Start a new med, feel good for a few weeks, then back to seizure land?

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Has this happened to anyone?

Sometimes when I up my dose (currently on Lamictal and weaning off Keppra) or start a new med, I feel really good for a few weeks, then it's back to seizure land again...get my hopes up and then ahhhhh! The weird thing is that it is usually the same amount of time feeling good...what's up with that?!?!?

It's been a year and still having 2-3 complex partials a week :(
 
Please check if your dose is proper for you. This happened to my husband having a lower dose than his body requires.

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Dline ! glad you said that. I am in the exact same situation, weaning off keppra and on lamectal . I am now on 150 mg lamectal and down to 500mg keppra at night only. For a couple weeks i was fine, then seizures and big time rage attacks. Out busts of anger that embarrassed me. (from meds). Seizures are ok today but who knows? i had one yesterday. I have been on this dose now for i guess 2 months. It may get better.
 
It usually takes several weeks for any AED to titrate. Usually, one starts out on a small dosage and slowly increase the dose over weeks, sometimes months. In the meantime, seizures can/do happen, so keep a record of it and do let you neuro know.
 
It could be a placebo effect. You think the new medication or increase in dose is supposed to help, and so it does . . . for a while. The mind is a powerful thing!
I used to be susceptible to this. Just about every dose increase or medication change produced a big reduction in seizures for me for about 2-3 weeks, then seizures returned - maybe not as bad as they were, but no where near as good as those first few weeks after the change.
 
Great point Jen! i read that even when one knows its a placebo it is often more powerful than the drug. This is in studies of all manor of drugs but i saw nothing about antiseizure drugs spacifically.
 
Definitely good points all around! I agree with the placebo effect, too. Thanks Jen. Probably because I want the next med or upped dosage to work so badly, that I somehow make it...This is good because now I know at least one part of my brain is working :)

Janus--my experience with Keppra was absolutely horrible, too. My poor family! I feel like I almost lost a year of my life--it effected my memory so badly, my personality changed (um, not for the better) and the ability to function all around. I have hopes for Lamictal (at the recommended 200mg now/down to 250mg of Keppra)! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you too.
 
Completely relate as well. Just had my next fail as well. However this one lasted exactly one day so no placebo effect here!! But I totally know what you mean and have experienced the same thing.
 
Janus said:
i read that even when one knows its a placebo it is often more powerful than the drug. This is in studies of all manor of drugs but i saw nothing about antiseizure drugs spacifically.
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I was in a drug study once for a new seizure drug. One group was taking the real drug, the other group was taking the placebo. To this day, I don't know which one I was taking. Either way, it did nothing to control my seizures, just like so many other real drugs.
 
Dline said:
Definitely good points all around! I agree with the placebo effect, too. Thanks Jen. Probably because I want the next med or upped dosage to work so badly, that I somehow make it...
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Probably works because you want it to. Read on:

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-the-placebo-effect
How Does the Placebo Effect Work?

Research on the placebo effect has focused on the relationship of mind and body. One of the most common theories is that the placebo effect is due to a person's expectations. If a person expects a pill to do something, then it's possible that the body's own chemistry can cause effects similar to what a medication might have caused.

For instance, in one study, people were given a placebo and told it was a stimulant. After taking the pill, their pulse rate sped up, their blood pressure increased, and their reaction speeds improved. When people were given the same pill and told it was to help them get to sleep, they experienced the opposite effects.

Experts also say that there is a relationship between how strongly a person expects to have results and whether or not results occur. The stronger the feeling, the more likely it is that a person will experience positive effects. There may be a profound effect due to the interaction between a patient and health care provider.
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Plus, I find the placebo effect interesting. I had the brain surgery, fully believing 100 % that I would be seizure free after the surgery. No way did that happen even tho I fully believed it would. So what happened to the placebo effect?
 
Cint-so sorry to here about the surgery and still having seizures. That is horrible.

Thanks for the above info--I love stuff like that--always interested. I wholeheartedly agree that there is a body/mind connection. I guess the silver lining is that I still remain so hopeful--I'll even fall for a placebo effect :)
 
Cint said:
Probably works because you want it to. Read on:




Plus, I find the placebo effect interesting. I had the brain surgery, fully believing 100 % that I would be seizure free after the surgery. No way did that happen even tho I fully believed it would. So what happened to the placebo effect?
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Not everyone is susceptible to the placebo effect. According to wikipedia, only 30% of people are.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo
 
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