Eyes darting, trouble with focus... Anyone else?

[girlwithadog]

So I'm back and I'm 21 weeks pregnant with a baby girl. Yay! Well I've been handling the epilepsy diagnosis much better lately (to update I was diagnosed in April at 25 years old). I finally started taking the medication six weeks ago, I'm now on 500mg of Keppra twice daily. Currently only suffering from drowsiness as a side effect of the medication.
The medication is working I think. I don't really understand the diagnosis or anything but according to my medical record I have complex partial epilepsy with secondary generalization, whatever that means. I see my neurologist regularly given the pregnancy but still have no answers,,, ugh...
So... Since starting the medication, my spacy-ness has improved, I don't suddenly lose all feeling in my body as much (these things have only happened a few times in the last six weeks whereas they were happening a few times a day before) I haven't had any memory loss so I'm guessing the medication is helping?
But I still have these odd uneasy things happen. Like sometimes when I wake up my vision is so messed up, I feel like my eyes are darting all over the place and I can't focus, people look like aliens and everything blends together. It makes doing anything really difficult.
It takes 15-30 minutes for this feeling to go away and typically ends with a migraine. When this happens I feel like my insides are vibrating, like I'm shaking from the inside out and I try to look at one thing but I just can't focus. I don't know if my eyes are darting but they feel like they are and I can't stop them.
I brought this up with my neurologist and he said he didn't know if it was a migraine symptom or an epilepsy symptom and to see if it improves with the medication but it hasn't and its unsettling knowing the dangers of seizures and pregnancy, especially since I just started driving again. I just want to keep this baby healthy and if these are seizures I need to get control of it already.
Has anyone experienced this? Is it a migraine thing or a seizure thing?

 

[arnie]

I've had e and been on meds for about 33 years, and never had vision problems until about a year ago, maybe two. It is not there all the time and has been kind of subtle which is why I don't really have a start time for it. In the past few months it's been happening more. What happens is that my vision gets blurry, like it is if you have water in your eyes and need to blink really hard to get your eyes cleared up. It's unpleasant. I have also had a handful of times when my night vision has completely gone to hell. I read that vision problems can be a side-effect of lamictal, which I have been on for about 15 years, with no particular problems, but not great seizure control either. I found out a couple of weeks ago that side-effects with epilepsy meds can start to crop up even years after you have started taking them, so I think that's what's happening. My vision issues aren't related to when I'm having partial seizures, so it's not directly related to the actual seizure events. The seizures themselves have probable caused some long-term damage of there own. Who knows?
I hope you find some answers for what's going on with you. Congratulations on your pregnancy and I hope all goes well for you!
Onward and upward!

 

[qtowngirl]

hey girl
imo it's more likely seizure-related, really hope they get this figured out for you. could also be the meds, they're all so iffy when it comes to side effects and it can bother one person but not the next. my vision was a big problem with vimpat (insert many swear words here). actually walked into my bedroom wall once in the middle of the day. SO glad i'm off. have a 'boo at all the side effects of keppra, is possible.
HUGS.

 

[Nakamova]

I feel like my eyes are darting all over the place and I can't focus

That happened to me when I was on too much Dilantin. And blurriness has been a side effect with Lamictal. So the meds may be the culprit. Best thing to do is keep track of how you're feeling and check in with your neuro. If the seizure/side effect persists or gets worse or is otherwise problematic, then you and the neuro will need to discuss tweaking your dose or changing your medication.

 

[girlwithadog]

Than you all for the replies. I asked my OB to rule out any possible pregnancy complications and he wants to send me to an ophthalmologist so we'll see :/