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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by zarathustra on November 15, 2006, at 11:07:28
Hello all, it has been ages since I have posted but things have changed so I need some help.
I am 31 years old and since I was 17 years old I have had partial-simple seizures about every 3 months consisting of a strong deja-vu feeling and an odd smell with stomach sensations (no loss of conciousness). The neurologist told me there was nothing to worry about and i didnt need medication. The seizures stayed consistent up until 3 months ago when I woke up with a bloody tongue and migraine, then last week I also woke with a bitten tongue and headache and vomitting.
Anyways I am seeing a new neurologist in Toronto who will put me on an anti-epileptic if I want. He cant definatively say these are grand-mals because no one has seen them and they are in my sleep (eeg and mri are normal).
I want to go on an antiepileptic med, but I have suffered from pretty nasty depression for as long as I can remember. I currently take 30mg of Paxil with little response.Which antiepileptic is best for depression also? I am thinking Lamictal. I must also tell you that no ADs have ever worked for me except for paxil and zoloft, BUT they dont work anymore even at high doses.
As far as I know, there are many antieplieptics which have antideppresant qualities as well.Please help with any insight or advice.
THANK YOU
Andrew
Posted by Squiggles on November 15, 2006, at 11:34:12
In reply to Best epileptic medication for depression also, posted by zarathustra on November 15, 2006, at 11:07:28
> Hello all, it has been ages since I have posted but things have changed so I need some help.
>
> I am 31 years old and since I was 17 years old I have had partial-simple seizures about every 3 months consisting of a strong deja-vu feeling and an odd smell with stomach sensations (no loss of conciousness). The neurologist told me there was nothing to worry about and i didnt need medication.Ha. Yeah, washed their hands and sealed your
fate.
The seizures stayed consistent up until 3 months ago when I woke up with a bloody tongue and migraine, then last week I also woke with a bitten tongue and headache and vomitting.It's a good thing you have physical evidence.
> Anyways I am seeing a new neurologist in Toronto who will put me on an anti-epileptic if I want. He cant definatively say these are grand-mals because no one has seen them and they are in my sleep (eeg and mri are normal).Lucky you. I hope he helps.
> I want to go on an antiepileptic med, but I have suffered from pretty nasty depression for as long as I can remember. I currently take 30mg of Paxil with little response.I am on clonazepam (as well as lithium), possibly because bipolar is related to epileptic fits. I know that there have been situations (environmental as well as internal drug withdrawal) where i had what may
resemble seizures. But since my dr. encouraged
me to get off clonazepam after than scary *seizure* -- i did not btw, to the contrary - i increase the clonazepam as my head felt like it was going to blow up, i may be wrong about that; it may be that anti-convulsant withdrawal creates epileptic states.
>
> Which antiepileptic is best for depression also? I am thinking Lamictal. I must also tell you that no ADs have ever worked for me except for paxil and zoloft, BUT they dont work anymore even at high doses.That's something i don't understand - that drugs stop working.
> As far as I know, there are many antieplieptics which have antideppresant qualities as well.
>
> Please help with any insight or advice.Sorry, i have no instights -- just sharing my
experiences. Some of these electric headaches i get sometimes make wonder if a seizure is not about to come.Let us know what the Toronto dr. says.
Squiggles
> THANK YOU
> Andrew
Posted by linkadge on November 15, 2006, at 11:56:14
In reply to Re: Best epileptic medication for depression also » zarathustra, posted by Squiggles on November 15, 2006, at 11:34:12
Yeah, I'd think lamictal is your first best bet.
Linkadge
Posted by Squiggles on November 15, 2006, at 12:35:46
In reply to Re: Best epileptic medication for depression also, posted by linkadge on November 15, 2006, at 11:56:14
> Yeah, I'd think lamictal is your first best bet.
>
> LinkadgeWell, i wish you luck with the Toronto
neurologist. It seems that many of us
have to make a choice. I choose my dr.'s
opinion because he has known me for 25 years.
That seizure sure felt like epilepsy but he
said it was withdrawal.I have to make an uninformed choice as we
all do. I speculate but I don't know.
Life's like that.Good luck and thank you for the suggestion.
Squiggles
Posted by Phillipa on November 15, 2006, at 13:19:24
In reply to Re: Best epileptic medication for depression also » linkadge, posted by Squiggles on November 15, 2006, at 12:35:46
Two response first to Squqqles sounds like a withdrawal seizure from the k. Other yes I'd try lamictal first. Good luck. Love Phillipa
Posted by blueberry on November 15, 2006, at 17:38:02
In reply to Best epileptic medication for depression also, posted by zarathustra on November 15, 2006, at 11:07:28
They say if you want an anti-epileptic with the most antidepressant action you can get, then lamictal is the one most professionals would probably start with. I took depakote for a few months and got some antidepressant action from it. I took lamictal years ago. I do not remember why I stopped either one.
Posted by Squiggles on November 15, 2006, at 18:02:22
In reply to Re: Best epileptic medication for depression also » zarathustra, posted by blueberry on November 15, 2006, at 17:38:02
> They say if you want an anti-epileptic with the most antidepressant action you can get, then lamictal is the one most professionals would probably start with. I took depakote for a few months and got some antidepressant action from it. I took lamictal years ago. I do not remember why I stopped either one.
That may help some neophytes here -- it's good
of you to suggest it. In my case, the complexity
of the drug mix, and the chronic administration of lithium makes it too risky to change, imho.Squiggles
Posted by lukeds on November 15, 2006, at 21:45:59
In reply to Best epileptic medication for depression also, posted by zarathustra on November 15, 2006, at 11:07:28
If I were you I didn't left paxil, it is the antidepressant with the worst withadrawal symptoms of all, if you left it, you will enter into a hell (own experience).
The best option for you is to take paxil with lacmital, the lacmital is antiepileptic, works for bipolar disorder and improve the effects of the ssris, so I would do this.
But beware with lacmital you must take it slowly because it has a secondary effect called SJS that is a kind of skin rash or something similar that happens in 1 of 1000 persons that take lacmital.
Ask your doctor how to take them.
Greetings. lukeds.
Posted by Phillipa on November 15, 2006, at 23:11:08
In reply to Re: Best epileptic medication for depression also » zarathustra, posted by lukeds on November 15, 2006, at 21:45:59
They have two sizes of a starter pack one for kids one for adults . The adult is 25mg for two weeks, then 50mg for two weeks , then l00mg don't know how high you plan on going. Love Phillipa ps the kids is half of the dose.
Posted by med_empowered on November 16, 2006, at 2:44:20
In reply to Re: Best epileptic medication for depression also » lukeds, posted by Phillipa on November 15, 2006, at 23:11:08
yup....lamictal is a good bet for seizures+depression. A benzo might be good, too, since it could reduce anxiety and also dampen seizure activity.
Neurontin and Lyrica I imagine could help...they're anticonvulsants..neurontin sucks for psychiatric stuff, but I hear Lyrica can be useful..I think they're both adjunctive meds, though, so you'd need something else as a main med.
Posted by linkadge on November 16, 2006, at 11:44:28
In reply to Re: Best epileptic medication for depression also, posted by med_empowered on November 16, 2006, at 2:44:20
You might be able to lower the effective dose of whatever AC you use by adding melatonin. Melatonin has antidepressant properties in some people too.
Linkadge
Posted by ed_uk on November 16, 2006, at 14:33:12
In reply to Re: Best epileptic medication for depression also, posted by linkadge on November 16, 2006, at 11:44:28
Don't forget that many antidepressant such as SSRIs might aggravate epilepsy in some people.
Ed
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