What's "control"?

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What is the definition of "control"? If you have 1 breakthrough seizure or 2 in a year, is that still controlled, or not? If that is not control, do you increase dose? add medicine? change medicine? or just leave it alone and expect it to take care of it's self? As far as driving, do you have to start that whole 6 months over or can you just ignore it since it is just a rare curiosity and go on? OK, that's enough questions at one time.
 
I have seizures almost every day. Recently I went 3 days without one but had 2 today. However they're only partials & without my meds I'd have T/C seizures most every day. My definition would be that my seizures are partially controlled. According to Tabers Medical Encyclopedia the word control means "to regulate or maintain". That's how I interpret it when it's used here.
 
The ideal "control" is no seizures. But since that ideal is unattainable for most, we strike a balance, and make individual decisions about what is feasible, practical, bearable, and legal. I am treatment-responsive, and can definitely remain seizure-free if I stay on meds. But I've tried a few times (with consent of neurologist) to taper off. No success so far, and seizures have resulted. I've never stopped driving (regardless of legal requirements), because I know that with the meds I have control.
 
I am going for Total Control.... NONE.
Healing from the inside out, and realizing that the body functions so much better when it is properly nurished.
 
Control, at least in my book, is a state of mind. It's whatever you choose to accept. If you can live your life, maybe not as easily as you would like, yet with grace and happiness then I would consider that control. If you are looking for options to medicine (or a complement to medicine)--I would consider that control. If you're challenging your doctors (as only you know yourself best)---CONTROL.

The ride is bumpy, but with a positive attitude, a little humor and (as my mom used to say) a little hootspa you've got control.---LMT
 
To me, "controlled" is "no seizures". My CPs, TCs and nocturnals are controlled (with medication). I haven't had CPs, TCs or nocturnals in over three yrs.

My SPs are not "controlled". I have "better control" than I've had in many yrs. I have approx 1-5 SPs daily. They're short and very mild.

About 7 yrs ago, I was having COUNTLESS SPs daily and at my worst, having CPs and/or TCs every two weeks. I think I was having nocturnals almost every night. Not sure though because I didn't even realize I was having nocturnals until alot of symptoms went away. Like feeling so tired I felt like I was drugged. Sleeping through my alarm clock. Having headaches most of the day. Being sore. Having sores on my tongue and/or on the inside of my mouth.

In Oklahoma, if you do have a seizure (losing conciousness), you do have to start the 6 mths over, as far as driving. Each state is different though. I only have to sent a report into the state once a year now.

If you have one breakthrough within two years, you have to figure out what triggered it. Did you miss your meds? Were you under extreme stress? Was it lack of sleep? Could it be other triggers? Or do you think your meds aren't working anymore? You and your neuro are the only ones that will really know that.

Usually EXTREME lack of sleep and EXTREME emotions will cause me to have more SPs daily. My SPs also become longer and more intense. When my seizure control was worse, EXTREME lack of sleep and EXTREME emotions would cause me to have a CP and/or TC.

Other than EXTREME lack of sleep and EXTREME emotions, I don't know of any other triggers. The short mild SPs usually just come one out of the blue. I don't have to be thinking about anything. There's no pattern.

If I miss even a partial dose of lamictal or keppra my SPs become more frequent, longer and more intense. So my meds are working.

Unfortunately, sometimes you have to be a guinea pig, to figure out what works and what doesn't. When I first started going to my current neuro, I was taking way too much lamictal. So my neuro didn't know whether it was helping or not. First thing he did was lower my lamictal. I had a TC within 24 hrs. So he temporarily raised my lamictal back up, added keppra, maxed out the keppra, then started lowering my lamictal (from 1000mg daily to 400mg daily).

After my neuro got my meds adjusted, I was still having CPs and/or TCs. But the gap between seizures was longer each time. Also they were becoming shorter, less intense and it didn't take me as long to recover. So I didn't adjust my meds. My seizure control was getting better even though I was still having CPs and/or TCs, so I left my meds the way they were.

Keep a calendar. Write down your seizures. Try to describe them as best as possible. Think about whether you missed your meds or if there was anything else going on that may have caused the seizure. See if there's any kind of pattern. That's really the only way you'll know whether to adjust your meds or not.
 
Control is about quality of life

For me, being able to enjoy a career, drive and play with my kids is control.

I have the occasional grand mal (1 every few yrs) frequent simple partials and absence seizures and daily myoclonics (though most of the latter 3 are well controlled with keppra) so I would say I am controlled and I am happy with my "control."
 
I pretty much side with everyone else
on their remarks on control - meaning
"no seizures".

Not so much as "quality of life", because
the way I see it - if you have control (no
seizures) - you are going to have a better
quality of life (possibility, depending on how
one cares for oneself overall).
 
Control

I think that while we all have different expectations of control, I dont see E as defining that; I see myself defining that. Defining Control as No Seizures is letting the disease define that IMHOP. The reality of having Zero Seizures for me is a statistical impossibility and an unrealistic expectation that would compromise everything else in my life that I enjoy if I held that opinion.

It has made my Quality of Life tremendous and made the disease more transparent in my life.
 
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