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txtiger

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I am a female, 44, who started having complex partial seizures in college. After over 10 years and many medication changes, i finally started seeing an epileptologist and found I was a candidate for surgery. Had left temporal lobe surgery in 2006.

Since then, I had occasional breakthroughs, had my meds tweaked, but over the past year and a half, started having markedly more auras, and three months age had a car accident, hitting my neighbor's SUV and garage. Thankfully, no one was hurt. At the time, I was on 2000 mg Keppra XR and 50 mg Vimpat, twice daily. Saw my doctor, who ordered EEG and MRI, increased Vimpat to 150 mg, and I go back in three months.

Pre-surgery, and for a while after, I was active on another forum, but gradually lost touch as work kept me busier. My hope on this forum is that I can offer support, as well as seek it when needed.
 
Hi, txtiger and welcome to CWE! Looking forward to seeing you around the forums.
 
Hi txtiger,

Just like you I have complex partial sz. and absence sz. I also had right temporal lobe surgery. I found that if I was on to high of a level of vimpat it triggered more sz. for me. I started out at 400 mg. a day but after my Dr. backed it down to 300 mg. a day the sz. decreased. I also am new on this site another site I was on shut down. I really like this site and everyone has been so kind. I wish you only the best and May God Bless You!
Sue
 
txtiger,
You will need some time to learn to navigate this site, but as you learn about all of the bells and whistles you will see that we made a GREAT choice as far as choosing a new site to use, concerning E!

ACsHuman
 
Thank you for your welcome. One thing I am wondering about that I have actually never thought about before is how long it might take one's brain to adjust to a dosage change. I know everyone is different, but I have been on the increased dosage of Vimpat for about a month, and I had a couple of auras, one at a little over a week and the other at a little over three weeks. What have others' experiences been?
 
Hey Txtiger & CathyAnn
Yet another Texan here on the loose. Hope yall are doing well.
Ed
 
Welcome. I would assume that you now have stopped driving?
I miss driving but know I can't. Good thing I can walk even though I limp. This is due to a leg injury sustained in the same wreck that caused head injury that causes seizures.
 
Hey txtiger, welcome to the forum!

how long it might take one's brain to adjust to a dosage change.
Click to expand...
It really is tough to say, since what's considered a therapeutic dose varies from person to person, along with their seizure history, polytherapy v monotherapy, overall health, metabolism, etc. For me, meds have controlled my seizures fairly quickly once I've been at the target dose (I only get tonic-clonics, no partials), but it's taken my brain longer to adjust to side effects. When I went on Lamictal I had seizure control right away, but it was about 3 or 4 months before some of the more bothersome side effects receded.

Below are a few links to CWE threads about Vimpat, maybe they will be of help:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/new-drug-vimpat-8966/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f20/keppra-vimpat-new-site-14598/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/anyone-else-taking-vimpat-add-aed-20651/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f36/vimpat-talk-me-18339/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/time-vimpat-any-advice-17554/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/has-anyone-else-taken-vimpat-urgh-9720/
 
Hi Txtiger

Welcome to the group.
I have left temporal lobe epilepsy, I had surgery on my left temporal lobe in March 2011.
When I had my surgery I had Tegretol & Keppra, when I went 12 months seizure free post surgery my neurologist & I discussed taking me of 1 of my meds & agreed to slowly take me of the Tegretol. It took 12 months but I was off Tegretol by April 2013.

I started having feelings again in June 2013, my neuro adjusted my meds & put me back on Tegretol & in June last year I had a VEEG which confirmed I was having focal seizures (more like simple partials).

I was put on Vimpat in February last year, I started of on 50mg twice a day for a week then 100mg twice a day which was added to the Keppra & Tegretol.
The Vimpat wasn't for me as it affected my moods, I was really emotional while on it so my neurologist took me of it in April after only being on it for 3 months.
 
Great to See You Here!

I know that any change in a person's meds can have results that leave the person wondering 'What is going on?'. It doesn't have to be an AED that has changed to cause this. I had a new med prescribed for blood pressure and I thought I was going to lose it! I felt so different that I actually went up to the ER to find out why I felt this way. Luckily, a doctor there was able to explain how any time something new, like a med, is introduced into the body there can be, not all of the time, a period of time that takes place during which the body adjusts to this new med! This time period will vary in length almost every time.

ACsHuman:twocents:
 
Welcome Txtiger. This is a great website for support, connecting with people who have similar symptoms and meds, and also reading interesting things about diet and lifestyle to help reduce seizures. Hope to read lots of posts from you!
 
CQ:) said:
Hi Txtiger

Welcome to the group.
I have left temporal lobe epilepsy, I had surgery on my left temporal lobe in March 2011.
When I had my surgery I had Tegretol & Keppra, when I went 12 months seizure free post surgery my neurologist & I discussed taking me of 1 of my meds & agreed to slowly take me of the Tegretol. It took 12 months but I was off Tegretol by April 2013.

I started having feelings again in June 2013, my neuro adjusted my meds & put me back on Tegretol & in June last year I had a VEEG which confirmed I was having focal seizures (more like simple partials).

I was put on Vimpat in February last year, I started of on 50mg twice a day for a week then 100mg twice a day which was added to the Keppra & Tegretol.
The Vimpat wasn't for me as it affected my moods, I was really emotional while on it so my neurologist took me of it in April after only being on it for 3 months.
Click to expand...

i take 1200mg tegretrol, 400mg vimpat & 1250mg Keppra + 150mcg of Toppmax.


I only really noticed a decrease in testosterone with teg, nothing with Vimpat (but i was already on max dose of teg) and horrible/terrible rage, mood swings, wanting to deastroy things with keppra.

My wife has run out of time dealing with me. Its a great, double edged sword drug. At least for me it is. Toppmax ive lost 23lbs on.
 
Hello,yes this is good forum.You not driving are you at moment in uk it be illegal until gone certain period without problems
 
I only really noticed a decrease in testosterone with teg, nothing with Vimpat (but i was already on max dose of teg) and horrible/terrible rage, mood swings, wanting to deastroy things with keppra.

My wife has run out of time dealing with me. Its a great, double edged sword drug. At least for me it is. Toppmax ive lost 23lbs on.
Click to expand...

Ah, Topamax, how I loathed you. Actually, I was too dopey to loathe you. And yes, the weight loss was good until I started to look like an anorexic.:rolleyes:

Tegretol was the first AED I was tried on. Worked at first, then my then-neuro had to keep raising the dose until I started showing toxicity.

Haven't had issues with the Kepprage. Been on it for about 14 years.

And, Seagull, I am not currently driving. My case is before the medical review board right now. In Texas, you have to be 3 months seizure-free. My doctor had to fill out some forms, which he sent me a copy of. He must do this a lot, because even though my last event was January 15, he put I should be cleared on March 15. :ponder: Hopefully the board will agree and not yank my license, because it would be more trouble to lose it and then get it reinstated than to have it but not use it.
 
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