Suicide Risk From 11 Epilepsy Drugs

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Ah damn, now my screen is all blurry!



Thank you, Joey, for such a wonderful inspirational video!:clap::clap:
 
JOEY,

I had those thoughts too and these are the reasons why, seizures and all of the teasing and harassment that I got from everyone including my sisters. I told my Neurologist how I felt and it was because I was slipping into depression from being Epileptic for 44 years and being restricted on what I could and could not do for years. Until 9 years ago now I have to deal with migraines from the seizures, and arthritis from all of my injuries, and I still feel like a pharmacy.
CHEROKEE09
 
My uncle on my moms side commited suicide 1 year before i was born and my father was a manic depressant. i also have an uncle on my dads side who is currently in a state hospital he has very bad depression and he reminds me of
myself because he has always lived with his parents his whole life and never got married and never had any children. I am not sure what goes on in his mind but i can understand what he went through because he was commited when his parents died. I rely alot on my mom also and my whole life would change so much if anything happened to her. I dont know if this is all genetic or what but my sister has worse depression then me and she does not have epilepsy. does anyone else feel like this.
 
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Joey,
Yes I do feel that way, I am very close to my dad and he has already had 5 triple bipasses, I don't know what I going to do if I lose him, he is only 68.
My mom is only 64 and I am close to her, and if I lose my mom because of my stepdad I don't know what I will do.
I am sorry to hear about your uncle,
from what I understand Depression of all types can run in the family.

CHEROKEE09
 
Never felt suicidal but...

I can see how depression overlays having E. I see a therapist and am not currently medicated but will probably start Keppra again to get my complex partials under control. Everyday is a bad one when seizures are ruling my life, and I am almost a hermit...Not to get depressing here, but Keppra and other AED's are depressants, and when i started taking Keppra, i cried for about 2 weeks at start of medication, and when i increased my dosage. But, the constant cog fog and disconnection from my surroundings with auras unmedicated...is no way to live and even a kitchen buther knife looks surreal. That's how i know the risk of medication's side effects beats this underwater dream state.

Also, I will be attending a Landmark Forum this summer--it should help to switch up my mindset to a more positive one, and is supposed to help you gain control of your circumstances and has helped people get married, switch careers, follow their dreams essentially. Google it--this program is world wide, and gives me hope...
 
They are making SO much progress on researching epilepsy. Joey, you may be the one that helps researchers figure out the puzzle for both depression and epilepsy. They may come up with some excellent method such as a specific diet or medication that takes care of both.

It's so hard to predict our future with this disability, but it does put things in a different light than the average person sees them. Look at how many medications they have discovered within the past 40 years. Take care, do your best and look forward to a potential great future.
 
i take phenytek and depakote. the depakote is actually supposed to treat both manic depression or bi polar and epilepsy so it is hard to understand alot of my feelings. i also see commercials about suicide and epilepsy drugs made by lawers but i forget the meds they talk about
 
Thanks, Joey, for posting the Youtube. Seems like I saw that same guy on some TV show, don't remember which one.

I've had bad seizures in public, too, so I know it is not a lot of fun, and yes it could be worse. The first grand mal seizure I had was in the bathroom shower in the hot water, so I have 2nd and 3rd degree burns to show for it. If the first dr. would have treated me properly, maybe that would not have happened.

My grandfather committed suicide when my father was very young, my nephew is bi-polar and I was diagnosed as bi-polar, after I was diagnosed with epilepsy. But they say the depression is genetic. Some of the seizure meds certainly don't help! I don't know where the epilepsy came from.
 
xenome said:
I feel suicidal alot, but I think its caused by the fact that I have seizures to begin with, not the drugs Im taking. Having epilepsy is a horrible thing to have, especially when its uncontrolled like mine are so why would people blame the pills and not the disease?
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:agree:100%
 
I am on 3 of the medicines on the list. I am ready if I have suicidal thoughts. I will immediately go to a pschyatrist. I have read in to many research papers that it is a fact. I hope I am wrong.
 
Joey, I think it can be both. Its so hard. I am on 2 meds that make me feel awful. I can tell they are the meds. But it can be a combination of things going on in your life. Meds, seizures,regular things you are dealing with in your life. I see somebody. If I didn't I would really be down. Teresa
 
I have had a couple of Anti-epileptic drugs years ago ( I won't
name them ) that left me with thoughts of that realm; but all
I did was bring it up to my Neurologist who had ordered up the
lab work up and found the medication at too high of a level and
lowered the titration; and it resolved the problem. Then he turned
around and thought it was best just to be off of it altogether so
those got the ax. So I am not ashamed to say that I had a
couple of medications that put me into that realm - however,
it was due to the fact that the medication itself was in a high
titration and that it was at close to toxicity range, even though
the medications were working and seizures were being controlled;
it just was not worth it.

As it has been implied multiple times - trial and error, trial and error.

If ever you experience thoughts that are unusual to you, even
thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself or others - STOP - call
the Neurologist (or if the office is closed - go to the Hospital,
they can handle it from there and get a hold of your Neurologist
or Primary / General / Family Doctor if necessary) and go from
there. This also applies to feelings of feeling "low, depressed,
sad, down and out, under..." and so on - those emotions which
you do not normally feel. The same manner of those emotions of
anger, hostility, irritability, moodiness, etc. Such needs to be reported
because medications can have an impact and it is not necessarily
"All Epilepsy".

It is true that people with Epilepsy do tend to have issues with
Mental Health areas, while not all of them - and sometimes some
medication(s) can make things worse and to others who do not have
it, suddenly develops such. Everyone is differing, and the best option
is - Tell Your Doctor!
 
stilldancing_98 said:
Joey, I think it can be both. Its so hard. I am on 2 meds that make me feel awful. I can tell they are the meds. But it can be a combination of things going on in your life. Meds, seizures,regular things you are dealing with in your life. I see somebody. If I didn't I would really be down. Teresa
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Its like being kicked when your already down.
having to feel self conscious and have a med to make the feeling worse, it should be mandatory for people with e (especially young people) too see a psychiatrist. I dont know why anyone would think a teenager having a seizure in front of his class mates could actually go on with the rest of his school week.
 
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I get the same way. I believe in you. Anybody can say that. But I do. I have a son that is sick. I have e. And I do most of it alone. You have to have a reason. What ever it is. Who ever it is. It can be dumb to every body else but screw them. Its all on the outside. I am here ...
 
Joey, when I was a teenager, I had a seizure while answering a question in front of the class. In that class, I had to stand up to answer. For some reason it did not bother me. I am sure it would bother most.

stilldancing, you are very sensitive to other people. You are here for us. We are here for you. None of us can go through it alone. That is why we are talking here.
 
feast said:
Joey, when I was a teenager, I had a seizure while answering a question in front of the class. In that class, I had to stand up to answer. For some reason it did not bother me. I am sure it would bother most.

stilldancing, you are very sensitive to other people. You are here for us. We are here for you. None of us can go through it alone. That is why we are talking here.
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wow you must be super women, you mean to tell me it did not bother you at all to have your classmates seeing you have a seizure? it absolutely ruined my life! That just goes to show how different we are.
 
Hi Joey

Thank you for the compliment, but I am far from being super woman.

My classmates all ready knew I had epilepsy. When I first found out I had epilepsy, I did not know I was not to tell anyone. I figured that if they were my friends, they would remain my friends. If they were not my friends, they would leave. They left. I only had one friend and she was planning on being a nurse. We were really good friends. She understood and accepted me as I was.
 
Hi Joey,

I decided to add that my father, sister and I all had epilepsy. My brother and sister were devasted. We went to the same school. He had to take me home. My sister had a job and lied about having epilepsy. We never told on her. This is true. I know it sounds unreal.
 
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