one4gimp - DEPAKOTE,TOPAMAX,NEURONTIN,LAMICTAL,DILANTIN,KEPPRA (LEVETIRACETAM)

one4gimp 40 Male

Location: HIGHLAND, IN USA

My Bio

In 1981 at the age of 9yrs old I was diagnoised with a brain tumor after having my first gran mal seizure. I was scheduled for surgery a couple weeks later after a series of tests to pinpoint it''s size and location during the 25hrs of surgery they found an anyurism and drained it. The seizure and tumor were truely a blessing in disguise. The surgery left me with a visual field impairment unfortunately I can''t see out of the left half of each eye. But as grandma told me, "God had a special plan for me." After trying several medications as a child we finally found Depakote a relatively new medication at that time. I was able to control my seizures for a very long time after that. I was able to lead a very normal life I learned to play trombone and other instruments in band I played in the High School marching and Jazz Band where I would eventually meet my wife. I learned to drive and only had one seizure during this period. after meeting my wife again in 1993 she had had graduated before me and had been married and divorced,and now had a 2yr old son, we moved in together. In 1995 I went to technical School to become a Auto /diesel mechanic. I was already working in the field but had no formal training. after returing from school in1996 people began to notice small lapses of attenion from me I''d kinda "space out" I just chalked it up to beeing tired I was working long hours 6-7 days a week to put food on the table and save for a wedding. until that day in 1997 we hadn''t been married too long I was on my way home from work and I totaled the truck. witnesses said I never let off the gas and completely blew through the light. I found a nurologist and he ran some tests and said I was having seizures again so we started trying meds again. I continued my job as a mechanic although not driving any more. The shop I worked at was great. But, I continued to have these small seizures and they were getting more frequent and lasting longer ( a few minutes at a time) So, I started looking for a different job maybe managing a shop or as a service writer. It would be safer than having a seizure while working on a car. Travel Centers of America contacted me and asked if I''d be interested in managing their shop in Indiana this sounded great I was ready to leave California and their High taxes and prices behind and I had been born in the area where the shop was located so I had lots of relatives there. We moved to Indiana in 2002 and bought our first home. But, the long hours at T.A. began to take their toll first the small seizures they said, "I wasn''t paying attention" then the big one hit One morning after a night shift my wife said I came falling down the stairs I had soiled myself and was seizing she seizure appeared to stop so she tried to shower me but I began to seize again and wouldn''t stop this was the first gran mal she''d ever seen. she called the ambulance and they took me in. I had broken my wrist and they kept me over night and added Dilantin to my meds. they gave me a 7day doctor note and told me to stay home and come see a nurologist. Instead I went to work 36hrs after having the seizure and had another at work. Suddenly I wasn''t what T.A. was looking for. So, I filed for disability after nearly a 3yr fight I finally got approved. This also was a blessing in disguise because it allowed e to be at home while my wife worked and our son was a teenager. This allowed me to make sure he stayed out of trouble and that the house was taken care of and their was a meal on the table when my wife got home. So, although there were times of depression and what seemed like despair your condition is all what you make of it. Sure you''ll feel like crap after a seizure but you can''t let the disease control youyou. You have to control it by making your own choices be it choices on therapy or lifestyle it''s up to you how you choose to interpret "Gods Plan"

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Public Health Profile


I have Localization-related(focal)(partial)idiopathic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes with seizures of loc	Currently Feeling

I am currently feeling:	not well at all	very good



Diagnosed 30 years ago


I take DEPAKOTE	Overall Satisfaction

My overall satisfaction is:	very low	very high
This medication worked:	not at all	very well
The side effects were:	very mild	very severe

controlled my seizures for many years lost control in1997 tried it with combinations of other meds and at very high doses until giving up at very high doses it caused weight gain and lethergy

Started: 05/01/1984 Ended: 02/01/2005		Recommend: YES


I take TOPAMAX	Overall Satisfaction

My overall satisfaction is:	very low	very high
This medication worked:	not at all	very well
The side effects were:	very mild	very severe

all dates on meds are aproximate as I have delt with this condition so long I have taken this drug in numerous combinations it seems to be one that doctors wantto keep me on although the biggest side effect seems to be weight loss

Started: 03/01/1997 End date not specified		Recommend: YES


I take NEURONTIN	Overall Satisfaction

My overall satisfaction is:	very low	very high
This medication worked:	not at all	very well
The side effects were:	very mild	very severe

I wouldn't recomend this med to anyone I took it in combination with topamax and high doses of depakote and at one point high doses of neurontin this made me a fat zombie!

Started: 02/01/2002 Ended: 04/01/2004		Recommend: NO


I take LAMICTAL	Overall Satisfaction

My overall satisfaction is:	very low	very high
This medication worked:	not at all	very well
The side effects were:	very mild	very severe

I've taken this medication in combination with topamax and other drugs their seems to be no side effects and control has gotten better as the dose was increased and primary med was changed

Started: 04/01/2004 End date not specified		Recommend: YES


I take DILANTIN	Overall Satisfaction

My overall satisfaction is:	very low	very high
This medication worked:	not at all	very well
The side effects were:	very mild	very severe

this was my primary seizure med growing up until depakote came along I was put back on it in 2002 with no effect

Started: 09/02/1981 Ended: 05/01/1984		Recommend: YES


I take KEPPRA (LEVETIRACETAM)	Overall Satisfaction

My overall satisfaction is:	very low	very high
This medication worked:	not at all	very well
The side effects were:	very mild	very severe

this is currently the primary drug in my drug cocktail I take it at very high doses along with high doses of lamictal and topamax my seizures have been reduced greatly and I can live with that

Started: 02/01/2005 Ended: 05/01/1984		Recommend: YES


I take CARBAMAZEPINE	Overall Satisfaction

My overall satisfaction is:	very low	very high
This medication worked:	not at all	very well
The side effects were:	very mild	very severe

ask your doctor about the side effects when taking with other meds I cwas so dizzy I felt drunk when mixed with keppra and topamax

Started: 07/18/2008 Ended: 07/20/2008		Recommend: NO


I take MEBARAL	Overall Satisfaction

My overall satisfaction is:	very low	very high
This medication worked:	not at all	very well
The side effects were:	very mild	very severe

I took this medication as a child along with dilantin after my brain surgery it worked for a little while with no noticable side effects

Started: 11/01/1981 Ended: 06/01/1982		Recommend: YES


I had a(n) Craniectomy with excision of tumor	Overall Satisfaction

My overall outcome was:	not at all successful	very successful
Recovery time:	very slow	very quick
Cost:	not at all affordable	very affordable
Pain level:	very low	very high



Treatment Date: 10/01/1981		Recommend: YES


I am interested in: Cooking

Cooking


I am interested in: Gardening

Gardening