Severe Illness - Epilepsy

[bennyZA]

During the greatest days of my life (I even one time thought this period of time is what heaven would be like) I was struck down with a most severe illness. I have to take extremely high doses of very strong medicines. The depression has gotten to the point where I have multiple plans. All I do is try and forget about it with drugs. Has anyone else gone through this: severe disease they can't cope with without drugs.

specifically, if anyone was diagnosed with epilepsy later in their life (after using drugs) please PM me. I've never met an epileptic that hasn't told me to become totally sober, so I've never been able to have a real conversation about this.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Hi benny, I'm just editing the title of your thread so that people will be more clear about what it's pertaining to

 

[Captain.Heroin]

I am not an epileptic. However it is common sense that you will want to discontinue some drugs that increase the likelihood of having a seizure.

I wish you the best of luck when dealing with this illness.

 

[xXiluv_hellokitty]

I have epilepsy too and have used lots of drugs before getting it, and still do on occasion now.

How long have you had epilepsy and what medications are you on? Also how often do you get seizures?

After I got diagnosed I became severely depressed (I was depressed and numb before having epilepsy but it only got worst). I have this huge problem with feeling like something is controlling my life and I can't do anything about it, so I started heavily drinking. I kept drinking and stopped taking medication (I was on dilatin for a bit) and my seizure got worst. Now I realize I did it because I was angry and in denial I wanted to feel and be "normal" like everyone else. I've been put on lamotrigine and my seizures have completely stopped. I've only had one since then when I ran out of medication and was too busy/lazy to go to shoppers drugmart to get a re-fill.

I also haven't been as depressed to the extent I was before, since I've learned to accept I have epilepsy. I still get the blues once in a while, but who doesn't its normal for people to.. when I do it's a mixture of things that have happened in my life... traumatic experiences and getting epilepsy. Its kinda like "why does the world always shit on me when I've always been a good person?"


What makes you so upset about having it? You also didn't specify what type of seizures you get.. I'm tonic clonic... or grandmal


If you want to talk you can add me on messenger. I hope I can help you, I don't really know the details of whats going on with you right now, but what your saying sounds like where I have been before. I sent you a message with my e-mail.

 

[Lolie]

I'm another one who's curious about the extent to which you're upset by an epilepsy diagnosis. It's a fairly common condition and it can usually be well controlled with medication.

Are you upset because you perceive it as interfering with your preferred coping mechanism? The reason why moderation of other drugs is recommended is because they can affect your seizure threshold and make you more likely to have seizures even while on medication.

I assume that a differential diagnosis was done which excluded drug use as the cause of your seizures and that the epilepsy diagnosis is a sound one.

 

[Welderman]

When I was an active user I too had seizures. After months of medicine and not mixing heroin, Valium, coke,weed,alcohol and somas I have been seizure free for years. I have since quit everything but do drink ocasionally.

 

[xXiluv_hellokitty]

Lolie I think I know what your question means but I am not exactly sure... can you restate it please

And why the interest on epilepsy out of curiousity?

 

[attempt4]

I've had a couple of seriously bad grand mal seizures through drug and drink abuse but I have a friend who is epileptic to the point of having a seizure very frequently....

He doesn't drink since his diagnosis but he still smokes cannabis. He has seizures because he is lazy with his medication, but when he takes it he is seizure-free for the most part. He smokes cannabis daily and this has no effect on his seizure frequency.

It's a scary thing man, I know the feeling of having seizures. I was scared to be awake incase it happened again, fearing i wouldnt survive this one. The last one I had I stopped breathing and heart stopped momentarily. But thats of no use to you as im not epileptic as far as i know, the MRA scans were all fine.

But it's possible to lead a very healthy life as an epileptic, so long as you cut down on your GABAergenic drugs such as Alcohol, benzo's, ghb, gbl, barbs.
Seizures can occur on all sorts of drugs, but you really should avoid drugs that may lower seizure threshold such as benzo's and alcohol. Strong stimulants may trigger it also.

You know what you need to do.

 

[Lolie]

Lolie I think I know what your question means but I am not exactly sure... can you restate it please

And why the interest on epilepsy out of curiousity?

I take anti-convulsants for bipolar disorder. I know that the idea of having to take medication longterm can be very confronting, especially if that medication itself requires significant adjustments in your life (I choose to take anti-convulsants rather than lithium precisely because they interact less with other "normal" medications).

 

[djx]

I have epilepsy which was diagnosed after I sustained a head injury when I was intoxicated with a drug that I now realise was an incredibly stupid and dangerous drug to experiment with, but that's another story.
I have primary or secondary generalised seizures (also called tonic-clonic or grand-mal) and take lamotrigine 200mg daily. It controlls my seizures quite well with few side effects.
I also still use illicit drugs (mostly opioids) and have not noticed any negative impact upon my seizure control. I obviously avoid epileptogenic drugs such as tramadol.
Over the past couple of years I have mostly come to terms with my illness although I still find it difficult to deal with.