PLEASE HELP Off medications anxiety

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Hopper

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So, from the beginning of my treatment 15 years ago, I was given "baby" dosage of Lamictal (200mg) and Depakote (1000mg). I was always a bit over-weight (I've changed that now), so the dosage was small considering my weight and also that is minimal dosage of both meds.

Fast forward 14.5 years, I don't have Complex partial seizures for last maybe 7 years

I got off Lamictal, no problems at all. No anxiety, but definitely had some withdrawal symptoms.

Fast forward to today.

Today I took my last dose of Depakote, which was, because of gradual reduction of the medicine, WHOLE 5mg! But even those 5mg gave me some insurance that I won't have seizures.

From one side I know I won't have CPS anymore, but from the other, I feel so insecure without medicine. Do you understand me, I think no one understands me?

Can you share some experiences with me, I need reassurance?

Thanks!
 
Hi Hopper,
I know how you feel I took Depakote for over 15 yrs. and then my body became used to the drug but after my Dr. made me go off of it the complex partial and absence seizures increased like crazy no matter what drug I tried. Then I started vitamin B12 once a day along with zinc 50 mg. twice a day and that did a great job reducing my seizures. Later on I started vimpat and that has stopped most of my complex partial seizure and greatly cut back my absence seizures. I also use the cbd oil I just started that this past month and I've noticed my seizures don't last as long. Check out healthy hemp oil.com if you are interested. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue
 
Well trying cut lamtogine down but gone about wrongly.what was withdrawal symptoms .my nuro advice me wait 6months before next reduction ..I also take cloberzam they will ask me cut it back soon another dreading time.
My daughter Lamotrogine was stop more or less instantly after 5 years but she was in high dependency unit no problems.
in your case I can't advice cos trying do same.All say free world if you want stop them go for it just make sure you got access to nuro.
 
Hey Hopper,

Sometime i wonder how many people out there really don't need to take medication yet because they are told to they do it. Me, i've never in my life wanted to be on medication for life, just the thought of it made my stomach turn. Now it's a different story

For me, after 1 yr of being on Keppra, i wanted off of it badly. I thought it was actually making my seizures worse, since every time the doc upped it, my seizures got worse, till we reached the max of dosage of keppra. So I figured i could go off of keppra and i did, for 4 yrs. But the 4th year was not so good, i had the normal seizures during the 4yrs, which i was used to, but i also had a grand mal while driving on the freeway. So after not driving for a while, the only way i could get my drivers license back was to go on some medicine. So now i'm on medication and hate it, but after a few tries and misses, the doc prescribed gabapentin for me and now i love the way i can control my seizures to happen in the mornings.

Good luck being medicine free.

Zolt

:piano: :pop:
 
Hi, Hopper;
I understand your anxiety/insecurity regarding being medication free. But, being without seizures for 7 years is a long time. Have you had a recent EEG to indication if brainwaves are now normal (if in fact there were abnormalities at the time of diagnosis)? An EEG which is now normal may suggest greater likelihood of having no seizures when off medication (which you essentially are given you are only taking 5 mg of depakote!)

Another thought: are you sure you are seizure-free? As you know with complex partial seizures you can have a seizure and be completely unaware that you are having the seizure. Even others around you may not really detect anything if they do not know you well. Maybe you are wondering this yourself, and this is why you are uneasy going off meds completely.

Out of curiousity, why was lamictal taken away first? This one can be known to stabilize moods for some people, so staying at a lowered dose of this one for a while longer might have been the way to go, and help easy some of the anxiety during this weaning process.
 
masterjen said:
Hi, Hopper;
I understand your anxiety/insecurity regarding being medication free. But, being without seizures for 7 years is a long time. Have you had a recent EEG to indication if brainwaves are now normal (if in fact there were abnormalities at the time of diagnosis)? An EEG which is now normal may suggest greater likelihood of having no seizures when off medication (which you essentially are given you are only taking 5 mg of depakote!)

Another thought: are you sure you are seizure-free? As you know with complex partial seizures you can have a seizure and be completely unaware that you are having the seizure. Even others around you may not really detect anything if they do not know you well. Maybe you are wondering this yourself, and this is why you are uneasy going off meds completely.

Out of curiousity, why was lamictal taken away first? This one can be known to stabilize moods for some people, so staying at a lowered dose of this one for a while longer might have been the way to go, and help easy some of the anxiety during this weaning process.
Click to expand...

My first EEG was literally black paper, it was really abnormal. Now, my most recent EEG was normal, without any epilepsy - waves.

My CPS was, idk how to say it in English, like I am here, but I am not here. You show me notebook and ask if it was cabbage, I would say yes. I also had amnesia for the time during CPS (couple of hours). Nowdays, I don't have any of the given symptoms. I sometimes during conversation wander off, but I guess people without CPS do that too.

IDK, I am working with the best doctor in the country, he wanted me to get off Lamictal first. I could also answer @seagull, the withdrawal symptoms were blurry thoughts, not many people can understand this, but if anyone has a chance, I guess you guys have. It was like I have a balloon in my forehead and I can't think straight. Also, mood swings were present during reducing dosage of both meds.

Thanks everyone for replying! :)
 
Hey Hopper, as you know, there's no easy way to predict an individual's seizure history. Still, I think your seizure-free interval has been long and that's a good sign. I think the insecurity you are feeling w/o meds will diminish over time. Right now it's very normal to feel anxious. You might want to consider doing regular stress-reduction activities such as yoga or meditation to help take the edge off and give your brain a place to "vent".

Good luck on your seizure-free journey!
 
Blurry thoughts I don't know,what do get is thought from my past in crystal clarity something not thought about in years the thoughts are very random the clarity so good it freighting then the thought goes.maybe this no be bother thing I in is fuzzy thoughts
 
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