Medication....zzzzz

A few months ago I was at a party and I was chatting away with a friend that I've known for about a year now. I believe we were discussing alcohol....what we like and what we don't, etc. To my surprise she mentioned that she had epilepsy and was on a combination of seizure medication and had to restrict her drinking, like me.  I had NO clue and was surprise she was pretty open about it. But again if something where to happen if she's out and about you would want people to know what was going on and what to do. Anyhow...back to her meds! She goes between Dilantin and Keppra. I'm not sure why they doctor has her switch because normally you don't want to fluctuate between meds and/or doses. I myself have been on Keppra since 2007. I was briefly on Dilantin after my initial surgery, but they didn't want me to stay on it for some reason. I know it's an older medication and one that people with more serious seizures tend to take. One of the things people tend to bring up when you're on the same medication is "What are your side effects??" With seizure medications there seems to be more noticeable ones. Doctors always say your body will get use to it with time and they usually go away. Well, they are not always right. Especially in the case of seizure meds! Two of the biggest side effects are tiredness/low energy and vivid dreams. And my friend and I experience both and they really never go away. The vivid dreams subsided a bit, but they still affect me. The worst one is the low energy and that I struggle with every day. Sigh. There's really not enough caffeine in the world that will change that either. I can only assume it will get worse with age. Hopefully by that time there might be some newer type of medication that won't have that side effect. Fingers crossed for the future!

Please share what your experiences have been with seizure medication!

My seizure experiences

There are many different types of seizures one can have. I've had 3 since my original surgery in 2007. The first one I had was before I was put on any type of medication. This one was called a "Grand Mal" seizure, which is the "biggest" and "most dramatic" a person can experience. Unfortunately I was sleeping when it happened, so I cannot recall details although I was able to pinpoint what I had due to the effects:

Grand Mal Seizure:
1. Unconsciousness (3+ minutes)
2. Stiffening and jerking of the muscles every 30-60 seconds.
3. Tongue biting
4. Loss of bladder control
5. Pupil dilation
5. Deep sleep after seizure (additional 6+ hours)

Afterward my body had felt like I had just run a marathon because every muscle so extremely sore and I was so physically exhausted.

My second grand mal seizure occurred in my sleep as well. I didn't have as much soreness is my muscles and the tongue biting wasn't as severe.

The third, and most recent, seizure happened in December 2012. And even though it wasn't a "grand mal" it was the most terrifying to date. This was mainly because I was conscious for the entire episode. I was on the treadmill doing interval running and my vision started to get a bit distorted. Normally when this occurs I get a migraine, but I also had a strange feeling in my head that was very different from what I have felt before. I immediately got off the treadmill and collapsed on my side. My arm was jerking and I had no control of it. I was also unable to speak to try and get help. Luckily my father heard the treadmill running with no one on it and came to see what was wrong. Shortly after I was taken to the emergency room where I had a CT scan and nothing showed up abnormal. Although by the time the took the scan it was about 4-5 post seizure. We believe this was either a myclonic or atonic episode.

Today I continue to do what I can to prevent another seizure from happening:
Take meds on time
Get enough sleep
Limit alcohol
Limit stress (easier said than done) 
Not physically overworking (i.e. exercise)

I do recommend always carrying your seizure meds on you just in case. And also make sure the people are are around the most (friends, co-workers, family, etc.) know your situation and your hospital preference.

Seizures after brain surgery

One the most important things I wanted to write about was seizures after brain surgery. This is mainly because I really wasn't made aware of them until I had my first one. They briefly mentioned the risk, but gave me no additional details on what to avoid.

Below are 3 triggers that cause seizures after brain surgery:

1. ALCOHOL: One of the biggest triggers for seizures after brain surgery. You can still drink, but my neurologist recommended only having ONE. I've pushed this to 2 drinks, maybe 3 on a weekend. Although this is usually over a good span of time, 3-4 hours. And I always drink water with it. I also recommend limiting the number of days you drink per week as well to no more than 2 or 3.

2. SLEEP: There's a direct link between the amount of sleep you get and seizures. Try to get  7-8 hours each night.

3. STRESS: There are two types of stress that will trigger a seizure: physical and emotional. If you regularly workout or have a manual labor-type job it is essential you do not push yourself too hard. And if you're going through a stressful situation (job, family, etc) that also comes into play.  

Please note these are not the only triggers of seizures. Talk to you doctor for more information and what you can do to avoid them. Once you do experience a seizure you will be put on seizure medication (most likely for life). Even if you are put on medication you can still have additional seizures, therefore it is essential be aware of the triggers listed above.