore. It didn't give me adequate seizure control either. In comparison, Lamicatal could make me go bald and yes, I do experience some other side-effects but I could care less, the benefits I receive from it outweigh those