changing medicine, about to have another seizure, what am i supposed to do?

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girlwithadog

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I just got off keppra Tuesday (was being weaned off 1000mg 2x a day for about two weeks) and am now on 100mg of topanax 2x a day and I had a freaking seizure while i was driving this morning. Now I'm pretty sure I'm about to have another one so I'm sitting outside in 40 degree weather with my baby afraid to hold her with a bottle propped in her mouth on the ground on the porch (don't want to be sitting in a chair). What am I supposed to do? I'm new to all this crap. I felt like I had just taken lsd right before my seizure about two hours ago. I feel like that again so I think another is approaching, what's next, and what's the next step here?
 
I should clarify thankfully the seizure in the car when I noticed the acid trip feeling I knew something was wrong so I pulled the e break just in time before losing consciousness, needless to say I will not be driving I only drive in the mornings anyways to my neighborhood trail for my morning runs which are cancelled until further notice now ��
 
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Weaning off/starting new meds often increase seizures :(

It takes the body a while to adjust, and only 2 weeks to come off 2K of Keppra doesn't sound very long to me. I at least double the length of time they suggest for weaning/ramping- as they usually have no idea how much these drugs affect us. It's a common problem unfortunately.

It takes a while for the body to adjust to a change in our AEDs, so I'd expect a few more in the near future until you're stable. That trippy feeling could well be a simple partial seizure.

Are you experiencing any other symptoms that are warned about with the Topamax? It may be that your body is reacting badly to it, and if you are- you need to contact your doctor.

Unfortunately, AEDs can cause just as many problems as benefits, and a lot of people find there are some that they just can't take at all.

Please read the info at that link to check, just to be sure..

But you're right to stop driving. I wouldn't drive at all, with E.

On the bright side, you got a free acid trip :)
 
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Lol thanks for the much needed laugh!

I've been on topamax 14 days now and am also down now 15 pounds, I'm now scheduled to see a nutritionist because of the weight loss. The cognitive effects have lessened now that the dose has increased. I'm more tired but not experiencing many side effects. Nausea, fizziness, weakness, lightheadedness... I made the neurologist aware of this, well at least I checked these on the form at the appointment on Tuesday? I'll read the link you posted above.
 
I don't know how to do that.
I ended up having a couple complex partials I'm guessing dimples or auras or whatever idk how to classify those. Maybe just a super long post ictal (is that right?) phase but I'm about 85% sure its over. I wont be sure until tomorrow though. I'm in a haze and will be until I can get some rest tonight. I'm so sleepy. It's been over two years since I lost consciousness so it was a bit of a shock this morning but I didn't let it get to me. I knew it was inevitable at some point and am thankful I had over two years in between where I only had to worry about C/P and S/P. Woulda been nice if someone was there to tell me what kind it was t/c or absent or w/e but oh well.
So I called my neuro, was put on hold for an hour until I hung up. I called back was given an attitude and was told a nurse would call me back. I've heard nothing back ��. Thankfully I'm slowly getting better. I just hope she I take my medicine tonight and in the morning and just in general I hope it doesn't happen again. In my experience these episodes happen in clusters. How do you lower the threshold on top ofmeducation?
 
"Weaning off/starting new meds often increase seizures "

Most my switching meds have gone quite well. Only once did it increase my seizures and that was the meds fault, which i eventually had to stop. Although i only take one medicine, so it's easier for me to tell if a med is working or not. I'll go through each and everyone of the meds out there individually before i start mixing meds. There are something like 30+ meds to try. Although i found a really good one for me, Gabapentin, so i'm happy.

A pound per day loss since you have been on this med, hmm, there maybe something really wrong. And it's been over 2 year since your last lost consciousness. In my opinion, something does not sound right, definitely talk to your doc and get checked out.

Good luck!!

:piano: :pop:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seizure_threshold

  • sleep deprivation
  • fever
  • exposure to flashing or flickering lights including neon lights, strobe lights, video games or even patterns like narrow stripes
  • lengthy periods of fasting, malnutrition, starvation, high stress, fear, fatigue and exhaustion
  • menstruation
  • uncontrolled diabetes, and
  • other endocrine and metabolic irregularities (like electrolyte or hormonal imbalances).

I think any drugs should be in there too... Reduce caffeine intake, smoking etc
 
girlwithadog said:
I've been on topamax 14 days now and am also down now 15 pounds, I'm now scheduled to see a nutritionist because of the weight loss. The cognitive effects have lessened now that the dose has increased. I'm more tired but not experiencing many side effects. Nausea, fizziness, weakness, lightheadedness...
Click to expand...

-15 pounds in 14 days? That is a huge amount of weight to lose in 2 weeks, due to Topamax. Years ago when I was taking a significant amount of Topamax, I lost 30 lbs., but that was over a long period of time. Talk to your neuro ASAP!

And as SlimBlue and others have said, it takes the body some time to get used to adjusting to meds. Topamax is also known as Dopemax, making one very, very forgetful and spaced out at times, sometimes forgetting even the simplest things in life.

And this website explains Topamax side effects:
http://www.rxlist.com/topamax-side-effects-drug-center.htm

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

~sudden vision loss, pain around or behind your eyes;
~dry mouth, increased thirst, drowsiness, decreased sweating, increased body temperature, and hot, dry skin,
~confusion, slowed thinking, memory problems, trouble concentrating, problems with speech or balance;
~vomiting, loss of appetite, tired feeling, irregular heartbeats, feeling like you might pass out; or
~severe pain in your side or lower back, painful or difficult urination.

Less serious side effects may include:

~mild dizziness, feeling nervous;
~numbness or tingly feeling;
~diarrhea, weight loss; or
~cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you all so much.
I am STILL waiting to hear back from the doctors office and growing nor impatient as they will be closing soon for the weekend and I called them first thing in the morning! This is ridiculous! I quit smoking back in August but I was overly tired this morning so that very well may have contributed to my seizure this morning. I try to assure adequate rest, I was in bed by 8:30pm but my kids woke me up every 30 minutes to an hour until I was up for good at about 5am so I was not well rested, and nutritionally speaking, topamax has killed my appetite. For the past few days I have been making sure to increase my food intake since I run/walk 4-6 miles per day but I don't think its enough either way. Topamax has helped my sleep walking but that's just about it so if its not going to help my seizures either I might as well give up on it.
 
Ugh I hate waiting to hear back from the neuro, particularly on a Friday. I would call again - better to be a pain than to wait for another 3 days. It's your life and your body and they need to get back to you!

Why did he take you off of Keppra in the first place?
 
I called back over and over but like I figured... They closed early. I'm screwed until Monday. I'm so pissed.
They took me off keppra because I was getting really bad keppra aggression. I was getting violent. I wasn't getting violent with my kids but I was hitting objects and yelling at my kids (including my baby). I started keppra during pregnancy (keppra was my first AED) so we thought I was just hormones but it turned out it was actually the keppra) and the dosage was increased during pregnancy
 
Should I take my topamax as normal than? Idk what to do since I couldn't get ahold of my doctor. I'm concerned if its too much, not enough or what and im due for the next dose in an hour. Ugh. I'm ready for bed. Needs to be bed time already.

ETA:I just took the normal dose, we will see what happens. I didn't have many other choices
 
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