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H

HamsterOfPain

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I'm new here, so hi, my name is Amber. I was diagnosed with epilepsy about 7 years ago and never took it seriously. I took my medication whenever I remembered, went years without seeing a neurologist ... and it all bit me in the butt when last year I was off my meds for a solid 5-6 mo., had a grand mal seizure and landed myself in the ER and now owe almost 1,000 bucks, heh.

Anyways, since then things have gotten worse, but I haven't been able to afford getting to the neurologist but once or twice, and was never able to get the tests I needed done because of financial problems. My insurance is about to run out and I won't be able to have medication anymore, and while on medication over the past few months things have still gotten worse and it's all just stressing me out so here I am, because nobody around me understands and I know you guys will :)

Sorry for the long rant, lol. On another note, I'm 22, from Michigan and I work at a vets office! I hope to get to know everyone well, and look forward to talking to you guys. :)
 
Advice from south of your border.

Contact your county health department. They are a good place to start with help on meds. You may qualify for some program and not even know it. This is something to take seriously and bouncing on and off meds is not good for you.

You didn't note what your meds were, but even some of the drug companies can offer assistance with finances.
 
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm on Lamictal. I've been looking into programs to apply for. I haven't contacted anyone directly yet, but I am planning on it and I'm hoping I can find something to help. The program through the state only offers like ten percent off, so I'm not leaning towards that, but I've still got more research to do.

I've read though the post about having problems affording medication, and I'm going to ask my pharmacist for some advice as well. :)
 
Hey HOP, welcome!

Going on and off meds can cause seizures if you do it too fast. So be careful! I hope you can get something figured out so that you can afford meds AND a neurologist. You need to get on better meds that don't make you feel lousy. If there's no way to get medical services, then do your best to track your seizures, and record potential seizure triggers -- like fatigue, stress, diet, metabolism, hormones, etc. -- and then try to avoid them. Some people here have found that by adjusting their diets and making sure they are getting enough of the right vitamins, they have been able to reduce their seizures. Good luck!

Best,
Nakamova
 
Hi there

HOP!!! Welcome to CWE!!

I have to agree with Epileric. There are a number of alternatives available for us E patients to use to aid in seizure control. Diets are one of the biggies, and neurofeedback is another. Seriously consider them.

Keeping a journal as Nakamova suggested is also a top priority as it will help you discern what your triggers are. And in the long run, it will help your doctor help you.

Take care,

Meetz
:rock:
 
Thanks for the warm welcome and advice! :)

I tracked my seizures for a little bit before, and I noticed that when I focus on things for a long time I tend to have seizures more often. For example, I played a computer game for about 2 hours and just looking at the screen for so long did it I think, because it does it if I watch too much TV or read for a long time. I don't know if that makes sense or if thats even something that could trigger a seizure and I'm just not looking at the right things that could be a trigger...

Again, thanks for the advice. I bookmarked the alternative treatment link and I'm going to see if there is anything in there I can do. I appreciate the help.
 
What type of TV do you have, and what sort of computer screen do you have? It can make a BIG difference. I cannot use Sony Viera laptops, the screens give me a seizure REALLY quickly, and also old-style TV's (CRT tv's) are terrible for me. I now have a new panasonic screen as the newest ones in the UK have been designed so as the flicker rate doesn't affect people with epilepsy.
 
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