seizure meds

[CAROL SLONE]

My son is presently on 3 types of meds for seizures. He has been on a variety of meds. Right now he is taking Keppra, he has been on this for app 4 1/2 years. Which he has done well on till lately despite the increases. He is also taking Trileptal and i dont know a whole lot about it. He is also on Topomax sprinkles (which he will be coming off them soon. Topomax keeps him from sweating which is really bad. overheating can cause seizures. I truly dont know what triggers his seizures. He has had them at so many different times and situations that it is hard to say. The Trileptal is the newest med and he seems to be doing ok with it. He has been seizure free for 8 weeks now.(a record for the past year and a half). He was on the Keppra for so long and it worked for over 2 year at a small dose. That was t he only med he was on too. Why would it not work after a increase? That is what gets me. He has been on Pheonbarb, tegretol, depokote they did not work either. The pheonbarb acutally helped calm him down. I was just wondering if any one else has any input on the meds or seizures. It would be nice if there were other ways to treat epilepsy besides using meds.

[Judi]

My son doesn't have seizures, but he is also on 3 different meds for Bipolar Disorder. He has been on the same 3 meds for a while now and just last month we tried adding Lithium to the mix. We did this because the meds he was on seemed to not be working as well as they had been. Well, the Lithium was a no go. He wouldn't take it so I guess we'll never really know if it would've helped. I think maybe the body gets used to certaon meds and then they just don't work like they used to.? My son also is on Depakote and it seems to be helping him. Good luck with the Trileptal. I don't know much about it, but I've heard of it. I hope your son continues to be seizure free.
Hugs~ Judi

[Sharon]

We have been on Keppra for 1 1/2 years and it still seems to be working. He is on a low dose and knock on wood he has not had a seizure since. They told me that the change in seasons can trigger seizures so I always make sure that it summer he does not get too hot. I make him exercise a lot and always make sure he drinks plenty of water and lots of snacks. Wish I had more to help but I would love to hear what others have to say.

[Diana Terry]

Hi Carol...I too have a seizure disorder..I did not have my first gran-mal seizure until I was about 26 years old and they still have no reason why I have them. They told me that stress plays a significant role as well as hormonal issues sometimes. I have been on Dilantin ( an older drug) and Neurontin for years with good success so far..I have been seizure free for about 6 years now.. WHOHOO.. Sometimes the body becomes immune to particular drugs and despite an increase they still won't work to their full potential because of that..you know like some antibiotics will work for some infections??Same thing with anti seizure meds..I am glad to hear he will be comming off the Topromax though you are right a significant increase in body temp. will also cause someone to .seize. .Sometimes it takes a combination of meds to catch what is called "break through seizures". I have been on Tegretol before and it did not work for me either There are alot of the newer drugs out there that do not have as many side effects as the older ones too...Please let me know if you need help, as I feel your pain and frustration for your child..Sometimes I feel like the Dr's use our kids like lab rats with some of the drugs they choose and it is very hard to find a Dr. that will work with the parents for what is best for their child...Good luck, and I too hope your son stays seizure free...... And I am here for you....LOVE AND HUGS