Overwhelmed Dad...

[bkrell76]

125 isn't really considered a very high dose for epilepsy. But I'd be most interested in how quickly the taper is--if she has side effects as she goes up in doses, keep in mind it is up to you as the patient's parent to participate in decisions, and you can suggest that you slow down the increase schedule, both to minimize side effects and to see how she is doing in gaining control. Doctors have a tendency to increase too quickly, as well as take patients off meds too quickly. Most of us on here have learned from personal experience that sometimes we need to go more slowly than our doctors recommend, and being our own advocates and partnering in decisions makes our experiences with these drugs better. Just something to keep in mind as you go through this process.

Yep, I want to say 6 weeks but I'm honestly not sure. My wife knows. As I mentioned in my first post, she's a pediatrician so she's really wanting to be careful and conservative about this.

 

[stilldancing_98]

I hate depakote. Alex is 17 it has worked pretty good for his siezures but it can make you so overweight. When I was my sons age I was on dep.i was so glad to get on top amax so I could think again. But topamax for little kids is an emotional roller coaster.It was harder for my mom. I know what those drugs feel like. It is time to change for him also. My prayers are with you. And being careful is the best way. Less chances of brain damage. Growing up on Meds is not easy on the whole body. You are so blessed to have a mother-loving dr. For a wife. I'm sure she is just as blessed. Read the book seizures in children.3rd edition

 

[bkrell76]

I hate depakote. Alex is 17 it has worked pretty good for his siezures but it can make you so overweight. When I was my sons age I was on dep.i was so glad to get on top amax so I could think again. But topamax for little kids is an emotional roller coaster.It was harder for my mom. I know what those drugs feel like. It is time to change for him also. My prayers are with you. And being careful is the best way. Less chances of brain damage. Growing up on Meds is not easy on the whole body. You are so blessed to have a mother-loving dr. For a wife. I'm sure she is just as blessed. Read the book seizures in children.3rd edition

Actually, the Vyvanse my son takes for ADHD more than balances out the Depakote. He's a bean pole. Yeah, having a pediatrician for a wife is a blessing and a curse. Sometimes I wonder if it's all the dang germs she's exposed to that cause our troubles. Regarding Seizures and Epilepsy in Childhood/Third Edition, our first neuro hands it out to new patients at his clinic. I read it before my wife and have to admit, I knew a bit more about what was going on for a while than she did! It's a great book.

Lol, talking about being blessed, though.... Once, my son had a seizure (in the switch from trileptal to depakote) and it was a bit longer than his previous seizures. My wife had me run next door to retrieve our pediatric neurologist neighbor, who ended up not being home. So I ran to the opposite side of us and grabbed the pediatric ophthalmologist who's wife has seizures! When we realized the pharmacy overdosed my son's Diastat (they paid big time for that), I was sent two houses down to retrieve an anesthesiologist since he'd have insight on the safety of such drugs! It was quite a scene when the paramedics showed up. Yes, my wife had me call 911!