Anxiety

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Jbo57

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Hey folks...I just happened to run across you folks while doing some research to try to get a handle on a new development. A little background:
I have been having sleep (nocturnal) seizures since 1977 following a drug overdose, although I was told that I was at an age when young men begin to seize so they could not attribute it to brain damage or epilepsy.
I have been on dilantin since about 1981 and have my blood checked on a regular basis and my dosage is in the "therapeutic range." Normally my seizures will come every 2-3 years. With only one exception, they have been during sleep. Normally it will take me a couple of days to get back to normal and life goes on.
This is where I need some advice. I seized about two weeks ago. However, I still have not gotten back to normal. The biggest problem is a constant feeling of anxiety which causes a lack of sleep. The other night I began having numbness in my left arm and leg and so I went to the E.R. They did an EKG, blood work and a CAT scan and everything checked out normal. Still, however, have the anxiety. My neurologist's nurse called today and in a couple of days I will begin to supplement Dilantin with Lamictal. I'm reading the web about it and it looks like it could have some funky side affects...but I digress.
My question is, Has anyone else suddenly begun to have great anxiety following a seizure that has lasted two weeks? If so, what have you done to help? Thank you for the feedback.
 
Welcome JB057!

I too have nocturnal seizures. Aren't they a bummer! I have a hard time re-adjusting also for a couple of days, but haven't had the anxiety problem. Maybe you are concerned about the start of the new medication or is there anything else new in your life? Are you able to nap at all? Sometimes just finding a quite space and listening to some soft music can help me. I don't know if any of this helps you or not, but I didn't want you to feel alone out there!
 
Welcome JB057!

I too have nocturnal seizures. Aren't they a bummer! I have a hard time re-adjusting also for a couple of days, but haven't had the anxiety problem. Maybe you are concerned about the start of the new medication or is there anything else new in your life? Are you able to nap at all? Sometimes just finding a quite space and listening to some soft music can help me. I don't know if any of this helps you or not, but I didn't want you to feel alone out there!

Thanks Huskymom...Let me see if I can answer you quickly (I'm a preacher so I don't usually talk in short bursts. :) ) Yes, they have ALWAYS sucked...but I really have to take some of the responsibility on myself, in my case, I'm sure that my past lifestyle helped me get to where I am and others have it much worse than I do. I just found out about the new medication today and the anxiety is going on two weeks now. I've done well on Dilantin, except for the few times they have decided to up my dosage to the point where I felt like I was living an alternate existence. :) I could handle everything just fine now, except for the anxiety. I cannot nap and even last night, after not having slept for 36 hours and with the aid of a sleeping pill, I had a hard time and woke up at 5 and the first thing was the sherman tank crawling down my throat into my stomach. I really do appreciate you getting back to me. Isn't it comforting to know that we are not alone?
 
Being a preacher, you know that we are never alone! :) Anywho, I hope you are able to fight the anxiety soon and are able to relax and rest. I will be thinking of you.
 
Being a preacher, you know that we are never alone! :) Anywho, I hope you are able to fight the anxiety soon and are able to relax and rest. I will be thinking of you.

Yes maam. I not only understand it...it's the only thing that keeps me from going completely crazy. It is amazing how my prayer life intensifies for a while after a seizure and it's REALLY been intense for the last two weeks. ;) I keep remembering Paul when he quoted God, "My grace is sufficient for you..." (BTW, did you know there is a line of thought that teaches when Paul was praying for God to take away his "thorn in the flesh", it is quite possible Paul suffered from seizures)?
 
Greetings, Preacher/Rev/Minister Jbo57:

The medication which helps me whenever I become overly-anxious is klonopin/clonazepam. Hope you feel better soon.
 
I take so many meds, I hate to take another pill for anxiety. I know the feeling. I am on edge for days or weeks...something about having a seizure makes you feel very vulnerable. I have found that listening to Christian music helps to calm me when I get that way
jenn
 
Greetings, Preacher/Rev/Minister Jbo57:

The medication which helps me whenever I become overly-anxious is klonopin/clonazepam. Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks Ann. Just call me Jbo ;) ... Thanks for the input on the medication. Right now I'm on 400 Dilantin one day and 450 the next. I'm due to start supplimenting it with lamictal tomorrow. Not thrilled about that...have heard of some really funky side effects...but I'll do what I have to do.

I see that you are from Belleville. I grew up in central Illinois and went to school not far from you. Love that part of the country.
 
I take so many meds, I hate to take another pill for anxiety. I know the feeling. I am on edge for days or weeks...something about having a seizure makes you feel very vulnerable. I have found that listening to Christian music helps to calm me when I get that way
jenn

Thanks Jenn. I know the feeling. Right now I take a handful of pills. Some for seizure control...a baby asprin...B Vitamins...Fish Oil...etc. I'm about to add another and as long as it's not dangerous, I'd take another to quell the anxiety. It is terribly frustrating to be anxious for ABSOLUTELY NO reason. However, I had 15 good minutes yesterday and hope for more today. Again, thanks for your input.

BTW, I'm a big fan of "Southern Gospel". We are going to see the Isaacs and the Easters in September, Lord Willing. Hang in there.
 
I am on Lamictal which, at its lowest dose, is an anti-anxiety med...at its next level, it's an anti-seizure med...and at its highest level, it's for bi-polar people.

I also supplement that with Klonopin, which is both an anti-anxiety med and an anti-seizure med.

Fortunately, I have no side-effects and my epilepsy is well controlled. (So is my anxiety and depression.)

One word of advice: when I took the Lamictal at night, it made me crazy hyper. So I would suggest taking it in the AM.

I hope it works as well for you as it does for me! Good luck...
 
I am on Lamictal which, at its lowest dose, is an anti-anxiety med...at its next level, it's an anti-seizure med...and at its highest level, it's for bi-polar people.

I also supplement that with Klonopin, which is both an anti-anxiety med and an anti-seizure med.

Fortunately, I have no side-effects and my epilepsy is well controlled. (So is my anxiety and depression.)

One word of advice: when I took the Lamictal at night, it made me crazy hyper. So I would suggest taking it in the AM.

I hope it works as well for you as it does for me! Good luck...

Thanks for the good advice. I was specifically told by my doctor to take one before bed every night for 7 days. Then one in the morning and one at night...then one in the morning and two and night...then two and two...all in 7 day increments. Thank you for the input and the good words about Lamictal.
 
Hi Jbo,

(BTW, did you know there is a line of thought that teaches when Paul was praying for God to take away his "thorn in the flesh", it is quite possible Paul suffered from seizures)?


It is said in numerous places that Paul did have seizures on his way to Damascus. For more insightful info from:

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/famous_religious

According to Dr. Jerome Engel, a number of men and women who have attained religious prominence may have done so in spite of, or perhaps due to, their epileptic signs and symptoms. In fact epilepsy, as "the sacred disease," has been profoundly intertwined with religious practices throughout the ages and the world.

Saint Paul's seizure-like experiences are the best documented of the major religious figures. On the road to Damascus he saw a bright light flashing around him, fell to the ground and was left temporarily blinded by his vision and unable to eat or drink. Paul is thought by some physicians to have had facial motor and sensitive disturbances coming after ecstatic seizures; they have diagnosed him with temporal lobe epilepsy which occasionally developed into secondary tonic-clonic attacks.
 
Hi Jbo,




It is said in numerous places that Paul did have seizures on his way to Damascus. For more insightful info from:

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/famous_religious

Thanks for the input. I'm familiar with the line of thought where they believe that Paul was an epileptic. Some believe that was his thorn in the flesh that he prayed for relief from. Since he didn't say what it was, we are left to wonder but it does fit.

I see that you are from Littleton. I used to have a good friend who started as a Youth Minister in Littleton and became the Pulpit Minister for the church there.
 
Just a quick update. Got the first "good" night of sleep I've had in over two weeks and did it without Ambien. I wouldn't want to have to do this every night, but it's a good stop gap until I can get to the doctor and get some anxiety meds.

In talking with a pharmacist friend, she suggested that it was not a good idea to take Ambien every night...and she's right. She suggested that I try benedryl to relax. So, last night I took three benedryls and drank a glass of white wine. (Take a little wine for the stomach's sake). Slept from 11 until about 3:30, got up took three Tylonol P.M.'s and slept until about 7...napped until 8...and got up at 9:30. This is also something that I don't want to do every night, but it was a good stop gap until I can get on the meds that will be the solution. (I pray).
 
Well, after I posted everything went down very quickly. I just kept feeling anxious and panic and kept thinking there was NO END IN SIGHT which added to the panic. Finally I just broke down and started to cry...no easy feat when you were raised to believe that men don't cry. I couldn't stop. We finally got hold of my G.P. and she told us to go to the Emergency Room of the only hospital around that has a neurologist, who just happens to be my neurologist. The people at the hospital were very kind...with the exception of the doc. They came in and asked me some questions, did some blood work, started an I.V. All the usual things that E.R.'s do.

The doc told me to lift my arms out and then she said, "Voluntary Shaking"...well I'm not sure what that is, but if it is what it sounds like it is...there was nothing voluntary about it. In a few minutes they came in and gave me a shot of Adavan which helped a great deal in taking away the panic. Still had the depression, but one thing at a time. After a time they came back in and gave me a prescription for enough Xanax to last until I can see my G.P. They also gave me a 30 day supply of Paxil which is supposed to help with the depression. Right now, I'm having tinges of fear but it's much less than what it's been in a few weeks and I'm hoping that we are at least on the way to getting me right again.

The only downer of the trip was the wonderful E.R. doc took away my driving priveledges until I can get back in to see my neurologist. However, if I can get back to normal, I'll gladly walk anywhere I have to go.
 
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