Question! Need opinions

[bdhshakes]

Hey guys, first off I wasn't sure where to post this so I went with Foyer.

My medication cocktail is very effective right now, and i'm very close to becoming seizure free (I hope!).

My main question is for those who have their epilepsy under control. What sleep schedule have you guys found that works best for you? Also, is there medication time schedules that you have found specifically helpful? Any kind of tips would also be helpful.

I haven't noticed any certain foods causing seizures, well at least having seizures after consistantly eating the same food. Are there certain foods/vitamins you guys have noticed that helped you? I haven't tried any of the diets I have heard some of you doing yet. So thats something I am thinking about trying.

Thanks in advance guys! :woot::rock::woot:

 

[valeriedl]

Depending on how it says to take your meds - AM, afternoon and PM. I take my AM and PM meds 12 hours apart and the afternoon meds 6 hours in between.

Some say that you should take with food so keep that in mind when you set up your medicine schedule.

I usually go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time every day. I also take a nap in the afternoon. Alot of times if I don't get enough sleep I'll end up with having a seizure. Getting too much sleep has never bothered me.

With me I've never noticed any type of diet causing a seizure, but I know with some people it does. I'll eat the same thing for a week strait and that has never bothered me. I'll eat something different every day for a week and that's never bothered me either. If you notice that you are having seizures after eating a certain type of food then I'd stop eating that. With some meds there are foods that it tells you not to eat when taking it.

I don't know if you would call my epilepsy under control or not. I usually have around 4 bad seizures a month where I'll completly black out. They aren't nearly as bad as when I was first diagnosed with epilepsy 9 years ago, I was having around 4 a week then. I'll also have a few small seizures a month where I'll get confused at what I'm doing and not feel right. I don't black out during these I just feel weird (don't know if you understand what I mean)

 

[Nakamova]

Since I work at home, I tend to be a little indulgent with my sleep. I usually get to sleep by 11:30pm and wake up around 7 or 7:30am. I take my Lamictal twice a day -- first thing in the morning, and also at 6pm. I have my meds placed so that I have to trip over them when I get up, so I'm sure to remember to take them. For the evening dose, 6pm is a pretty easy time to remember, and early enough that I can take them before heading out in the evening. If I need to, I can take the meds earlier or later -- I don't seem to be sensitive to variations, maybe because Lamictal has a fairly long half-life.

I take a calcium/D/magnesium supplement because Lamictal interferes with absorption of those meds. I also take a B-Complex, for the same reason (Lamictal makes my WBC and RBC counts low). I haven't tried any of the special diets either -- since meds control my seizures, it's hard for me to tell what any triggers are. I suspect that low blood sugar and aspartame are factors, but beyond that I haven't noticed any one factor.

 

[bdhshakes]

Thanks for the great info guys! I didn't expect a response so quick. Nakamova, I'm on Lamictal also (amongst other things) and I had never heard anything about the absorption issues with Lamictal, I will definitely give those supplements a try. I will probably mention it to my neuro and see what he thinks about it.

I'm on a terrible sleep schedule right now so I need to fix that, for some reason I just get a huge boost of energy at around 10:45 which makes it harder for me to choose to go to bed.

 

[julie wishes]

These are good questions. I'm anxious to hear more answers because I was wondering the same things.

 

[Starfish]

This is just what works for me I don't have actual scientific evidence of this.

Sleep: I sleep when I'm tired, but if I sleep for more than 11hrs, something is wrong. If I don't sleep enough, I don't get hungry/eat as much.
Food: too much sugar/ random severe change in amount of sugar and/or caffeine. Make it so much mower likely for me to have a seizure. I take 800IUs of vitamin E a day. I noticed that it makes post-ictals significantly shorter and less severe; i also noticed that my seizures have been no where near as severe since I started taking the daily supplements.
There's also this herb that sounds a lot margerine, that people who are pronned to seizures are not suppose to eat.

Good luck and congradulations. I hope you get and STAY seizure free.

 

[CQ:)]

I used to go to bed about 10:30pm, in the days that I had voluntary work I would usually be up by 7am. On the days where I had nothing planned I would have a sleep in but would still be up by 8:00am lol.
I usually take my tablets when I have my breakfast or dinner as that is the easiest way to remember. The time I have my breakfast all depends on the time I get up, I usually have my tea between 5pm - 6pm but have an alarm set to go of at 6pm which reminds me to take my meds.

I recently starting getting some regular work so my routine has changed a little. I work in shifts, some mornings I have an earlier start & have to be at work by 8am & some nights I don't finish until 6pm. When I work nights I don't get home until about 6:30pm so I will have my tablets as soon as I get home. When I have morning shifts I am up by 6am & most nights I'm usually in bed by 9:30pm lol.

I'm not sure if any particular foods triggered my seizures but about 6 years ago I started to try eating healthier & reduced the amount of fried food, sweet food I ate & completely cut out soft drink. I now find if I do eat any fried food I don't enjoy it & also don't like eating sweet food as much as I used to.

Good luck with remaining seizure free .

 

[jyearta]

I am taking Dilantin and twice a day 6AM and 6PM, I also take clonazepam 1/2 of 0.5mg tablet every four hours. I have my phone to ring as a reminder.
It takes 2 diff. medic. to keep my seizures under control for the most part. I have tried just about every thing out there.

I go to bed at 10PM and get up at 6AM.

I also take L-Lysine (mouth sores), magnesium (for sleep), fish oil and primrose oil for depression, I have the following compounded-- Vit. B6, B12, folic acid, Calcium, Vit. D--

I am sensitive to over the counter Vit. and other medic. such as anbit.

I glad you are seizure free hope it stays that way for you.