Epilepsy Medication...

clivejohnson

peediedj wrote: »

my sons the same keeping him in food is impossible i have never seen a 14 yo kid eat so much

I know!! i asked my neurologist about iand she basically said- "sorry but tough"! lol

In a nice way of course:o)

peediedj

is a catch 22 he eats loads so put weight on so drugs need increased so then eats more and so on

FleurDuLys

My sister is 37 and has taken Epilim (Sodium Valproate) for epilepsy since she was a child with no ill-effects. As the others have stated, ANY reported side-effects have to be stated with medicines, even if they have only ever occurred once or twice during testing of the drug and may not even have been caused by it. Medicines wouldn't be available for prescription unless the benefits outweighed the risks, which I think is reassuring

Humphrey10

I wouldn't trust a GP to alter prescriptions for epilepsy medication, I'd want a neurologist to do it. The neurologist I saw said most GPs aren't very knowledgeable about epilepsy.

Most medications can have horrible side effects, read the side effects for aspirin or paracetamol, those can kill you too.

Get your family member to ask their neurologist what the ramifications of not taking epilepsy medication would be. It depends on the type/severity of the seizures they have.

MrsManda

It's a good idea for your relative to speak to a neurologist if they haven't already in order to discuss the right medication for them. There's no such thing as an anti-epileptic drug (or any other type of medication come to that) which don't have a long list of possible side effects, some of them horrendous. The key word though is 'possible'.

I take lamotrigine and have no side-effects at all, I've taken other anti epileptics and had serious side effects resulting in me being taken off the medication. This why you get regular reviews when taking any long term medication, so that problems can be detected and dealt with.

Could there be another reason why your relative does not want to take anti-epileptic medication and is using the side-effect list as an excuse? Some people get very worried/upset about the idea that they may have to take medication for the rest of their lives and it is this worry which causes them to reject treatment, even if that's not the reason they give.

kazzah60

hello
my brother has very complex epilepsy following the removal of a benign brain tumour in 1968
he takes numerous medicines including Epilim ( sodium valproate) Tegratol and a few others
he too suffers from some quite distressing ( for him) side effects such as extreme tiredness, sore eyes, peripheral visual loss and an exacerbation of his extremely severe psoriasis - he has been on a combination of these drugs since 1962

however, I truly believe that it would be virtually impossible to find any medication that did not result in SOME side effects for SOME people - my brother knows that each time he has a seizure
he is at risk of serious injury ( he has terrible episodes where he walks through his seizures and ahs been found wandering down a dual carriageway before now) or even death - so for him the choice is simple

also I agree with many other posters - I find it odd that the GP is prescribing medication - in my experience the Neurologist would work out the drugs regimen and the GP would only issue the prescription - my brother has had many a row with his GP's surgery when his repeat prescriptions run out and they keep saying he has to see the GP for a "meds review" - it is simply a waste of my brothers time and the Gp's time- the GP is NOT authorised or experienced enough to alter the prescription from the specialist.

clivejohnson

Re:your final paragraph: That is the system that both my GP and neurologist work to. FTR, my GP is excellent BTW, and I have to have a review every October. i.e. "are you happy with everything,feel ok?" "Yes" "good, off you go then!":-)
The ramifications, if he drives will be horrendous; If he does have a drivers license it will have to be reviewed every five years, and if he has a siezure, he loses his license for one year, change of meds while driving=6 months.

So, if I dont take my meds, i cant drive, cant drive, no job, no job, no roof over our heads-simple as that really

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

Sorry I should have confirmed. It is a Neurologist that prescribed initially the Lamotrigine. They refused this and saw their GP who contacted the Neurologist who then got back to the GP and suggesed Sodium Valproate.

We have written to the GP today and expressed concerns. In the letter my relative has asked that they find out about other medications from the Neurologist that may be suitable. Google brings up quite a list of medications that are used to treat Epilepsy but it seems that Sodium Valproate and Lamotrigine is the first one reached for. Possibly the "Calpol" of the range.

Hopefully, my relative can then read and research any suggested medications before making any commitment. They have called it having an informed choice. Which I guess is fair enough.

clivejohnson

well, whatever you do, dont let the side effects cloud your judgment. What should be first and foremost in your minds is to get the epilepsy stabilized. Unfortunately, your relative's neurologist can do no more than what mine did-try drugs that work, and those that don't work, come off of them, BUT CONSULT THE NEUROLOGIST FIRST! You will get there, but don't expect a quick fix.

I would suggest to your GP that he tries phenobarbitol, as it could be more suited to his needs.

For the record, I take epilim (sodium valporate) as my legs sometimes twitch when i am in bed asleep- and end up kicking the OH in the shins!:-)

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

Thanks. It seems there hasn't been any informed choice with it all really. The Neurologist appointments are short, often rushed and running late.

Medications is just prescribed without any discussion or options. If you go to a car dealer you get a choice of models in a range. Each has different benefits/disadvantages. Just the same as this I guess.

TEN may not occur or SJS but if somone was to say to me it will do your health good to put your hand in a tank of pirranah fish - but there's a chance they will strip your skin to the bone - I think I would be cautious!