Epilepsy after TBI

[TexasLady]

Hello - my husband has epilepsy as a result of a TBI and brain surgery. He had one gran mal seizure 10 months after the TBI (the dilantin wasn't at a theraputic level). Since last May, he's been on Lamictal XR 300 mg and Dilantin 550 mg a day. Suspect the meds are causing many of the cognitive issues that are getting worse lately. Inability to focus, fogginess, dizziness, etc. Just talked to one of his two neurologists today who will talk to the other tomorrow. So, my question to y'all - is epilepsy caused by TBI different than other kinds? How can we tell if symptoms are med or brain injury related? Anybody know of support groups for TBI and/or epilepsy family?Bra

 

[Nakamova]

Hi TexasLady, welcome!

Epilepsy caused by TBI isn't particularly different from other kinds of seizure disorders. causes. A more relevant factor can be the location and severity of the injury, since that can determine the area of the brain where a seizure originates. That focal point often a determining factor in the kind of seizures and the symptoms that result.

The meds are a pretty likely guess for his cognitive issues. Have you talked to his neuro about reducing the dose of either the Dilantin or the Lamictal?

Your local epilepsy foundation and/or the hospital where he was treated might be a good place to look for information about support groups.

Best,
Nakamova