Many question about after surgery.

[beano619]

I had partial complex surgery on October 15th. Luckily it seems like it's been good so far as I'm over 80 days without a complex partial seizures. I had the aura at Disneyland a few weeks ago, of all places. I do still have some questions I couldn't find online, or maybe didn't search with the right words. These are all about things that started happening after the surgery. Some things are just for opinion. So thank you in advance to everyone here and whoever answers a question.
1. Acne. Since my surgery, acne has become a big issue. I never had acne problems growing up and now I'm 35. Is this going to go away?
2. Depression. I've had minor issues with depression growing up, but now they seem to be coming back. Has anyone taken an antidepressant that has helped? Has the symptom gone away or are temporary.
3. Memory. My memory has been shot since about 2014, and has become worse since the surgery. Anyone have the same issue? Are there certain meds that make this worse? I don't remember what I started taken that year, but I'm currently on Lamictal, Keppra and Trileptal. Anyone done anything to help with memory or taken any supplements? Are there supplements that make this worse?
4. I may have another question soon!
Thanks everyone!

 

[Zolt]

Hey Beano,

The best part is you have gone over 80 days, woo hoo. After my surgery i was back at work after 8 weeks fo recuperating.

When i had my brain tumor surgery for a baseball sized tumor, I did not have any problems, other than to have the seizures on a regular bases afterwards. That's why i'm here.

1) Acne, i didn't have any issues with this. In my younger days when that happened i found that washing the face every morning helped me.

2) Never have been depressed, so can't really comment on this, but after surgery i was happy to be still alive.

3) Memory was there for me, at least where it was before surgery. I was still able to count to 10 in 3 different languages.

4) Glad to answer any question you may have, just email me.

Zolt

iano: op:

 

[CQ:)]

Beano

I had left temporal lobe surgery in 2011, as you would know brain surgery is a huge operation so it does take time for the brain to heal. The aura you had at Disneyland may be just your brains way of saying it was tired.

1 - I didn't have any issues with acne after my surgery. I'm 38 & I do get the odd pimple now but that's more when I eat too much junk food. Hope your acne heals up soon.

2 - I think it's common for you to be a little depressed after surgery as it is such a big adjustment. I have never really had an issue with depression but have always had a issue with stress. I do tend to stress easily & I noticed after my surgery I tended to overthink things too much.

3 - Did you have a neuropsych evaluation as part of your surgery testing?
I had a neuropsych evaluation as part of my pre surgery tests which involved a series of exercises to check my memory as well as concentration. I had another memory test 3 months post surgery to see if my memory had changed much since surgery.
I had another neuropsych evaluation in July last year when I was in hospital for a VEEG.
With all the neuropsych evaluations I've had I've been told my memory is in the normal range & pretty good. I tend to have more issues with my memory when I'm really stressed or tired.

If you have to see your surgeon or neurologist in the near future for follow up it might be good idea to speak to them about your concerns.

 

[BIGMAN131307]

1. Acne.
2. Depression.
3. Memory.

Small Auras, headaches, nausea can all be signs of you over doing it. When in doubt, slow down, and sit down.

After my RTLS, (past 19mos w/o seizures) I still experience acne. Junk food, and stress bring it on more often. So I try to limit those. But I wouldn't say I've had an increase since my surgery.

There are times when I'm down. But not a full on depression. I try to do things that relax me, and take me away from bad feelings. Listening to music, reading, LEGO, watching a favorite movie. Anything that can bring some joy.

As for my memory, that has been a tricky thing. My short-term memory can be flaky at times, but my long-term memory seems to be ok. One thing I've been doing has been playing games Solitaire, Tetris (Tetris24.com), Lumosity (Lumosity.com). It may wasting time, but it does help in the long run.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/30/tetris-video_n_7180706.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_effect
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901082851.htm
http://thebeautifulbrain.com/2011/06/the-neuroscience-of-tetris/

I've notice small slight improvements in my memory. It's not a cure, but it may prolong it
from getting worse. What do you have to lose? Playing a few rounds of Tetris while listening to some relaxing music.

I hope this helps.

 

[Nakamova]

Hi beano, congrats on the surgery. 80 days is a great start!

I haven't had surgery, but have experienced acne as a Lamictal side effect (like you, I never had any in my teens). The mild acne has been mostly on my chin, and doesn't seem to be a problem right now. Avoid drying out your skin, watch your diet, and be careful in the sun -- those all can make skin issues worse.

At some point you may want to discuss adjusting your meds with your neuro. Keppra can make emotional issues worse, so it may be that going down a bit on the dose will help with the depression. Adding an anti-depressant to the med mix can be tricky, so you might want to see if therapy and other approaches help first. Definitely let your neuro know about the depression.

I agree with CQ that having a neuropsych evaluation (or a follow-up one) could be helpful. The neuropsych can use the eval to look for changes in your cognitive function, pinpoint problem areas, and suggest strategies and workarounds that can help. The evaluation also sets a benchmark against which you can measure any future changes.

 

[Cint]

Bean619

I had a Left Temporal Lobectomy and was seizure-free for 14 months. I never experienced the acne issue, but I did have a time with depression. Like CQ, I had a neuropsych evaluation before AND after surgery and my cognitive functions have been greatly effected. It depends on what part of the brain the surgery was performed. Like I said, mine was on the left side, so I now experience aphasia (trouble finding words), and have trouble remembering names. I can meet a person one day and see them again the following day, not remembering their name. I need to write things down in order to remember. And the depression--- it was unbearable at times. My neuropsychiatrist tried me on numerous anti-depressants before something would help. Some of the AEDs are also used for bi-polar, so my dr. put me on a small dose of Topomax along with Zoloft to treat the depression.

For more info on the subject:

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treat...sy/surgery/types-surgeries/temporal-lobectomy

Temporal lobectomy is the removal of a portion of the temporal lobe of the brain. It is the most common type of epilepsy surgery and is also the most successful type: After surgery, 60% to 70% of patients are free of seizures that impair consciousness or cause abnormal movements. Some of these patients still experience auras, sensations (odors, for instance) without an outside source.

20% to 25% of patients still have some complex partial or tonic-clonic seizures but the number of seizures is reduced by more than 85%.

10% to 15% of patients have no worthwhile improvement. (I'm in that 10-15%)

Therefore, more than 85% of patients who have had a temporal lobectomy enjoy a great improvement in seizure control. Most patients need to continue taking seizure medicines, but they usually need less. About 25% of the patients who become seizure-free eventually can stop taking their seizure medicines.

And here is more info of what MAY happen after surgery for some:
http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/surgery/life-after-surgery

Mood problems such as depression or anxiety may still occur after surgery and for some, may temporarily worsen. Some of the mood changes may go away as the brain ‘calms’ down after surgery and if seizure control lessens. But for other people, depression or mood changes may become a chronic problem that requires help.

I hope this helps and I wish you well!

 

[beano619]

Thanks for the feedback. I think my neurologist was waiting for the 3 months to pass before sending me to the neuro testing. Has anyone else here had memory issues develop even before their surgery? I've had seizures about 2-3 days a week for the previous 3 years and memory had become worse, before the surgery. Anyone else have issues after having seizures and if you noticed this, how long did it last. If my seizures are a reason for poor memory, why was my memory so bad those years I had more seizures.

 

[Nakamova]

Seizures can have a cumulative effect on memory, especially if they occur in the frontal or temporal lobes:

-- The frontal lobe plays a role in prospective memory or planning ahead. Seizures in this area can cause problems remembering to do things in the future.

-- The left temporal lobe is important for verbal memories (such as learning names and recalling facts for exams). Seizures that start in this area can cause word-recall problems and lead to getting stuck mid-sentence.

-- The right temporal lobe is important for visual memories (like remembering a person’s face or spacial navigation).

If your seizures had a habit of spreading, they may have affected more than one area of the brain.

Medications can also affect memory, especially if they make you drowsy or affect your focus when you're trying to learn new things. And moods can affect memory too. Depression, anxiety and stress can all can make it harder to focus and encode new memories or recall stored ones.

The neurospych eval should hopefully help sort things out. Make sure to write down any questions for the evaluator!

 

[CQ:)]

Thanks for the feedback. I think my neurologist was waiting for the 3 months to pass before sending me to the neuro testing.

I had my surgery through an epilepsy program & all my appointments were at epilepsy clinic at hospital where I had surgery. When I had my surgery I had to go for regular follow ups for the 1st 2 years.
3 months post surgery - MRI, eye test (had one pre surgery), memory test with neuropsych. Follow up with surgeon / neurologist.
After that I went to the epilepsy clinic to see my neuro & neuropsych every 3 months for the 1st year then 6 months.

Once I reached 2 years post surgery my follow up appointments changed & the amount of time between appts depended on how I was going.
I started having focal seizures in June 2013 (a bit over 2 years post surgery) so at the moment I am going to the clinic every 6 - 12 months to see the neuro.