Bipolar triggered by epilepsy

[RanMan]

A lot of times this can be triggered by epilepsy.
Alot of the symptoms I have listed.....paranoia.......aggresive and/or violent behavior.......no respect........no motivation...........no initiative.......always wants to sleep......poor eating habits......spending money just for the sake of spending...etc.


Very often kids get into trouble with the law etc. and everybody is quick to call him a bad kid when it is an undiagnosed medical problem that can be treated with meds.

I have a 24 year old son that was dianosed with "Bi-Polar" (manic depression) when he was 12 and he has been putting this family through hell. (No wonder I have a seizure condition.

Randy (Ontario, Canada)

 

[KelVarQ]

Perhaps the bipolar is triggered by Epilepsy medications rather than Epilepsy? I say that because it sounds like a lot of side effects from the seizure meds. Just a thought.

 

[Cint]

Perhaps the bipolar is triggered by Epilepsy medications rather than Epilepsy? I say that because it sounds like a lot of side effects from the seizure meds. Just a thought.

Many times AEDs are used for Bipolar disorders as well as anti-psychotic meds, also. I was diagnosed as bipolar after the LTL. IMO, it depends on where in the brain the seizures stem from, often times more from the left side, as to whether a person suffers from a depressive disorder.

Here is an interesting article:

http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/epilepsyusa/yebeh/upload/bi-polar-disorder.pdf

 

[KelVarQ]

Yes, AED's may be used for BiPolar but I only mentioned it because AED's can make one seem BiPolar as well and then take them off the meds and the BiPolar disappears. I know after RTL I had severe mood swings, severe depression and was even suicidal at some point but I'm not bipolar but would've definitely appeared as if I was and someone (a co-worker) actually asked me if I was bipolar. Once off meds (mainly the newer meds for me) all the above symptoms/side effects went away. This is not to say that one that has E can't have BiPolar but some of the meds out there can make one appear to have BiPolar. Just my opinion and from my own experiences with the meds.

 

[Cint]

This is not to say that one that has E can't have BiPolar but some of the meds out there can make one appear to have BiPolar.

My shrink actually started me on Trileptal for the bi-polar disorder but my neurologist had to take me off that med because of the low sodium level. And that medication didn't make me depressed at all, nor did Lamictal, Neurontin,or Topamax. I was on a drug study for Sabril after my lobectomy when I started having seizures again , and yes, that drug did make me psychotic. Not only were my seizures worse after the surgery, so was the depression, and that has never gone away. So some of the meds have different side effects for different ppl. And the brain and VNS surgeries seem to effect everyone differently.

Just speaking from my experience of brain surgery, 12 medications, the VNS surgery, more seizures, bi-polar disorder and Type 1 diabetes from a drug for bi-polar.

 

[KelVarQ]

Exactly...some meds cause different side effects for different people and therefore some may seem to cause bi-polar characteristics but it's possible it's the side effects of meds for some people. Like I said it can be a cause and one wouldn't know unless they stop meds. I too was on a study after surgery and it was for Epilepsy and Depression and I can honestly say I never had depression in my entire life until after surgery. For me the newer meds seem to cause severe mood swings, (ranging from severe depression to euphoria) while I didn't find the older meds to have that effect, but as we know everyone is different and we can react differently to meds. When I'm off all meds I never have depression or euphoria type moods so for me it's obviously medication related. My original post was not a blanket statement for everyone as I recognize we're all unique.

 

[Billyboyboo]

I know many ppl who are Bipolar who take Lamictal, Depakote... Neurontin and so on...
Billy.

 

[douglas]

Perhaps the bipolar is triggered by Epilepsy medications rather than Epilepsy? I say that because it sounds like a lot of side effects from the seizure meds. Just a thought.

i agree 100%. in private, i call my pills my "@&$hole" pills. they turn me into a moody @&$hole. :-(

but i do believe that 1/2 the battle is being aware of the side effects that the meds are having on you and trying to make a good effort to not allow the side effects to spread to relations with family and co-workers e.t.c. you dont have to be 100% successful alll the time -- but at least make a good effort.