RanMan
Too Much Experience with Epilepsy
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Although there are lots of new epilepsy meds on the market, their long term effects are not well documented b/c most haven't been out long enough to have doccumented long term (20 or more years) side effects so I choose to go with the old (1938) drug that I find works very well for me but does not have a negative effect on my other meds.
The newer drugs DO have negative side effects but at leaste with Dilantin, I know what to expect.
Below I've posted a thread taken from an earlier post on another forum from 2005 but due to recent incidences in my personal life it has become a hot topic for me again.
NOTE: This is just an observation, a tidbit of information that I thought I'd pass along.
Yesterday I had my 6 month neurological check up.
After being examined first by the intern and then by the Doctor, we were discussing my poor coordination and gait.
Well, I was surprised at his reply. He told me that if I were to go off all my meds. I would still have the same balance and coordination problems because the "long term use" of the dilantin and pheonobarb, it has caused permanent neurological damage.
I asked him if this process could be reversed and he said no.
When I was first put on dilantin 25 yrs ago, there was very little known about it's long term effects.
It's too late in my life to change meds (and risk lower brain stem damage) or go off them completely to stop it from getting any worse and risk a seizure.
Since the seizures are under control and the meds don't interfere with the other meds that I take for my Colitis, I chose to stick with this rather than risk other problems.
Randy
Diagnosed with epilepsy and ulcerative colitis in 1979,
Been on meds ever since.
300mg-dilantin/day
120mg-pheonobarb/day
3,000mg-Mesasol/day
The newer drugs DO have negative side effects but at leaste with Dilantin, I know what to expect.
Below I've posted a thread taken from an earlier post on another forum from 2005 but due to recent incidences in my personal life it has become a hot topic for me again.
NOTE: This is just an observation, a tidbit of information that I thought I'd pass along.
Yesterday I had my 6 month neurological check up.
After being examined first by the intern and then by the Doctor, we were discussing my poor coordination and gait.
Well, I was surprised at his reply. He told me that if I were to go off all my meds. I would still have the same balance and coordination problems because the "long term use" of the dilantin and pheonobarb, it has caused permanent neurological damage.
I asked him if this process could be reversed and he said no.
When I was first put on dilantin 25 yrs ago, there was very little known about it's long term effects.
It's too late in my life to change meds (and risk lower brain stem damage) or go off them completely to stop it from getting any worse and risk a seizure.
Since the seizures are under control and the meds don't interfere with the other meds that I take for my Colitis, I chose to stick with this rather than risk other problems.
Randy
Diagnosed with epilepsy and ulcerative colitis in 1979,
Been on meds ever since.
300mg-dilantin/day
120mg-pheonobarb/day
3,000mg-Mesasol/day