When do quite trying new meds.

[behlen]

I have tried a couple different meds. Keppra did not seem to help. So I was switched to Lamictal. Seemed to work for a while then would have seizure again. My seizures are complex partial, and I am totally frustrated. I have increased lamictal does couple of times till I am now up to 350mg day. I went for about two weeks with out a seizure then had three yesterday and two today so far. I have forgotten my meds one day and had several several seizures during the day and all thru the night. So I know my meds help just not sure what to do now. Is there ever a time when I won't have anymore seizures or even with right meds will I still have them if I don't get good sleep or am exposed to strobe lights. I am a firefighter and wonder if I will ever be able to get back to the station. It is so hard to explain what my seizures are like to people. I am aware of what is going on around me. If I am walking during one then i get this strange feeling in my left leg and feels really hard to walk almost a numbing feeling. I always get a since about 20-30 seconds before and then I know one is coming on. Can anyone relate to what I am feeling and how do explain what you are feeling when you have one. I am so lost and confused any advise or explanation would be helpful

[behlen]

Something else I wanted to add. I am and have been a firefighter for 7 years. Not much scares me or gets me upset. But when I feel these seizures coming on I start having anxiety and feelings of doom or like this might be the big one. It even makes me start to tear up somethimes. Most people would not even know I having one so I am so confused why this is. As a paramedic when I go on a call of someone having a seizure they are usually out of it or postictal(coming out of it) I feel like I am aware and have even had them driving. So is it that I am just having such a mild seizure that it not that big a deal, then why do I feel so anxious and upset. I know I am rambling but just had another seizure at work in front of my co-workers. Only a couple close friends even new something was wrong. Why is this? Anyone know what I am feeling or talking about.

[Endless]

Hello, Behlen,

Anxiety can be a part of your seizures, or auras. I get an aura about 70% of the time with my seizures. It feels like something is horribly wrong - and it's both a mental and physical feeling. It can be there after my seizures, too.

I've washed out with 3 epilepsy drugs due to adverse reactions, including a monster rash that I'm trying to get rid of right now. After the rash is gone I'l start on my 4th drug. The drugs suck, but the seizures suck more. I have no idea how many is too many to try, but what I do know is the seizures have to get under control. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this next one, Trileptal.

There is a survey in the "Back Fence" on how many seizure meds people have tried. Interesting reading: How many different epilepsy drugs have you tried?

Hang in there.

[Nakamova]

Some complex partial seizures involve sensations of fear or anxiety. Those feelings ARE the seizure, or a part of it, especially if the seizures originate in the part of the brain related to processing strong emotions.

[Cint]

Behlen,

My seizures started nearly 30 years ago. Initially they were complex partial and were under control for the 1st 6 months. They then went into secondary tonic clonic. For me the complex partial seizures are a feeling of doom and gloom overcoming me and feels like I'm slowly going into a "blackhole". And the anxiety feeling goes along with it. Before the lobectomy, I was having 4-5 complex partial seizures a day. After the surgery I started having more tonic clonic seizures along with the complex partial seizures. I was devastated.

I've been through 10 medications, an unsuccessful left temporal lobectomy, and had the VNS surgery before I had any seizure control. Lost my airline job, marriage and now I live day by day.

Hang in there!