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Changing Meds

Posted , 5 users are following.

tony48808
tony48808

Hi, 

I've had epilepsy for over 50 years, since the early 90's have been on a combination of Sabril & Tegretol, has been working really good, I think I've only had one blackout while in consciousness in over 25 years even thouhg I have been having typical absence seizures in my sleep, usually in early hours of morning once or twice a month. Due to the side effects of taking sabril over a long period of time (BLINDNESS) i HAVE DECIDED TO CHANGE MEDS. Now on Keppra for the last 2 months. Always tired, sleepy, grumpy, lethargic and have had a couple of seizures while conscious. Can anybody make any suggestions

1 like, 20 replies

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  • sarah_36431
    sarah_36431 tony48808

    Posted

    hi im 19 and been on kappera for the last 5 years. the side effects eventually slow down and some will disapear altogether. you caqn ask your doctor for help with the esspecially anti sickness if nessasary. good luck with it all

     

  • Winnie143
    Winnie143 tony48808

    Posted

    So how have we all been regardng  seizures ?

    All well  I hope xx  

    Wish they'd  make a miracle drug with no side effects  (Dream on Win)

    Hope all is well with you all especially Karen and her VNS xx

    Love to us All and keep optomistic laughter is good for us.

    Love

    Win xx xx Still only 1 jerk of the arm since last speaking ((touch wood/head) xx

    Good luck All xxxx

  • angelo01cruz
    angelo01cruz tony48808

    Posted

    It's almost impossible to find a anti-epileptic drug that has no stressful side effects. Normally what people do is just follow the prescribed or the medicine that we've tried and tested before. Keppra is truly a powerful medicine and indeed tends to be psychoactive. It can suck the life out of a person but it does repress the seizures. I'm not really into medicinal treatments, I chose other alternative options in curing diseases. Although this approach is not recommendable, I don't think that there is harm in trying. I've suggested the use of hemp oil products many times because it really does work. I have seen people with epilepsy got better by using hemp oil products. Anyway before trying this out, I would still advice that you consult your doctor first. Hemp oil products are simply nutritional supplements and are not substitute to medicines but the nutrients it provide can help the person. 
    • steve1951
      steve1951 angelo01cruz

      Posted

      Angel01cruz

      Besides the psychoactive THC in marijuana, regular marijuana contains a small amount of a non-high compound CBD. CBD has been found to reduce seizures in some people with uncontrollable forms of epilepsy. GW Pharmaceuticals is in the final stage of testing a pure form of CDB (as a liquid) in the U.S. The study is limited to an age group from young children up through the age of 18 where conventional meds have failed (I don’t know why the age limit).

      If I got my Dr to sign a form for medical marijuana, I could obtain it from local dispensaries. (I live in California). But my Dr doesn’t believe in marijuana, I doubt he’s heard of CBD. The special medical marijuana plant used to make CBD has practically no THC. If I obtained it, I would order it from a firm in Colorado (I can’t think of the company’s name, but it can be found on the web) that originally supplied non-THC marijuana to GW Pharmaceuticals. It’s expensive but pure. Local medical marijuana stores carry CBD products, but I don’t know how good the purity is. Their products also contain some THC. I don’t know if GW Pharmaceuticals still uses the company in Colorado or are growing their own plants. Their research labs are kept a secret.

      I can buy Hemp oil from a local health food store. I haven’t read the ingredients and I doubt they will include the breakdown of the amount of CBD. If I did purchase it, I would look for one that said “cold pressed”, no heat in the production process. When GW Pharmaceuticals gets approval to put their CBD anti-seizure med on the market (Epidiolex, a liquid), I doubt it will be cheap and pretty sure my insurance will not cover the cost.

      After 2 years of switching the combination doses of lamotrigine 450mg (Lamictal) and levetiracetam ER 1500mg (Extended Release, Keppra) around, I’ve had some auras but they have subsided.

      Has anyone experienced tonic clonic seizures in their sleep? I was having them a couple of years ago but my Dr dismissed them as dreams. I don’t dream about sweating and having seizures a couple times a night.

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