Seizures

My son is having seizures. Dr.s can’t find the cause. Increased Keppra 3500. I really don’t want to keep increasing his meds. And wants to stop taking them. Any thoughts ? Has anyone heard of any natural remedies?

Hi Andrea,

Is he seeing an epileptologist? Anyone with seizures, especially if they aren't under control, probably would benefit from seeing one. (You can find one here: http://www.aesnet.org/find-a-dr/find-a-doctor-epilepsy-com) They're neurologists who have extra training in seizures, and they have the best info on treatments. It's possible that Keppra just isn't the right med for your son, or that he needs an additional med rather than more Keppra. (Some meds target one area of the brain, so if the seizure is originating in more than one area, Keppra might not be covering all the seizure activity. My husband was switched to a broader-coverage med for this reason, and his life became IMMENSELY better.)

The ketogenic diet is (to my knowledge) the only natural treatment that doctors recommend for some kids, but they don't know who it will work for, or why. It's an extremely strict, 80%-fat diet. You can read about it here: http://tinyurl.com/6qek2hd

Other natural things that should help are getting enough sleep, reducing stress, getting on a schedule, and cutting out caffeine. You can probably find more ideas on the Epilepsy Foundation website, too.

I know it's rough to go through this. I hope you find some relief soon.

JH

Thank you so much. Help me out, when a person has a seizure are they normally unaware? Because my son feels the pain on his weak side and takes my hand to rub his face his eye his arm an leg.

I forgot to answer your question his neurologists specializes in epilepsy and she did suggest another medication. I will ask her about the medication your husband is taking.

Thank you so much. Help me out, when a person has a seizure are they normally unaware? Because my son feels the pain on his weak side and takes my hand to rub his face his eye his arm an leg.

Oh good, I'm glad she's an epilepsy specialist and has another med in mind. My husband's new med is Vimpat, which the doctor said would control seizure activity in more than one lobe, whereas Keppra basically worked only on one lobe. It's different for everyone, but a switch of meds might be better than an increase, if the dosage is getting higher than you like.

To answer your question: you definitely can have a seizure that you're fully aware of. Partial seizures only affect a part of the brain, so consciousness isn't interrupted. Are you keeping a seizure diary? If you write down everything that happens in one of these episodes and read it back to the neuro at your next visit, the details can help her decide if it's a seizure and where it's coming from. There's just no way for any of us to know which details are important, so write down everything you can! (If you google "seizure diary," you should be able to find some ideas on what to record.)

OMG this is so helpful. I have been logging the time of day and the duration. I will go to this sight to get more information. I believe that’s the name of the med she mentioned. Thank you so much!!!

Hello Andrea, I am 2 and a half years after surgery and started getting seizures about 7mths ago. I had been on Keppra 2000mg daily. Once the seizures started, my epileptologist/Neurologist started me on different meds whilst keeping on Keppra. Now, no seizures for 8 weeks tomorrow....yeah!! I take a mix of meds now, 3grams of Keppra daily and 1 and a half mgs of tegretol daily. Sometimes, it takes time to get the correct mix and this sames to be the right mix for me, thank heavens. My seizures were partial seizures, I was awake but would fall over if I was on my own, depending where I was at the time. Good luck with the meds and I hope & pray your son gets the right mix asap! Take care....

Thank you so much this is really helping. Your episodes and my sons sound very similar. He is on 500mg keppra with a daily dosage of 3500. I honestly believe if we stick to a schedule it will work. I am going to share the info I am receiving and see what his drs think. I love you all for helping and praying with me as I am praying mightily for each one of you. My prayier is that God will make it so you won’t need anymore medication and that while you are taking these medicines nothing will harm your bodies. In Jesus name Amen.

Hello Andrea
I am so sorry to hear about your son. I agree with Jh about the ketogenic diet. Its great if you can do grass fed beef but if you can not eggs are a great sense of protein. You want good fats
real butter if you can find grass fed Kerry Gold Irish butter they have it at whole foods for 2.99 its worth it also organic coconut oil you can find it whole foods or online you can cook with it or make shakes with it or ice cream. Keep away from processed foods and grains. Also stay away from canola oil you can use olive oil. Try it for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference also celtic grey sea salt
Angela

Thank you Angela, I will be trying each item you mentioned. God Bless you!