Memory loss

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Soulcreek. Oh dear sounds like your not having the best time either. My memory loss isnt as bad as it was but i still forget i done things. I can remeber more from past than present. It is the dreded keppra thats dome this to me. Been off it 3 months i hated the stuff. Im hear if ya wanna know anythin or ask any questions feel free to ask me. Aaron i have never beem on lamictal what are tge side affects of it?
 
Been on Keppra. It's a nightmare! Tegretol was the culprit for my memory loss, though. Awful stuff. Lamictal made me look like the elephant man. Worst of all is Topamax. It made me totally paranoid, and turned me into a hypochondriac! Totally freaked me out (and my wife- she was really worried about me and my sanity!). Had to call an ambulance one night cos I had a panic attack. Sad thing is, it was presented to me by the neurologist as the star player in the AED world! Vimpat is probably the best drug I've been on so far.
 
Oh dear. I really hope ya get sorted. Anti epileptic drugs are worse than an actual seizure in my eyes.
 
The seizures can be very traumatic as I am sure you all would agree. The side effects of the meds makes me wonder which is worst it seemed as if there was a side effect I would get it. For me the auros have got to be the worst they can last for days and hit me one right after another its undescribable. I'm hoping that I haven't complained to much because my good days are wonderful so I'm hoping your days are good too.
 
Been on Keppra. It's a nightmare! Tegretol was the culprit for my memory loss, though. Awful stuff. Lamictal made me look like the elephant man. Worst of all is Topamax. It made me totally paranoid, and turned me into a hypochondriac! Totally freaked me out (and my wife- she was really worried about me and my sanity!). Had to call an ambulance one night cos I had a panic attack. Sad thing is, it was presented to me by the neurologist as the star player in the AED world! Vimpat is probably the best drug I've been on so far.
I agree totally I have tried all of these meds and Vimpat has worked the best thus far.
 
Bless ya 62 hope your ok. But hey we gotta look to good days nd not bad days. Because who knows whats round the corner lol.
 
We do have a few members who claim to be a neurologist. But we can't be sure they really are untill their credentials prove so. Most of them are not very active on the forum.
 
I haven't posted in over two years, in fact the day after I had a tonic clonic seizure. My seizure occured within minutes after a manager at work verbally harassed and hostilely threatend me on the salesfloor. I was soon diagnosed with epilpesy had a few tonic clonic seizures since then, and many complex partial seizures. One of the reasons I hadn't posted in so long is that my aunt ( my mom's sister) died in November 2009, and couldn't even attend her funeral because a month after my tonic clonic seizure, I had gotten so sick, and with a virus, that I was bedridden for a week, mother died in May 2010, while I was still in the midst of my own health issues, including having a serious adverse reaction to Carbitrol. My mother named me executor of her will, and unfortunately went through a long and nasty succession with my brother. I was overly generous to my brother, even letting him have over half my mother's small estate, but for months he fought me all the way and on everything. He even accused me of screwing him over. My mom's death obviously had a negative effect on me, and continued having complex partial seizures due to all the stress. Meanwhile,my wife suggested I have a sleep study done because she also suspected I was suffering from Sleep Apnea, because I was experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness. She was right, and I certainly had sleep apnea, and the sleep study showed that I stopped breathing multiple dozens of times during the night. I did get a CPAP machine, so things are much better in that regard.
All the while this was happening, the management at the big box store where I had worked, not only puropsely increased my workload (I already managed the largest department in the store, and they added several more), which I maintain was part of an effort to try to get me to quit or get terminated 9 which came to pass anyway), but they intentionally harassed me, fostered a hostile work environment, purposely set me up to fail by giving me impossible tasks ( and knowing I had epilepsy), and thus giving them reason ( albeit false reasons) to have me written up. What ultimately got me fired was that I was having complex partial seizures at home, and had called in sick for two days ( note that I had 192 sick hours and 246 personal hours at my disposal to use in such circumstances), but when I returned to work, I was fired for supposedly having missed 3 days in a 6 month period. And by the way, the store did, and still does have a selective policy on this, because there have been pople who regularily called in " sick" on weekends simply because they didn't feel like working. The rules were selectively enforced. I told the management that I had ever rarely called in sick in the 11.5 years i ah been working there, that i had seizures (Which, incidently were iniated by a mamager being openly hostile to me on the slaesfloor in 2009), but the managers didn't want to hear any of it. I was told that I should have planned ahead and taken a leave of absence, like one can predict seizures. I was also told that even if I had gone to my Dr., that any notes aren't even considered legitimate excuses.I already had several drs visits planned and had a vacation in a couple weeks. I requested them to permit me to make a statemnet on my termination papers that I felt that I felt that I was being wrongly terminated and being discriminated against because I had epilepsy. They said that I couldn't make a statement, and that was that, and even refused to give me my termination papers. Naturally, I was devestated by all this, not just because I was terminated, but felt really betrayed by a company that i had worked many years for, and had in fact, missed very few days since I had been there since 1999.
I did get another job a few weeks later, and i know i could have gone on unemployment, but I really wanted to work. I did try to apply for disability, but was turned down because I ironically worked too many hours, though I'm sure I have all the medical qualifications. Meanwhile, even though I was working, I was still mentally, emotionally, and physically weak for months because of what had happened, not just the firing, but the 2 years of harassment, hostility, retalition, discrimination etc. I eventually gathered the strength to report and file charges with the EEOC late last year, and from my statements, they have decided to proceed with an investigation of my charges. i know that this can take many months or longer. I have also retained an attorney just in case. This has helped me in many ways, and strengthened my resolve for justice.
Oh, and regard to memory, which is the subject here, while I was out of work for a few weeks, I already had a prescheduled appointmet with my and EEG test with my neuroligist on a particular day. Well, all I know is that I remember working up around 8:00 P.M. and asking my wife if I missed my appointment. I had no memory of that day, at least 10 hours of no memory. She said I had cooked hera gourmet meal from leftovers in the fridge, misplaced things, and was acting rather strangely. She had driven me to the dr., I had apparently gone to the dr, had my EEG, called her when I was finished, and she picked me up, and I have no member of that day. I called the Drs office the next day becuase I was concerned, and worried because who knows what i could have doen there, but they didn't notice anything different, but said i could go in that day if i wanted. I said no, that I'd be alright. that certainly was a strange and interesting day, though I had no memory of it. by the way, my EEG was normal, even though I may have had a seizure, and certainly memory loss.
 
Greg, with regard to your work hell, I went through almost exactly the same thing back in 2000/01. I was assistant manager of a sports store, having been promoted internally in 1998. I had shown myself to be good at my job. Then I started to have problems with my medication. I had an appalling short-term memory and I was making mistakes in work. I told my area manager of my concerns, which he appreciated. Then my store manager left and was replaced by the bitch queen from hell. We had a personality clash, and she became good mates with one of my subordinates (also a female). Long story short, I became the victim of an unrelenting campaign to discredit and undermine me, and to make me out to be incompetent, rather than suffering in work performance due to trouble with meds. My manager chose to undermine my authority by telling me off in front of junior staff, constantly nit-picking at my work.

I made an urgent appointment through my GP (MD) to see a neurologist. Unfortunately, that urgent appointment was going to take 9 months until it came around. 6 months or so before this meeting with the specialist, I arrived in work one morning with the store manager the only other staff member there. She suddenly asked me if I was happy working there. I said yes, and asked why. She said "this medication thing has to stop." I was stunned. I reiterated the fact that I was waiting to see a specialist and had done all I could to get the problem seen to. Things went from bad to worse, with the aforementioned junior member of staff making full use of the opportunity my illness had present her, by doing such things as questioning the fact that I had a poor short-term memory, just because I was able to remember a staff member's phone number without looking it up; acting "concerned" for me; turning on the waterworks when I chastised her; and, if all that wasn't bad enough, one day when nobody else was in earshot, telling me to my face that she was after my job! I almost fell over, but it confirmed everything I had suspected. Sadly, I knew she would have the backing of her "chum", the manager (who hated my guts anyway).

The campaign to oust me continued, to the point where I simply couldn't take it any more, and took sick leave. I never went back (guess who took my job?), and I haven't worked since. I live on state benefits, which I hate. As you can imagine, though, returning to work is a daunting thought, as what happened to me dealt a hammer blow to my confidence. Plus, it's all very well talking about the Disability Discrimination Act (UK), but if two people apply for the same job- one with epilepsy, the other without, it's fairly obvious which one will be successful.
 
Soulcreek,
Man, you went through hell too. The trouble I had with my work is actually more detailed than that, that was more like the condensed version, believe it or not. While I was working at my former job, my health issues actually had little effect on my job perfromance ( which is not saying I didn't have seizures or suffered from stress), but it calling in sick those 2 days which gave them the opportunity to terminate me. Don't feel bad about being on state benefits;if it's necessary for you to be on for health reasons, it's probably best for your health interests. Although I'm working, I do fear of having a seizure and/or memory loss or some dissociative fugue which could lead me to inadvertently harming myself. I will still consider an option getting on benefits if medically necessary.
I was lucky to get a job, but not necessarily because of the disability, I don't think. I believe the fact that I had to put on applications that I was terminated, and i don't think employers like to see that. Furthermore, I wouldn't doubt that if the places where i put in applications called my former employer, that they probably gave me a bad reference in light of what they did to get rid of me. When i was being interviewed by my current employer, I stopped short, and told him honestly why I was terminated. he appreciated my honesty about my termination and my epilepsy, and eagerly hired me.
I agree with you about the Disability Discrimination Act (U.K.), and although we have a similiar act here in the U.S.A., I know that it is the same here, in that employers would be reclutant to hire people with disabilities, despite the law. However, what I was trying to explain, and I probably wasn't clear ( I sometimes get foggy in the brain), is that I filed charges with the EEOC ( Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) because of the unfortunate events that unfolded at my former employer. Whether it is through the federal or state governments, and/or through private attorney's, I will not let them get away with what they did to me. They need to be made an example of, and hopefully helping other employees in similiar situations, by going filing a lawsuit in Federal Court. I'm made a determination that that is my goal, and am willing to be tenacious and patient at the same time in achieving this goal. Disability Discrimnation should not be tolerated, and I intend to fight this company through the courts and will go as far in that direction that I can possibly go.
 
You have gone through hell havent you? you have been dicrimnated against witch shud not be aloud. I would take it further. Thats shocking that like. Hope you get sorted.
 
Thank you crazychick, and no it shouldn't be allowed. I will fight the good fight like they say, and this fight will an Epic one I hope. :eek:)
 
Hey,

My memory has always been a bit off. At 16 I was told that memory loss is a big side effect of medication (particularly epilim and tegretol) and also the seizure itself. My neurologist said also that it can affect balance. Since I started reducing epilim, my memory has become so much better. Strangely, I seem to have a better handle on random trivia! Like weird stuff. It's kinda funny.
 
The keppra knaked me up totallu. Since been off it i feel so much better its just the hair loss issue mow. But im sure itl sort itself out.
 
am getting very frustrated as my memory is now bad due to my epilepsy. I keep having to move jobs as my memory makes me bad at the office based roles I do.. I just want to scream "CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT I AM TRYING MY BEST?". am getting more and more upset..
 
Hi nlbabylon5 --

Have you talked to your neurologist about your memory issues? They could be medication-related, in which case a change in dosage or meds might help. You might also ask about a referral to a neuropsychologist -- they can do a series of memory tests, and then make specific recommendations for ways to improve any problem areas.
 
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