On Being Epileptic......
One thing I haven't disclosed up til now is that as a consequence of my alcoholism (and likely the plethora of drugs I ingested) I was diagnosed with epilepsy about 8 years ago. It isn't something I generally think about an awful lot but it's been on my mind a fair bit lately as I've just been switched to a new generic medication. Seizure management took a dramatic turn for the better a few years ago when I was put on the original version of this med. Up until that point I'd been on 4 different meds with unreliable results and multiple side effects - and that only after the 'year from hell' trying various meds, dosages and combinations thereof. In any case, this switch in meds came about last week and voila! multiple seizures again.
I should point out that there are different classes of seizure activity and if you were to choose the sort that was preferable to have, it would be the type I have. No loss of conciousness, no jerking and twitching. Mine is way down the scale from that and little more than an inconvenience. They usually last less than 2 minutes from start to finish and present with an 'aura' (hallucination) of an intense spicy odour. Then the brainstorm hits; extremely rapid bits of memory, sounds, sights and sensations lasting for around 30 seconds. Lastly they work down my body with some physiological side effects that while unpleasant are tolerable.
Mild ones pass quickly without ill effect. Occassionally I get rocked with a particularily heavy jolt that impairs my ability to think properly and affects my moods, usually for the balance of my waking hours. On the odd occassion that I have multiples in the course of a day I'll lie down for an hour to recuperate. If they should occur while I'm 'in company' I can usually be discrete and no one around me will know I've had one - they just wonder what induced a sudden bout of swearing from my vicinity.
The generic is supposed to be the same chemical make-up as the original and so should be equally effective. I'll give it another week to see if my system adjusts to the change or not. If it doesn't, there will be a quick call to my neurologist telling him to have the pharmacy switch me back to the other med. The $100 a month saving isn't worth it.
Last Saturday marked 3 1/2 years sober for me and 4 years smoke free for Lynda. One day at a time.
I should point out that there are different classes of seizure activity and if you were to choose the sort that was preferable to have, it would be the type I have. No loss of conciousness, no jerking and twitching. Mine is way down the scale from that and little more than an inconvenience. They usually last less than 2 minutes from start to finish and present with an 'aura' (hallucination) of an intense spicy odour. Then the brainstorm hits; extremely rapid bits of memory, sounds, sights and sensations lasting for around 30 seconds. Lastly they work down my body with some physiological side effects that while unpleasant are tolerable.
Mild ones pass quickly without ill effect. Occassionally I get rocked with a particularily heavy jolt that impairs my ability to think properly and affects my moods, usually for the balance of my waking hours. On the odd occassion that I have multiples in the course of a day I'll lie down for an hour to recuperate. If they should occur while I'm 'in company' I can usually be discrete and no one around me will know I've had one - they just wonder what induced a sudden bout of swearing from my vicinity.
The generic is supposed to be the same chemical make-up as the original and so should be equally effective. I'll give it another week to see if my system adjusts to the change or not. If it doesn't, there will be a quick call to my neurologist telling him to have the pharmacy switch me back to the other med. The $100 a month saving isn't worth it.
Last Saturday marked 3 1/2 years sober for me and 4 years smoke free for Lynda. One day at a time.
Labels: disclosure, effects, epilepsy, seizures
posted by Norm at 1/22/2007 01:58:00 AM
2 Comments:
what a challenging condition to deal with
from the sounds of it, you are able to manage it well, wishing you well on the search for a more affordable but just as effective treatment option
I'm sorry the generic isn't working for you. Sometimes they don't. I hope something gets worked out for you soon.
Congratulations on your 3-1/2 years of sobriety! That's a great accomplishment. :)) And congrats to Lynda on her 4 years of being smoke free!
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