When your seizure threshold is lowered

[Chel]

I'm hoping for some of your experiences here. I've read a few times that when you have a cold/virus, change in other medications etc., your seizure threshold is lowered.

I have a virus (cold), and at the same time am ramping down my anti-depressant and suffering a migraine (six or seven weeks, but who's counting). I've been treating the migraine this week with my usual protocol, and take Topomax as a preventive for it, but just can't break it.

I'm in the interim for the anti-D's, so am on none at all. Don't read on if you don't want details of a bag of misery LOL Aside from the cold, I have a fever, am very nauseus, my head hurts like h*ll, and the cruncher for me, is that I've had much more seizure activity than normal the last two weeks, especially this week.

My nocturnal seizure have been very bad, I've had no sleep last night, the "thunder and lightning show" last night, visual disturbances, and I can basically tick every box on my MyEpilepsy.com diary for seizure type, and then some (why don't they allow more options???).

What are our options at this point, when this happens? I've done what has happened before when I went to hospital (migraine protocol), but I'm sinking further into the mire. I'm thinking I should phone my GP (PCP)...

I have a massive report to write for work, so am working from home today so I can have 10 hours of peace, but after 2 hours sleep and continuous seizures, it's the last thing I can face.

I guess this is a combination of the virus and change in medication, which between them led to increased seizure activity and less sleep. Good on 'em. And no, I'm not stressed about the report, but I would like to be back on my medication at the moment!

Any suggestions how to handle this?

TIA

[jamesmills]

Hello Chel,

i suffer from epilepsy too and i am also on anti depressants, because of side effect from my epilepsy meds , all anti depressants lower your threshold unfortunatly seeing as most epilepsy meds have side affects of depression , i suggest u speak to your doctor and ask about either seeing a councilor or trying different medication, i hope my advice helps

james

[mel239]

I took myself off antid last year-I didnt think they did anything and I dont have migraines so I dont know if my opinion really helps,but I suffer from alot of strep and I have increased seizure activity when I am sick.My doc has changed my trileptal from 2 doses of 900mg to 3 doses of 600mg and kept my zonergran still at night.This has helped immensely

[Nakamova]

With the depression, I agree with jamesmills, it's worth trying to see a counselor while transitioning off the meds, and maybe once you're off them as well. As for the cold, I've found taking zinc tablets every 2 hours for the first day (no more then 10/12 tablets total) actually helps shut the cold right down. That and ibuprofen, lots of water, and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. (Check to make sure the grapefruit juice doesn't interact with your meds -- of the anti-epileptic drugs it can affect zonegran, and it can mess with some other meds too).

I hope you feel better soon.

[Chel]

Thanks everyone.

I see a psychologist, as I'm on a mental health plan for the depression (there's a thread about it elsewhere on this site - can't think of the name of the room, I'm so tired).

I know I rambled a lot in my first post - a sign of my inability to concentrate (E, early dementia, having a cold, but not depression) - but I was trying to ask what we do with our increase in E activity when our seizure threshold is lowered through other influences. ("Other" meaning that we have done everything right in terms of taking our meds, going to bed at the right time, not exposing ourselves to triggers, etc.)

Sorry that my rambling clouded my question the first time around. It happens a lot *wink*

[Jfpinell]

I have a virus (cold), and at the same time am ramping down my anti-depressant and suffering a migraine (six or seven weeks, but who's counting). I've been treating the migraine this week with my usual protocol, and take Topomax as a preventive for it, but just can't break it.

I'm in the interim for the anti-D's, so am on none at all. Don't read on if you don't want details of a bag of misery LOL Aside from the cold, I have a fever, am very nauseus, my head hurts like h*ll, and the cruncher for me, is that I've had much more seizure activity than normal the last two weeks, especially this week.

My nocturnal seizure have been very bad, I've had no sleep last night, the "thunder and lightning show" last night, visual disturbances, and I can basically tick every box on my MyEpilepsy.com diary for seizure type, and then some (why don't they allow more options???).

What are our options at this point, when this happens? I've done what has happened before when I went to hospital (migraine protocol), but I'm sinking further into the mire. I'm thinking I should phone my GP (PCP)...

Any suggestions how to handle this?

TIA

For the cold....MEGA amounts of Vitamin C (at least 1,000% RDA) and raw garlic (I nibble on 5 or 6 cloves a day when I'm sick!). If your throat is sore, mix honey and lemon juice (3:1 ratio) in some hot water and sip on that slowly. Migraine? First let me ask....do you feel any tightness either on the sides of your head next to your eyes, and/or by the sides of your lower jaw? There is a major nerve running from your brain to your heart right through that area. If there's tension there, it can aggrivate that nerve and actually CAUSE migraines! Get some lavender oil and rub a drop on the spots that are tense. (I've seen this work on at least a dozen people I've given it to in SECONDS!) All that "preventative" drug is going to do is cause your body to become dependant on it eventually or at least build up a tolerance to it. A drug like that does NOTHING to address the REASON for your migraines and correct the issue -it only suppresses symptoms. You need to get to the root as to WHY you get those. Only then can the problem itself be resolved.
Contrary to what (as I've said out here many times) Pfizer, Merck, etc. want you to believe, anti-depressants can actually make things worse. I'm certainly not saying drop your meds. cold turkey, but it would be worth mentioning this problem you're having to Doc. I would suggest St. John's Wort for depression (there are other things I'd have to check on).

[epileric]

For the cold....MEGA amounts of Vitamin C

Do be careful, mega amounts of Vit. C do have side-effects. They're not sure but there is a possible connection to kidney stones as well.

Relatively large doses of ascorbic acid may cause indigestion, particularly when taken on an empty stomach. When taken in large doses, ascorbic acid causes diarrhea in healthy subjects. In one trial in 1936, doses up to 6 grams of ascorbic acid were given to 29 infants, 93 children of preschool and school age, and 20 adults for more than 1400 days. With the higher doses, toxic manifestations were observed in five adults and four infants. The signs and symptoms in adults were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flushing of the face, headache, fatigue and disturbed sleep. The main toxic reactions in the infants were skin rashes.[138]

There is a longstanding belief among the mainstream medical community that vitamin C causes kidney stones, which is based on little science.[141] Although recent studies have found a relationship,[142] a clear link between excess ascorbic acid intake and kidney stone formation has not been generally established

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin...ls_in_the_body

[Chel]

Do be careful, mega amounts of Vit. C do have side-effects. They're not sure but there is a possible connection to kidney stones as well.

Thanks for mentioning that, Eric.

I already have chronic kidney stones, and my urologists won't allow me to take large doses of Vit C for just that reason. There's quite a raft of foods/vitamins etc that are off my list because of the stones. The Topamax stays on, because it's (usually) doing such a good job of controlling the migraines. Any form of artificial calcium is out, too, so I have to watch my bone density (already thinned through being a coeliac).

I'm overdue for this year's kidney stone - one every two years

cheers

[epileric]

I would suggest St. John's Wort for (there are other things I'd have to check on).

Recently, St Johns wort has been proven to not work on moderately severe depression depression.

The herbal supplement St. John's wort is no more effective at treating moderately severe depression than a placebo is, according to a new study. The findings, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicate that patients suffering from depressive symptoms should not substitute the herbal remedy for clinical care.

Scientific American

[Chel]

Recently, St Johns wort has been proven to not work on moderately severe depression depression.

I was sure I read here somewhere that it reduces the efficacy of one of the anti-epileptic drug.

Late for work - feel free to talk amongst yourselves LOL

And yes, I still feel nauseous, achey, headachey, but I got a little sleep last night.

[epileric]

According to one of the reference books my naturopath uses (Herb Contraindications & Drug Interactions) St. Johns wort can cause sensitivity to light, especially UVA & UVB,

It also should not be taken if someone is taking Phenobarbitol, Carbamazapine (tegretol), Phenytoin (Dilantin) as well as numerous other drugs for other problems. I just listed the anti-epileptic drug's it interacts with.

[Chel]

I was due to see my GP next week, but he had to cancel, so I brought the appt forward to today.

Somehow he hadn't picked up that my seizures are so poorly controlled generally, and I educated him about viruses lowering seizure thresholds. We didn't solve that immediate problem (surely my virus is nearing it's end???), but this did worry him re the new anti-D I was due to start on Sunday. It can cause seizure, and as mine aren't controlled anyway, he's switched me to something else that doesn't. We hope.

The side-effects from the outgoing anti-D have now worn off, and I'm in a fairly good state of mind, but can't shake this migraine and nausea. Stemetil, I love you.

He wrote some notes on the computer (as opposed to my paper file). I should have asked, but I wonder if that was to my neurologist. I'm due to see her in two months for review.

Thanks for the great suggestions above. They won't go to waste for readers of this thread, but a little background for those who don't know: I'm IgA deficient (immunocompromised), so a past master at managing anything immune-related (colds, viruses, infections). I've been treating myself with as many natural products as possible, for a very long time, as I have multiple food intolerances - but this also makes me a habitual label-reader and interaction cross-checker.

What are new to me, and I have so much trouble with, are epilepsy and migraines; both of which I've only been diagnosed with in the last year/18 mths. These have come at a time when I'm struggling to learn new things (and remember what I already know), communicate, and to accept the changes in my life. Just when I think the migraines are under control and the seizures are at a manageable level, BAM!

Anyway, we're all there, aren't we?!

[Bernard]

...
I already have chronic kidney stones, ...

... Drink plenty of liquids while you are taking Topamax. This will lower your risk of having kidney stones or an electrolyte imbalance. ...

http://www.drugs.com/topamax.html

Nov. 1, 2006 -- The popular migraine medicine Topamax increases the risk of kidney stones, reports a team of researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) in Dallas.

Their study, published in the October issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, confirms what doctors have suspected and what was found in clinical trials of the medication.

But the study adds crucial details, says researcher Dion Graybeal, MD, an assistant professor of neurology at UTSW. "The data out there was pretty poor in terms of what the exact evidence was [of a Topamax-kidney stone link]," Graybeal tells WebMD.
...

http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/n...ney-stone-risk

Are you taking any magnesium supplements?

[Chel]

Are you taking any magnesium supplements?

Yes, 2 x 1000mg for migraine, although right at the moment that would seem redundant lol