Improved seizures on less medication??
- Thread starter masterjen
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One of the listed side effects for all the anti-seizure meds is... seizures. Either from too high a dose, or from too fast a withdrawal. Even at regular doses, the meds have caused seizures for some folks. Also, some meds that work for one kind of seizure (like partials) may make other kinds of seizures (like myoclonics) worse.
lindsayschu2
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I can attest to Nakamova's point--I developed myclonic seizures (involuntary jerking of my lower body) from a new seizure med (gapapentin)--my doc took me off it and the new seizures stopped. It also caused a lower seizure threshold for my partial seizures.
Interesting . . .
I'm not sure what to make of what is going on. I was in the seizure monitoring unit for 4 nights (due to go back later this month), and the first night there was taken off all medications. No nocturnal seizures (as seems par for the course when for once I actually want one). When back home I was put back on just one of the three medications I was on; in terms of total number of mg of the three I was taking, I'm now on the equivalent of 30% of what I was taking (just to give you a rough idea of how much med. was cut back). I'm now 2 1/2 weeks into this and have had only 2 very minor partial seizures. Some strange night activity, though, like waking to feeling one side of my face twitching or mildly clenching, one arm starting to flex like it would in a seizure but no other seizure-connected issues at the same time, and at times strong tingling in various body areas but esp. lower legs. Normally in a 2 1/2 week period I would have typically had 2 strong and 2 minor seizures.
The neurologist was so surprised at no seizures in those 4 days because of sudden no medication that she requested a psych assessment from their psychiatrist that specializes in psychogenic seizures, but this was ruled out after 3 long hours over 2 days of talking and testing.
Now they are evening wondering if I may not have epilepsy, but some other neurological-muscular problem that causes nocturnal "seizures", since I have reduced to absent leg reflexes (knee, ankle, etc.) and EMG diagnosed severe sensory-motor peripheral neuropathy. The seizures I have are classed as largely tonic, affecting more the left side of my body than right. I'm due back in the monitoring unit, this time for 2 weeks, later this month.
Does anyone have any thoughts on any of this??
I'm not sure what to make of what is going on. I was in the seizure monitoring unit for 4 nights (due to go back later this month), and the first night there was taken off all medications. No nocturnal seizures (as seems par for the course when for once I actually want one). When back home I was put back on just one of the three medications I was on; in terms of total number of mg of the three I was taking, I'm now on the equivalent of 30% of what I was taking (just to give you a rough idea of how much med. was cut back). I'm now 2 1/2 weeks into this and have had only 2 very minor partial seizures. Some strange night activity, though, like waking to feeling one side of my face twitching or mildly clenching, one arm starting to flex like it would in a seizure but no other seizure-connected issues at the same time, and at times strong tingling in various body areas but esp. lower legs. Normally in a 2 1/2 week period I would have typically had 2 strong and 2 minor seizures.
The neurologist was so surprised at no seizures in those 4 days because of sudden no medication that she requested a psych assessment from their psychiatrist that specializes in psychogenic seizures, but this was ruled out after 3 long hours over 2 days of talking and testing.
Now they are evening wondering if I may not have epilepsy, but some other neurological-muscular problem that causes nocturnal "seizures", since I have reduced to absent leg reflexes (knee, ankle, etc.) and EMG diagnosed severe sensory-motor peripheral neuropathy. The seizures I have are classed as largely tonic, affecting more the left side of my body than right. I'm due back in the monitoring unit, this time for 2 weeks, later this month.
Does anyone have any thoughts on any of this??
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You may still be experiencing effects related to the down and up changes in your meds, since it's only been a few weeks. That's a lot for the brain and the body to adjust to. It's also possible that you were over-medicated before, and that some of the meds you were on were making things worse. And some of the anti-seizure meds can cause peripheral neuropathy over the long-term. It's not an exact science unfortunately. 
I hope you continue to do well on the lower dose!
I hope you continue to do well on the lower dose!