Hi I am 39 yr old female in NZ and am going thru a very unstable medication trial on Sodium Valporate 600mg a day dose (common name in NZ Epillim). My first seisure occurred in 2003 as a result of Menangitis a virus that attacks the nervous system and the Lower temporal brain resulting in seisures. I was in a coma and recovered very slowly after that after being given Fenatone which I was allergic to and did not know as I never had it before. Since then I had taken Epillim and was told it will be for the rest of my life. Side effects include, loss of hair (head) weight gain, feeling weak/dizzy, loss of balance while walking resulting in falls, slow thinking and and fatique.Had spells, feeling disoriented, confused, but still consious, which was later confirmed as partial seisures after 4 years of having it, when luckily one EEG had some abnormal activity during the test, which saved me believing I was on he brink of some nervous breakdown going crazy.
I had a recent seisure 3 weeks ago, Tonic Clonic after 6 years in my sleep went to hospital. My medication dose increased to 800 mg and I started having chest pains, vomitting and dizziness, felt really weak and have pain in my leg and arms stabbing sudden and then it eases.
Went to Hospital and got checked out, MRIs all clear. I have ben put on this medication for the rest of my life and was told to watch stress, diet and excercise. Tried all this for the last years, I can't work, after part time work for a few years I had to give that up, I can't sleep at night , and then am tired all day. Have tried sleeping tabs but does not make any difference. Have had depression and was on Aropax for a long time now. I decided to stop taking it as that tab got my anxiety worse.
I am stuggling to hang in there as everyone tells me. Am already feeling I have lost social life as I can't make it to most events alone and can't drive, already had an accident while driving, I had a partial seisure.
So now am stuck at home, great to be on this site! It would be lovely if my fatique could just allow me to read all the comments on this topic in one day. So unfair I have all the time in my life but can't even be on the web longer than 10 minutes.
Post Edited (Michelle20) : 10/18/2009 4:52:21 PM (GMT-6)