Are my meds effecting my cognitivity?

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birddseedd

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First. why is cognitivity not a word. sounds good to me


i take keppera. 1k twice a day. and the idea is it slows the electrical impulses. seems to me this would slow your cognitive ability.

lately it seems i cannot concentrate on work. Watch tv, do role plays in online games (dont ask), stuff like that i can do. but work, programming, working on my truck. it seems i cannot concentrate. or get motivated? overall it seems that if i have little to do, i cannot get it done, whereas if i have much to do i can work all day.

am i just being lazy and letting it get out of controll (winter is down season for me). or can i not concentrate because my brain is going "slower" because of hte meds. have thoguht aobut askin my doc aobut lowering my dosage.

what are your thoughts?
 
It's tough to know for sure whether the meds are at fault. I have some similar concentration/motivation issues, but I don't think I can blame them on my medication (Lamictal).

I would say that if you have seizure control at your current dose, and feel comfortable with the risks if you reduce your dose, ask the doc about the option. If you do feel better and still have seizure control, it's win-win.

In the meantime, look for other ways you can improve your focus. Give yourself small tasks/goals, write them down, and check them off one by one as you get them done. Where possible, remove distractions and avoid multi-tasking. Pick one goal, break it down into baby steps, make a point of scheduling it for a limited amount of time, and reward yourself when you get it done.
 
yea. that is kinda what i want to do. a buddy is getting an office. might get to work there while programming. if not there will start going to the library where there arnt so many distractions.
 
Sounds like you've got some great ideas Birddseedd, and I like Nakamova's suggestions too! I've always been rather "impulsive"! I start something then think "Oh! I should pay that bill! I'll do it now, it won't take long". Or I'll go downstairs to make a coffee and see the washing is ready to hang out, notice something needs tidying, feed the frogs (don't ask lol) and start looking for a book. I'll go upstairs, feel tired, then realise I'd forgotten my coffee! At least I get lots of exercise going up and down those stairs! I take lamictal but like Nakamova, I can't blame my meds, I've always been a bit of a scatterbrain.

I did feel like a zombie on Epilim but I haven't been on Keppra so I'm not much help. Hope you find some improvement soon!
 
I love the word cognitivity! It may not be a real word (is it?) but it should be!
Sometimes I wonder if meds mess with my mind or if seizures do.
I have troubles concentrating too. Especially on conversation.
If someone says something I know and realize they are talking. I hear them talking but there is a pause before I understand what they are saying. It's like if my brain is saying...please stand by while we wait to resolve this situation. Many conversations going on at the same time? Fuhgeddaboudit!
Multitasking is tricky too.
Concentrating just makes me tired.
But I too hesitate before wondering if a med reduction is in order. I figure everything has to be taken with a grain of salt. Decrease in seizures vs a sluggish noggin.
The motivation to do things is so hard! Let me know how that goes! When I don't get my butt in gear to do anything I can get stuck in a rut and soon depression peeks around the corner. I make myself look out the window to remind myself that hey, there is a world out there and to get out in it.
Libraries are always a good idea. Peaceful places of knowledge! I feel calm just thinking about them!
 
yea. thing is my epilepsy isnt as bad as some people. in fact when in dilatin i wasnt even in therapeutic range, but still did not have seizures.
 
The therapeutic range for a given med is usually just a suggestion -- plenty of folks achieve seizure control with levels on either side of the range. Like you, I have seizure control with a "sub-therapeutic" level of the medication -- but really all that means is that for you and me, a little [med] goes a long way. It doesn't necessarily mean that you can go without the medication altogether. In the past I've played "medication limbo" (i.e. How Low Can You Go?), and found that even though my dose may be tiny, it's absolutely necessary and I have to be careful about messing with it. You might be able to lower your dose -- you just need to make sure that you are comfortable with the unknown risks of doing so.
 
Nakamova said:
The therapeutic range for a given med is usually just a suggestion -- plenty of folks achieve seizure control with levels on either side of the range. Like you, I have seizure control with a "sub-therapeutic" level of the medication -- but really all that means is that for you and me, a little [med] goes a long way. It doesn't necessarily mean that you can go without the medication altogether. In the past I've played "medication limbo" (i.e. How Low Can You Go?), and found that even though my dose may be tiny, it's absolutely necessary and I have to be careful about messing with it. You might be able to lower your dose -- you just need to make sure that you are comfortable with the unknown risks of doing so.
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fortunatly my exerpence while on dialntin was on the lower dose, i got auras. but not seizures. as much as i hate auras. i woudl kinda welcome them to be able to concentrate again.
 
Technically, auras ARE seizures. They're called simple partial seizures (as opposed to tonic-clonic seizures, where you lose consciousness).
 
Bird,

You sound just like me. I took Dilantin and did fine, didn't have many seizures, just an aura now and then. Now on Keppra, and just don't feel the same. Not mentally sharp, and I sometimes feel emotionless.

Also, I took lower doses of Dilantin and was fine too. If things were going well with Dilantin, why did you switch?
 
birddseedd said:
gained a bunch of weight.

guess its very very hard on your liver too
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Did you actually experience any liver issues, or was the change more as a precaution?

Just wondering because, outside of some light bone loss, I didn't have any other effects, but they switched me off of it as a precaution, and now because of the effects I feel now, they may switch me back again..
 
Dignan said:
Did you actually experience any liver issues, or was the change more as a precaution?

Just wondering because, outside of some light bone loss, I didn't have any other effects, but they switched me off of it as a precaution, and now because of the effects I feel now, they may switch me back again..
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i wasnt really on it that long. so precaution. but i guess being one of the earlier ones it is a very toxic drug.:ponder:
 
its hard to tell if its really from the meds or not, i dropped by 25 percent hte last few days. i was able to concentrate and get some programming done today

i also got LOTS of sleep due to being sick with a stomach bug.

shrugs. guess ill see how it goes
 
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