Hello My name is Sean. I am in the military. I had a seizure in October on my way to work and crashed. Woke up in the hospital. Been put on numerous medications nothing helps and had a sleep study but the results were lost. Had an appointment today got new medication but I asked what I am diagnosed with the doctor doen’t know. I am getting frustrated and I take it out on my wife and at work. I tend to forget things. Just want any advice about what should I do.
Help with understanding Seizures
- Thread starter DarkHorse
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DarkHorse
Welcome to C.W.E. There really is nothing much you can do, is there, except be thankful you did not kill somebody or yourself. I know that sounds cold but that is a reality, can you imagine how your poor wife would feel, I know you are worried but so is your wife, she is worried for you because she can see how hard this is going on you. Of course you are frustrated, there would be something wrong if you were not, I mean you are just like the rest of us, you are only human but until you get a diagnoses from a doctor all you can do is sit tight and that does not help your situation or how you feel. It's not going to make things easier waiting but try talking to your wife about how you feel and say sorry for being angry, she will always be there for you. This does not make things easier but it might help you see just how much your wife is hurting as well.
Welcome to C.W.E. There really is nothing much you can do, is there, except be thankful you did not kill somebody or yourself. I know that sounds cold but that is a reality, can you imagine how your poor wife would feel, I know you are worried but so is your wife, she is worried for you because she can see how hard this is going on you. Of course you are frustrated, there would be something wrong if you were not, I mean you are just like the rest of us, you are only human but until you get a diagnoses from a doctor all you can do is sit tight and that does not help your situation or how you feel. It's not going to make things easier waiting but try talking to your wife about how you feel and say sorry for being angry, she will always be there for you. This does not make things easier but it might help you see just how much your wife is hurting as well.
Hi Sean,
Welcome to CWE! I'm sorry that you had a seizure and that you didn't get much info. from your Dr. What you may want to do is see an Epileptologist which is a Dr. that specializes in epilepsy. I found this type of the Dr. the best help for me. Just like you I've taken many different seizure meds and nothing ever worked then my Dr. did a DNA test on me and saw my body chemistry and the amount of enzymes in my liver and found out I was drug resistant to all seizure meds out on the market, this test will also show what prescription will be the best for a person with the least side effects if the person isn't drug resistant. I found using the medical marijuana the best thing for my seizures it reduced the seizures a lot and was a big help.
If you didn't have a video e.e.g. Spect scan or Pet scan you may want to ask the Dr. to these tests because they can show a lot of detail of what's going on. I wish you the best of luck and I thank you for serving our country. I have a lot of family in the service also. Wishing you and your family only the best and May God Bless All of You!
Sue
Welcome to CWE! I'm sorry that you had a seizure and that you didn't get much info. from your Dr. What you may want to do is see an Epileptologist which is a Dr. that specializes in epilepsy. I found this type of the Dr. the best help for me. Just like you I've taken many different seizure meds and nothing ever worked then my Dr. did a DNA test on me and saw my body chemistry and the amount of enzymes in my liver and found out I was drug resistant to all seizure meds out on the market, this test will also show what prescription will be the best for a person with the least side effects if the person isn't drug resistant. I found using the medical marijuana the best thing for my seizures it reduced the seizures a lot and was a big help.
If you didn't have a video e.e.g. Spect scan or Pet scan you may want to ask the Dr. to these tests because they can show a lot of detail of what's going on. I wish you the best of luck and I thank you for serving our country. I have a lot of family in the service also. Wishing you and your family only the best and May God Bless All of You!
Sue
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Hey Sean, welcome!
Generally speaking, when epilepsy is your enemy, information is your friend. Learn about your seizures, medications, other treatments. Keep a journal(if possible) about your particular symptoms, medications, doses, side effects, possible triggers, etc. Some tips can be found here: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f22/proactive-prescription-epilepsy-1254/
Here are some suggestions for meeting with your doc:
1. Take notes on what is discussed at your appointment.
2. Ask the doc as many questions as it takes: If the doctor doesn't know what your diagnosis is, can he take steps to find out? How long will it take to do so? What do you need to do to help the process along? etc.
3. Make sure you have the doc's contact information if you have any follow-up questions.
4. If it's hard to do any of the above, bring along a friend or family member to take notes and to provide support.
5. Keep notes on the medications you have been prescribed: Which ones? Were there problems with seizure control or side effects or both? By any chance, are you on keppra (levetiracetam)? It's an anti-seizure med that has a reputation for causing mood-related side effects. So if you're frustrated, it can make you doubly-so.
Keep asking questions here at CWE. And vent! People here "get it" and can offer understanding, support, and anecdotal advice.
best,
Nakamova
Generally speaking, when epilepsy is your enemy, information is your friend. Learn about your seizures, medications, other treatments. Keep a journal(if possible) about your particular symptoms, medications, doses, side effects, possible triggers, etc. Some tips can be found here: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f22/proactive-prescription-epilepsy-1254/
Here are some suggestions for meeting with your doc:
1. Take notes on what is discussed at your appointment.
2. Ask the doc as many questions as it takes: If the doctor doesn't know what your diagnosis is, can he take steps to find out? How long will it take to do so? What do you need to do to help the process along? etc.
3. Make sure you have the doc's contact information if you have any follow-up questions.
4. If it's hard to do any of the above, bring along a friend or family member to take notes and to provide support.
5. Keep notes on the medications you have been prescribed: Which ones? Were there problems with seizure control or side effects or both? By any chance, are you on keppra (levetiracetam)? It's an anti-seizure med that has a reputation for causing mood-related side effects. So if you're frustrated, it can make you doubly-so.
Keep asking questions here at CWE. And vent! People here "get it" and can offer understanding, support, and anecdotal advice.
best,
Nakamova
resaebiunne
Stalwart
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I think there's some comments here needing some correction, but hopefully they will not sound callous!
I recommend you start seeing a therapist and just discuss what is going on. It is possible that you have some lingering PTSD after effects from the accident, but I am not psychiatrist. I am also wondering that you might be on a drug called Keppra which is known to cause mood effects that causes rage and irritability.
Something else that you might consider is that you are probably only seeing a neurologist. You will have better luck seeing an epileptologist. Since you are military, I'm not sure how that would work, but anyway, an epileptologist is a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy and will be much better at treating and diagnosing you. It's worth the effort at finding a good epileptologist.
Regardless, you will learn a lot from CWE and you made the right decision by coming here. Feel free to ask as many questions as come to mind and you will get all the answers that we can provide! Welcome!
No, a S/O may choose to leave a relationship at anytime for any reason! Don't think that marriage is your ticket to easy street and the everlasting end-all commitment! Sorry, I have to say it. DarkHorse, if you've been aggressive with your wife or anyone else, children, work colleagues, etc. you need to apologize. This will affect a marriage, absolutely! I'm curious, what medications are you on, if any?
I recommend you start seeing a therapist and just discuss what is going on. It is possible that you have some lingering PTSD after effects from the accident, but I am not psychiatrist. I am also wondering that you might be on a drug called Keppra which is known to cause mood effects that causes rage and irritability.
Something else that you might consider is that you are probably only seeing a neurologist. You will have better luck seeing an epileptologist. Since you are military, I'm not sure how that would work, but anyway, an epileptologist is a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy and will be much better at treating and diagnosing you. It's worth the effort at finding a good epileptologist.
Regardless, you will learn a lot from CWE and you made the right decision by coming here. Feel free to ask as many questions as come to mind and you will get all the answers that we can provide! Welcome!
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I do not think they sound callous, I agree with some of what you said but a spouse or partner is a very important person and as you know they can leave for any number of reasons but one reason should not be the way you act so it is important that you talk to one another and explain things and feelings to each other. Nobody is saying marriage is "your ticket to easy street" or the "everlasting end-all commitment!" Life is not easy nor is marriage but you have to work hard at both and admit your faults and failures.
DarkHorse is quite correct if you have been aggressive, no matter who it is you need to apologise you are in the wrong not somebody else. Unless you believe you have the right to be aggressive, which is wrong. I believe it shows the kind of person you are when you can say "sorry, I am wrong"
:agree: "Regardless, you will learn a lot from CWE and you made the right decision by coming here. Feel free to ask as many questions as come to mind and you will get all the answers that we can provide! Welcome."
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I was diagnosed with epilepsy after my first seizure but I still do all these things. It helps so much for the dr to try to help you, it has for me. It took a few years to figure out what meds helped the most and it was very frustrating to go through this - You go to the dr expecting what ever it is he does to work but it doesn't and you have to start all over again.
As asked are you on Keppra? It's a med that can make you mad very easy. I'm on Keppra and I'll blow up in a great rage over little things that should only make a person a tad bit angry about. My grandma's drs thought she was having seizures once so they put her on Keppra. While she was on it she was screaming and swearing at my grandfather constantly, things she never did. When she went to the neuro she told him that she wanted to stop taking it so he took her off of it and she went back to normal.
1. i can tell you taking anger out on people who do not deserve it will lead you down a very rough path.......Ask me how i know..??
Those are the ones you will depend on when you are at your worst time of need.
2. You need a proper diagnosis. You need to know what type of seizures you have and to figure out what MEDS TO START TAKING.
3. I hate to say this, but epilepsy & seizures can tank you military career if you do not get them figured out. I am lucky to have an inside sales job and only get 1-3 seizures a year so i am able to work, get insurance, etc.
Insurance will become enormous sooner or later. Especially if you keep having events. Also some sort of income, insurance only pays so much of your medical bills.
4......Talk to us, everyone here.....or 95% of people all have epilepsy and can hold your hand in a sense. Tell you how things will work & you can save yourself quite a bit of hassle and BS because you can learn quite a bit.
With epilepsy....Knowledge is power
GL man
Those are the ones you will depend on when you are at your worst time of need.
2. You need a proper diagnosis. You need to know what type of seizures you have and to figure out what MEDS TO START TAKING.
3. I hate to say this, but epilepsy & seizures can tank you military career if you do not get them figured out. I am lucky to have an inside sales job and only get 1-3 seizures a year so i am able to work, get insurance, etc.
Insurance will become enormous sooner or later. Especially if you keep having events. Also some sort of income, insurance only pays so much of your medical bills.
4......Talk to us, everyone here.....or 95% of people all have epilepsy and can hold your hand in a sense. Tell you how things will work & you can save yourself quite a bit of hassle and BS because you can learn quite a bit.
With epilepsy....Knowledge is power
GL man
petero
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Hi there!
A couple things I just want to add. You may want to consider:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet
Though largely for children, it works up the age ranges. Similar to the Atkins diet.
Also, don't drink.
And you could could consider sodium intake. Have you cut way back on sodium for "health benefits"? Then that might be a big bad. Most epilepsy meds have a relation to increasing sodium intake, though at different biological tiers, in ways (in ways I don't really grasp at all, other than in concept). Take diet into account. Take turmeric pills! Try to move into "the Greek diet" type of thing. Olive oil, olives, canned sardines, canned oysters, sunflower seeds, stay away from wheat flour as much as you can! (Corn tortillas, not flour, for one non-Greek example lol). But vitamin and nutrient the hell out of your diet. Kale, spinach, broccoli/cauliflower, beets, avocado... (and btw, iceberg lettuce is bogus! No nutritional value. Look up veggies for their values)
And just to add one thing - DO NOT GO SWIMMING (seizure in water = drowning)
That's all I can figure to add now... and yeah yeah so I started off by saying "ketogenic! Must-try!!!" blah blah but then I'm dropping the knowledge on important veggies... but... idk... there are dietary steps that people can consider...
Best blessings your way
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
A couple things I just want to add. You may want to consider:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet
Though largely for children, it works up the age ranges. Similar to the Atkins diet.
Also, don't drink.
And you could could consider sodium intake. Have you cut way back on sodium for "health benefits"? Then that might be a big bad. Most epilepsy meds have a relation to increasing sodium intake, though at different biological tiers, in ways (in ways I don't really grasp at all, other than in concept). Take diet into account. Take turmeric pills! Try to move into "the Greek diet" type of thing. Olive oil, olives, canned sardines, canned oysters, sunflower seeds, stay away from wheat flour as much as you can! (Corn tortillas, not flour, for one non-Greek example lol). But vitamin and nutrient the hell out of your diet. Kale, spinach, broccoli/cauliflower, beets, avocado... (and btw, iceberg lettuce is bogus! No nutritional value. Look up veggies for their values)
And just to add one thing - DO NOT GO SWIMMING (seizure in water = drowning)
That's all I can figure to add now... and yeah yeah so I started off by saying "ketogenic! Must-try!!!" blah blah but then I'm dropping the knowledge on important veggies... but... idk... there are dietary steps that people can consider...
Best blessings your way
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk