treament and/or coping with confusion and forgetfulness

[Kim16]

Hi,

My son Dave is 17. He started having seizures when he was nine. He had the drop and absense types of seizures. The seizures were brought under control by Depakote. A few years later he began to develop nocturnal seizures. He is currently on Zonagran and Keppra. He was seizure free for about ten months until he had a seizure about a month ago and since then he has had a few episodes of confusion--he says its just like after a seizure without the seizure. The neurologist increased his Zonagran about two weeks ago. He is already taking the maxium dosage of Keppra.

It is impossible to get him to wake up in the mornings. He has a 504 plan to excuse the tardies, but he falls behind in school because he frequently misses his first period class.

He is very bright and wants to go to college. I am looking for resourses to help him with the transition from high school to college. The meds have always made him tired but lately he has been very forgetful also. I think he may depressed also and I'm looking for a good counselor. Please share anything that might help him.
Thank you
Kim

 

[Nakamova]

Hi Kim16, welcome to CWE!

Both Keppra and Zonegran can affect moods, so it's possible that your son's depression is related to the meds. When I was on Zonegran it affected my appetite and gave me low blood sugar, which can also affect mood and energy levels. After a few months on it I was also having episodes of confusion, and Zonegran turned out to be the culprit. If the meds are problematic, then it may be worth checking in with his neuro to see what other options there are.

I would encourage your son to keep a seizure journal to keep track of when he has the "episodes", and note any other factors which might be triggers. these can include fatigue, low blood sugar, nutritional imbalances, food sensitivities, dehydration, and other physical, physiological, and emotional stressors. It's also useful for tracking meds, and seeing how/if the side effects link to dosing times during the day, as well as increases.

Since college can be stressful for anyone, the more balanced your son's lifestyle is before going off to college, the better. Does his high school have a guidance counselor? Does he have a college in mind? Many colleges have advisors to help accommodate students with special requirements.

Best,
Nakamova

 

[Kim16]

Nakamova,
Thank you for your suggestions. Dave wants to major in architecture and he is applying to several schools. I want to continue to encourage him to follow his dreams. I am concerned that the intense level of work and stress/sleep deprivation of college in general and particularly Architecture could cause him to have more seizures.

I will definately check with the schools where he is applying and see what level of support they provide. I wish there was someone to mentor him in organization and time management tailored to his difficulties. Even obvious suggestions such as writing down all assignments/appointments etc. might be better coming from someone other that me, his mother. I want to approach this from a perspective of "lets see what resources are out there to help you succeed" because I am afraid that my well intentioned efforts to help him will backfire if he sees it as criticism and nagging.
Kim

 

[epileric]

Dave wants to major in architecture and he is applying to several schools. I want to continue to encourage him to follow his dreams. I am concerned that the intense level of work and stress/sleep deprivation of college in general and particularly Architecture could cause him to have more seizures.

I know I've had lots of trouble with academics. Even if I knew the stuff I never seemed to be able to put it in writing. I do know that the one thing I am grateful for is that I was never told not that something was too intense or stressful for my seizures to handle.

I admit that they get worse when I'm stressed but I've also found that over the years I"ve learned my boundaries & what I've needed to do to stay balanced enough to deal with the stresses of life (not just school).

Even obvious suggestions such as writing down all assignments/appointments etc. might be better coming from someone other that me, his mother.

Any way you can get him to join this site without him thinking you're nagging or overprotective?

 

[trillium]

Have you had his med levels checked lately to make sure that they are in a therapeutic range?

 

[Kim16]

Trillium,
I am beginning to think that some tests should be done. His neurologist does not seem to think that the medications are the problem since he was seizure free for ten months while on the same dose. He increased the Zonegran because it was possible that the episodes of confusion were some kind of "pre-seizure". Also when Dave was on Depakote he had frequent routine blood work to check the levels, but the neurologist told me that it is not necessary with Zonegran and Keppra.

Epileric,
I wish he would join a site like this because it would help him realize he is not alone, but he does not seem open to it. I am glad I found it though.

 

[trillium]

Trillium,
I am beginning to think that some tests should be done. His neurologist does not seem to think that the medications are the problem since he was seizure free for ten months while on the same dose. He increased the Zonegran because it was possible that the episodes of confusion were some kind of "pre-seizure". Also when Dave was on Depakote he had frequent routine blood work to check the levels, but the neurologist told me that it is not necessary with Zonegran and Keppra.

.

Hi, possibly if your son has gained weight (if he's 17, he's probably still growing), his levels may have gone down. Also if other meds were adjusted, this can lower the levels of his aeds. Hope that you figure it out.

 

[Meetz1064]

Trillium does

have a valid point there, Kim. Also.........when a child/teenager has a 504/IEP plan in place, it typically follows them into college until the age of 21. But check with the college, and refer to the office that deals with people with disabilities.