If my medication isn’t working should i keep trying different dosages or different medications. I am on dialantin 400 mg, lamictal 450mg, 20mg clobazam. Are there better medications or should i try stronger dosages. Am having right side numbness in arm and leg everyday.
There are many different medications out there that are designed to do the same basic thing, but function is slightly different ways and have different side-effects. Sounds like you are on quite the cocktail. Dilantin is an old stand-by. It works, but can really mess with different parts of your body if you stay on it for too long. If you have not already done so, talk to the doctor that prescribed these medications to you. Explain the problems tha you have been having and ask if there are any alternate medications that he/she may be able to prescribe. I went through about 4-5 different medications before finally settling on Keppra, which seems to be causing fewer side-effects than most of the others that I tried. However, based on things I have heard, for people with high levels of seizure activity, it is usually necessary to supplement Keppra with another anticonvulsant.
thanks i will do just that. seems these meds im on are not doing the trick
Jake M said:
There are many different medications out there that are designed to do the same basic thing, but function is slightly different ways and have different side-effects. Sounds like you are on quite the cocktail. Dilantin is an old stand-by. It works, but can really mess with different parts of your body if you stay on it for too long. If you have not already done so, talk to the doctor that prescribed these medications to you. Explain the problems tha you have been having and ask if there are any alternate medications that he/she may be able to prescribe. I went through about 4-5 different medications before finally settling on Keppra, which seems to be causing fewer side-effects than most of the others that I tried. However, based on things I have heard, for people with high levels of seizure activity, it is usually necessary to supplement Keppra with another anticonvulsant.
Meds to control seizures are a hard to accomplish feat some or most of the time.
It is my opinion, based on what we heard when my wife and son were searching for anti-S meds, that the Drs, or at least ours, followed a few guidelines:
Some seizures respond generally to some meds better than others, at least in some or most people.
They tried the oldest on the market (probably cheaper) meds that had a lot of experience of known side effects, who’s side effects are generally less severe. They try to up the dosage if needed.
If that one doesn’t work, they might add a 2nd med.
If that combination doesn’t work, they will go “up” the line with newer meds with potentially more serious side effects.
There are protocols for how much to prescribe, and some meds, your blood can be tested to see if the med is in the thereaputic range. If it is in the range, and not stopping seizures, it’s time to change.
We found that is is very helpful to keep a calendar/journal of what meds you are on, including the dosage, and what symptoms you are experiencing. Anything that can help the DR understand how you are doing is goodness. We found that they referred to our info more than their charts to see what was going on.
Hope this helps.
Ron