Yesterday was HORRIBLE!!

[mommyof3]

Yesterday for the first time in my life I experienced depression. It was terrible. I literally was a Zombie ALL DAY LONG!!! Last night instead of taking 1000 mg of Depekote I only took 500 mg. I feel like a totally new person today. The Dr. told me to take 500 for about a week then try 1000 again. I hope I continue to feel normal. Yesterday was HORRIBLE and I never want to feel like that again. However on the brighter side......no headaches!!

[speber]

OUCH!.....You might want to take a look at this thread!....Which AED's give you the worst side effects?...(this one is part two of two...THERE's A LOT TO MENTION)

[mommyof3]

I was on Depakote for I think 2 years the last time and I don't remember having any side effects. I was on Dilantin first then he switched me b/c of the headaches I was getting. Now if I could only get over being so tired.

[Bernard]

I thought I had replied to this thread already... Strange. I had intended too... Sorry about that!

Depakote turned Stacy into a zombie too. She could not tolerate that drug at all.

[mommyof3]

It only happened that 1 day and it really was terrible. Now that I'm only taking half I feel much better. Just tired.
I need to do more research on meds and find out what I can take that will also take care of my headaches like the Depakote does.

[brain]

I never was on Depakote long enough for
Depakote to do much of anything except
make the Neuros look at EEG's and go
"Uhmmmm .... Scratch that" when looking
at the Nocturnal (night) Readings of the
EEG.

But there was a time I was on it for I think
a year (?) when I was on Phenobarbital,
and they gave it the ax, and that was when
they found I was allergic to Phenobarbital.
I never was back on Depakote since.

The first anti-epileptic drug on the allergy list:
Phenobarbital

[mommyof3]

I'm just so new to all of this. Like I said before almost 6 years ago I had 2 seizures from what I was told were due to the blood clot. Now I go get an MRI b/c my headaches are getting worse and the next thing I know my life has changed. I mean just like that, of course all of you know what I mean. I'm just so confused as to how or why this happened. Will I ever get any answers? Do you know why you have seizures? And as for seizures I don't know since 2002 if I've even had one.

[Birdbomb]

Depokote made me violent and had suicidal thoughts. I was throwing chairs.

[Bernard]

I'm just so confused as to how or why this happened. Will I ever get any answers? Do you know why you have seizures?

There are many possible causes for an underlying seizure disorder. Aside from looking for obvious issues like scar tissue in the brain, head trauma, etc. on MRIs and such, most neurologist's don't really delve into more obscure issues like nutritional issues, sleep apnea/brain oxygen depravation, etc. IMO. They are focused on stopping the seizures.

[brain]

I never knew I had seizures or what they were
and I thought everyone had them. As a child,
I wasn't normal, I was different. I was always
in the hospital for therapy 2-3 times a week,
then finally sent off to Shands Hospital, and
one thing led after another. I did not understand
Neurology, Seizures, or Epilepsy.

So when a Neurologist asked me "What was
abnormal to you?"

To me - everything was normal.
I didn't know how to answer questions like that.

Even though they had ran EEGs beginning 1969
and had tons of abnormal EEGs for years and
with seizures or just abnormal or grossly abnormal
and I know one thing, my EEGs were scattered.
Here, there, there, there and there. Confined to
no specific location (when I was younger and a
young adult).

But when I matured, my EEGs began to "slimmer"
down and become more confined and not be so
'scatter-brained' as it once were.

But it was insulting to have a severe head trauma
in 1988, and even more insulting to have another
one this year in June (2007)! I don't need any
more of this "junk" that I already have added
to Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors.

While mine was a result of birth defect and
genetic; being online helped me to learn A LOT,
far more than ever before. Being adopted with
trivial pathetic medical background information
was of no help whatsoever.

While I've been online for a very long time, it
took many years for Epilepsy / Seizure Info to
even become available as such was very sporadic
and vague and wasn't of much help. But as the
time grew on; it's helped me tremendously along
with friendship with some Neurologists and some
Epileptologists and a Neuroscience Professor who
have taught me much. For I'd be totally lost
without them! I appreciate them dearly. They've
taught me far more than my own Neurologists
that I had down here; and I'm still learning.

[mommyof3]

There are many possible causes for an underlying seizure disorder. Aside from looking for obvious issues like scar tissue in the brain, head trauma, etc. on MRIs and such, most neuro's don't really delve into more obscure issues like nutritional issues, sleep apnea/brain oxygen depravation, etc. IMO. They are focused on stopping the seizures.

This MRI that I had a few weeks they saw scar tissue on my right temple. Which he then began asking me questions about head trauma and wanted to send me to a Epileptologists.
This is what is so confusing to me b/c I haven't been knocked unconscious or hit my head.
Hopefully the Epileptologists will give me more detailed answers.

[Bernard]

Scar tissue can also form in the brain from birth (genetic) or childhood (high fevers). It doesn't have to be a result of trauma.