MDMA and Tegretol

[villz]

A friend of mine suffers from seizures that he occasionally experiences (about once or twice a year). His doctor prescribed him Tegretol (an anti-convulsant) at 2 x 200mg doses a day. This has stopped any seizures he was having (although at times when he HAS stopped taking it, they've returned). He's very into the dance scene, and has taken 0.5 of a pill about a month ago with no ill effects (while on the Tegretol), but I know he's planning on taking more pills. I know there's an increased risk of seizures, but does anyone know of any other specific contra-indications or otherwise negative effects with this? Are there any epileptics or other seizure-experiencing BL'ers that safetly take drugs (pills especially)?

 

[Scrambled_On_Eggs]

pills + epilepsy = bad.

 

[Sllip]

^^^^^^
I think the above comment is a bit extreme. True you are more likely to have a seizure after a night on the pills, but it is no more dangerous then a normal siezure.
A friend of mine has epilepsy but still charges hard every so often. She finds it's a bit hit and miss as to if seizures will occur.
Research shows that choof helps keeps siezures under control, so has your friend tried smoking after a night out?

 

[villz]

I found some threads in the Health Q&A archive about this topic so I'll pass the information onto my friend. Thanks anyway lads...

 

[sandoz sam]

I am an epileptic and have been on Tegretol for close to 10 years now. I have also been pilling for the last 2 and a half years - at times heavily - 2 to 3 times a week averaging 2-3 pills a night when I do go charging. I have stopped taking pills altogether now (haven't touched one for the last 3 months and have no plans to take one again). I have never had problems at all with my epilepsy due to the pills or the strobes at clubs for that matter. Nor have I had any negative reactions with my meds. I would avoid making sweeping generalisations as to whether it is good or bad - my gut feeling says bad, but I have had no problems. So I say go for it...also have had no problems with Methamphetamines...hope this helps.

 

[Sllip]

^^^^^
Really, my friend says she always get seizures after speed, and only sometimes after pills. But she usually has a premonition before hand so she can get home or somewhere safe before they hit.

 

[sandoz sam]

Originally posted by Sllip:
^^^^^
Really, my friend says she always get seizures after speed, and only sometimes after pills. But she usually has a premonition before hand so she can get home or somewhere safe before they hit.
Yep, I guess I am lucky in that respect. The premonition your friend gets is called an aura. They are the funkiest feeling - I get them as well before seizures, does she have grand mal or petit mal seizures?
If I had problems with seizures after partaking I would not do drugs, simple as that. Just not worth it, I suffer from Grand Mal seizures and they are not pretty, also they tend to be pretty disruptive and confusing...
So the decision whether to abstain from things on the basis of epilepsy is for me a trial and error method - I try it cautiously in a "safe" environment and if I have no problems then I go for it. I refuse to let this illness deprive me of a life, especially when you have to live with the stigma that comes with it.

 

[Sllip]

I've seen her have both. If it's a GM then she usually has her aura before, but I've seen her have a PM with no real warning.
But she always has the best post seizure talk. Abused the crap out of me once because I was just checking to make sure she was ok.
"What the fuck you looking at. Fuck off"
Hee hee, and she doesn't remember any of it the next day. She's such a little trooper.
But I should add that she wasn't on meds at any stage.
[ 19 November 2002: Message edited by: Sllip ]

 

[villz]

so you've never experience any long term negative effects? like apart from the normal seizure stuff (headache, sickness etc)? how often do u get a seizure after taking a pill or other drug (1 in 3, 1 in 10?)..

 

[Samadhi]

One of my best friends in school had complex-partial seizures (or temporal lobe) which would consist of her doing things like pick at her clothes, rub her legs and hands, as well as other things. It would last for about 1/2 a minute and she would remember nothing of the incidents. We would just make sure that she wasn't going to hurt herself, or she didnt draw blood, etc. She was prescribed medication, but was really absent minded anyway, and we had to constantly remind her to take it.
I don't suffer epilepsy myself, but i find the idea of the aura phenomena fascinating. To people who suffer tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal), in what form does the aura present itself? Is it taste, sound, feeling, or vision or something else?

 

[Timmy C]

Research shows that choof helps keeps siezures under control, so has your friend tried smoking after a night out?
hehehe...rationalising the use of one drug with another. go Bluelight!