motorbill66
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I'm new, of course, to this forum, but I'm certainly not new to epilepsy. I've been "experienced" with it since 1988, after seizing as a reaction to a couple of stupidly prescribed medications. I was transported to the Hospital after that first episode and given every test from a spinal tap to a catscan and sent home with the explanation that I may have had a "bad reaction" to the drugs I'd been given (Naproxyn and Amantadine;I suggest avoiding these if you can.). That seemed to be the end of it. Then, a year later, almost to the day, I had another. After that they began coming thick and fast. My first neurologist prescribed Tegritol and it seemed effective for a while. Then I began to break through. Each time this happened my dosage was raised until I eventually could actually taste the stuff. I still remember, it tasted almost like that effect you get when you put the terminals of a nine volt battery on your tongue. Just about all of us tried this as a kid! Anyhow, the neuro said that I was going toxic on the stuff. Over the next several years we tried all kinds of drugs that didn't seem to do much. I was having monster attacks every month or two. Then we found Depakote.
Depakote really seemed to work once the theraputic dosage was found. Of course the side effects were not too pleasant. Hand tremor, shedding of my hair (I swear it looked like we were building a cat in the shower drain!), and big time weight gain. Still, the seizures were pretty much under control.
The difficulty was, the tremors were slowly but surely getting worse. My occupation at the time was as a self employed modelmaker, doing locomotives and buildings for collectors. I also did fine line landscape drawings and small watercolors. I was actually paid at one time for doing caligraphy for various documents and diplomas. That stuff is now gone, as I tremble way too much to do much of it anymore. Because of the epileptic condition I had to forget my dream of getting a pilot's liscence and to eventually give up driving racecars. I eventually quit Depakote since I had begun to break through that as well, and was sick of the tremor. Well, that was about a year and a half ago and the tremors have remained and intensified. I'm now on 375mg of Lamictal and I can't say I'm in love with it, but I have lost fifty pounds. I'm seeking further help with the tremor situation in the form of Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. I've been through loads of exams and tests, and should get the word on whether I'll be allowed this procedure in the next week or two. I've been persuing this for about nine months and it has been a genuine trial, with about fifteen appointments at a university hospital seventy miles from home. The concern, of course, was about the surgery. To see where the epileptic focus was located I was subjected to what I bet a number of you people have had. I was given a four day continous EEG while my meds were withdrawn completely. I did just what they wanted and produced three giant seizures. They then delivered the startling news (NOT!) that I had epilepsy. Thanks a lot, Professor Obvious, was all I could think. But, at least they located it in the upper right area too deep to do much about at this time. You folks don't need to hear any more of this 23 year adventure because each of you has had his or her own.
Sometimes it just seems good to unload, and I guess that's what this forum is about. So, thanks for listening. I hope I can be an asset instead of a load in the future...
Bill
Depakote really seemed to work once the theraputic dosage was found. Of course the side effects were not too pleasant. Hand tremor, shedding of my hair (I swear it looked like we were building a cat in the shower drain!), and big time weight gain. Still, the seizures were pretty much under control.
The difficulty was, the tremors were slowly but surely getting worse. My occupation at the time was as a self employed modelmaker, doing locomotives and buildings for collectors. I also did fine line landscape drawings and small watercolors. I was actually paid at one time for doing caligraphy for various documents and diplomas. That stuff is now gone, as I tremble way too much to do much of it anymore. Because of the epileptic condition I had to forget my dream of getting a pilot's liscence and to eventually give up driving racecars. I eventually quit Depakote since I had begun to break through that as well, and was sick of the tremor. Well, that was about a year and a half ago and the tremors have remained and intensified. I'm now on 375mg of Lamictal and I can't say I'm in love with it, but I have lost fifty pounds. I'm seeking further help with the tremor situation in the form of Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. I've been through loads of exams and tests, and should get the word on whether I'll be allowed this procedure in the next week or two. I've been persuing this for about nine months and it has been a genuine trial, with about fifteen appointments at a university hospital seventy miles from home. The concern, of course, was about the surgery. To see where the epileptic focus was located I was subjected to what I bet a number of you people have had. I was given a four day continous EEG while my meds were withdrawn completely. I did just what they wanted and produced three giant seizures. They then delivered the startling news (NOT!) that I had epilepsy. Thanks a lot, Professor Obvious, was all I could think. But, at least they located it in the upper right area too deep to do much about at this time. You folks don't need to hear any more of this 23 year adventure because each of you has had his or her own.
Sometimes it just seems good to unload, and I guess that's what this forum is about. So, thanks for listening. I hope I can be an asset instead of a load in the future...
Bill
