Hello all

[DoISeeColor]

I have a background of depression and severe anxiety, which runs in my family, and may or may not be related to my recently developed seizure disorder.

About 7 months ago, I had a seizure while driving that caused me to hit an oncoming car head-on. Neither party was injured besides my minor bruising from the dashboard caving into my shins. Any worse and it probably would have broke them. I don't remember anything from the wreck besides the EMTs shaking me and telling me I got into a wreck and just got out of a seizure. I couldn't remember what year it was or who I was for a good ten minutes.

I saw a neurologist soon after who put me on Keppra and ordered an MRI and EEG. I got the Keppra, got an MRI that was clean, then the neurologist moved offices without telling me and lost my records before I got the EEG. It took me a few months of arguing with them to get finally get the EEG, and 5 months later the EEG showed I still had seizure activity and I was diagnosed with a seizure disorder (which, by my understanding, falls under epilepsy even though the term wasn't used, but correct me if I am wrong please).

Right now I am on Keppra for the seizures, Gabapentin for anxiety, and Lamictal for the mood disorder. The Gabapentin and Lamictal were from my psychiatrist who recommended them due to the fact that they are anti-epileptics.

Hi all! I feel like some people are weirded out when they find out I have a seizure disorder so it's nice to find a forum with people who can relate.

 

[Nakamova]

Hi DoISeeColor, welcome to CWE!

Ordinarily folks aren't diagnosed with epilepsy until they've had two or more seizures, but in your case it sounds like the EEG was definitive and made it clear that it was worth taking anti-seizure meds to be safe. How are you feeling on the meds? Keppra in particular is known for having side effects related to mood, so you should make sure it's not making your depression and/or anxiety worse.

Best,
Nakamova

 

[DoISeeColor]

Yeah I had two seizures the day of that wreck, the one that caused the wreck and another that happened while I was getting a CAT scan. Apparently those count as one seizure though since they happened on the same day. They said they were tonic clonic, but weren't sure because I didn't urinate on myself or void my bowels. I don't remember either of them. But I'm feeling fine now. I occasionally get that weird feeling I had before I had that seizure but it passes with some rest. I haven't had any side effects from the Keppra, yet, knock on wood.

Edit: and when I say I don't remember them, I mean I don't remember the 20 minute window before or after they happened.

 

[Nakamova]

Many folks don't become incontinent during a tonic-clonic seizure. For me it only happened the first time, not in any tonic-clonics since. Like you I had two initial seizures that counted as one, and then had an EEG that was very diagnostic of epilepsy.

I'm glad you're doing well on the meds, and are seizure-free! Me too, though the Lamictal I'm on has some side effects I could do without.

 

[DoISeeColor]

What sort of side effects are you getting from the Lamictal? I haven't had any side effects from my meds besides the Gabapentin occasionally making me overly-talkative, haha.

 

[Nakamova]

Some Lamictal side effects went away after the first few months (restless sleep, vivid nightmares, hair loss, headaches), but others still bother me: Blurry vision, very dry eyes and mouth overnight, mild chin acne.

 

[DoISeeColor]

Sorry to hear about those side effects! Hopefully I won't have to deal with any. I've been on Lamictal for about 3 months, I believe. I can occasionally see a difference in my mood, so I'm thinking about asking for a dosage increase to see if it helps more. I hope that doesn't cause side effects to flare up. What dosage are you at? I'm taking 150mg daily.

 

[Nakamova]

I'm at 150mg/day as well. (Which is low for epilepsy, but about right for bipolar disorder). Side effects tend to increase with dosage, so a higher dose Lamictal dose might not be perfect. The Keppra might be affecting your mood. Do you take a B6 supplement? That can help with Keppra-related moodiness.

 

[DoISeeColor]

No I do not, but I have a multi-vitamin that I could take that contains it. I do get moody occasionally but I'm not sure if it's related to Keppra. Prior to the Lamictal I was very bitter and negative constantly and went through all the types of anti-depressants available, none of which helped and only gave me undesirable side effects and/or worsened it. Since the Lamictal, I've either been happy or "normal" with no negativity. I still have that don't-want-to-get-out-of-bed depressed feeling, but not as often. I will try taking that multi-vitamin due to your recommendation, so thank you!

 

[Cint]

I do get moody occasionally but I'm not sure if it's related to Keppra. Prior to the Lamictal I was very bitter and negative constantly and went through all the types of anti-depressants available, none of which helped and only gave me undesirable side effects and/or worsened it. Since the Lamictal, I've either been happy or "normal" with no negativity. I still have that don't-want-to-get-out-of-bed depressed feeling, but not as often.

I take 3000 mgs. of keppra for seizures, too. Some of the seizure meds (Lamictal is one of them, Klonopin is another) are also used in the psychiatry world for depressive patients. I used to take Lamictal for seizures. It didn't help my seizures, but it did help with my depression, too. But, a lot of the AED's can cause severe depression, also. At one time, I, too, experienced that don't-want-to-get-out-of-bed depressed suicidal feeling. Not any more, tho.