Seizures and major depression

[PeggyN]

Is there any information available about the interaction on counter-action of taking anti-seizure and anti - depressant medicines at the same time? I'm currently taking keppra, effexor and just added remeron.

 

[Cint]

You can ask your dr. or better yet, talk to your pharmacist. I take Keppra, Topamax and Zoloft for depression. Keppra is one AED that is known for rage. Many are also used to treat mood disorders.

Here is a website that has more info:
http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/impact/moods-and-behavior/medications-and-mood

 

[PeggyN]

Yeah...I've asked my neurologist & my psychiatrist & neither have any answers. I'll try the pharmacist. Thanks!

 

[Fedup]

PeggyN

Your neurologist and psychiatrist should be able to tell you about the interaction between the two drugs and which go together. If the neurologist does not know I would think about getting a new one, the leaflet that comes with the medication should also tell you what drugs not to take with that drug.

 

[Cint]

Yeah...I've asked my neurologist & my psychiatrist & neither have any answers. I'll try the pharmacist.

Did you look at the link? The neurologist and the shrink should have answers. I'm appalled they didn't. So here are some answers:

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/impact/moods-and-behavior/medications-and-mood

Medications And Mood

Sometimes a seizure medication works well to control seizures, but affects your mood or bothers you in other ways. You may need to change medicines to find one that doesn't cause these side effects. Remember, side effects can be good or bad. Some medicines can improve mood, while another may worsen it. A man trying to control his seizures and lose weight may be pleased to find that his seizure medicine helps him do both. But that same medicine may make someone else toss and turn at night.

Why do seizure medicines affect how I feel?
Emotions and moods are clearly connected to a specific portion of the brain, the limbic area. This area is frequently involved in seizures and seizure-like activity. Seizure medicines try to stop seizures by changing the actions of cells in that part of the brain, but then they also can affect other things that those cells are responsible for, such as moods and emotions.

Why does one medicine make me feel different and another one doesn't?
Different seizure medicines work on different chemicals or neurotransmitters in the brain. Your mood and behavior also have a chemical basis, so they may be affected if the medicine you're taking works on the same chemicals. Another medicine that works on different chemicals probably will not have the same effect.

Often, side effects will occur or will be worse because the amount of medicine you take is increased too fast or the level in your blood is too high. If you notice changes in your mood when you are starting a new medicine, let your doctor know. A change in dosage may help.

Individuals react to medication in different ways. Your doctor doesn't know what side effects (if any) will definitely appear when you are given a particular medicine. One that works well and has no side effects for you might have very negative effects for another person.

Increased symptoms of depression: Sabril, Gabitril, Zonegran, phenobarbital, mysoline, Keppra
Increased anxiety: Felbatol, Keppra

Some of the same meds used for seizures are also used for bi-polar, mood disorders, so your psychiatrist needs to know about these meds. And there are/can be interactions between AEDs and anti-depressants. At one time, my shrink prescribed remeron for my depression, but it only made it worse for me, so I stopped taking it.

 

[valeriedl]

I know that some epilepsy medicines are used to treat depression. Your pharmacist or one of your drs should be able to tell you if one of the ones you are on does and if it is ok to be taken with one of the other meds that you are on. You could also try looking it up on the internet and see too but I don't think that is the way to get the best answer.

I have a VNS and it is used to treat depression. I wasn't aware of this until one day when I was reading the booklet that came with it. I don't know if medicines react differently because of it but my neuro has never said anything about it doing that. I've never had any problems with it, that I know of, and the meds I'm on though.

 

[Matthew74]

"Tricyclic" anti-depressants can cause problems with epilepsy.

 

[patek8ks]

I agree Matthew74- my neurologist put me on Nortriptyline for migraine therapy and I have found since starting Nortriptyline my epilepsy/seizures are more frequent especially at night during sleep as I take Nortriptyline in the evening...coincidence I think not!

 

[Cint]

"Tricyclic" anti-depressants can cause problems with epilepsy.

onder: When I was seeing a neuropsychiatrist, he initially put me on a "tricyclic" anti-depressant because for those of us with E, they are better than the SSRIs. But the Nortriptilyne did nothing for the depression, so we had to move on to find something to get me out of major depression. Yes, the tricyclics can lower the seizure thresholds, but some of the SSRIs are worse. But I now take Zoloft and it hasn't caused anymore problems than the tricyclics, so it is worth it for me. As I said in my previous post, some anti-depressant work for some and some don't work. The Zoloft works for me but the Remeron made me psychotic. I couldn't take it.

And even worse, some meds used for major depression, bipolar I and II, can cause Diabetes. These are: Abilify, *Zyprexa, Risperdal, Geodon. Been there, too. I now have Type 1 Diabetes, thanks to Zyprexa! :crying:

But the problem with Epilepsy is mood disorders go hand-in hand for some of us. So we have to find something to balance it out.

 

[patek8ks]

I agree that Epilepsy and mood disorders go hand as well as migraines...I was,once diagnosed as having bipolar but it was the trial of Lyrica I was put on in addition to my normal regimen of Topomax that made me completely out of my mind! The Nortriptyline does NOTHING to help my anxiety and depression but does help with the migraines....I would rather not be on it period....hang in there! Some days are most definitely better then others!

 

[Cint]

Why are they using an anti-depressant to treat your migraine? I also used to get intense migraines, but was never treated with a tricyclic for it. I was taking Imitrex for my migraines. Now I use OTC Excedrin for migraines.

 

[patek8ks]

The neurologist stated that since I had zero luck with any of the triptans (Buspar Imitrex and Maxalt) in addition to Lyrica making me completely out of my mind he decided to try this. I'm basically stuck between a rock and a hard place.=0( the neurologist blamed Exedrin Migraine for producing rebound headaches stating if I take that for more then 2 days it can cause this (which sometimes my migraines do last a couple of days) I often wonder if acupuncture will help?

 

[Nakamova]

The study below suggests that acupuncture may provide some migraine pain. The study has limitations -- it doesn't compare acupuncture to medication and it only looks at the results of a single session -- but it does find a positive difference between the "sham" acupuncture control groups and the group receiving real acupuncture.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19438740

This study -- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12542558 -- compares a med (sumatriptan) to real acupuncture to sham acupuncture and concludes: "In this trial acupuncture and sumatriptan were more effective than a placebo injection in the early treatment of an acute migraine attack. When an attack could not be prevented, sumatriptan was more effective than acupuncture at relieving headache."

 

[patek8ks]

Wow! I truly appreciate this!!! It's a start and I have just saved the link and will be bringing this information to my neurologist next month at my follow up! Thank you!! =0)