(no subject)

[hiddenmuse]

Okay, I've finally taken off the Bitchy Pants that turned me into a grumpy old man last week. And I even seemed to get past the sickness-induced haze that I was under as well.

Things are getting a little bit better around here. My neurologist took me off the Depakote, after I told him about the side effects and seizures. He was actually somewhat disappointed, since he'd hoped that Depakote would work for me. Instead, I'm starting on Keppra - and cutting back on the Depakote for a week, then going onto a full dosage of Keppra with no Depakote.

It does make me a little nervous - feeling like some great big "what if...?" hangs overhead. What if ... I have a seizure while transitioning? What if ... I have really bad side effects with this drug? So on and so forth.

I know, there's nothing that I can do about the hypothetical. Besides all they serve to do is turn my hair gray and make me panicky. Neither of which are good.

All I can do is hope for the best, and know that no matter what, my doctor and I are working together to find a medication - or combination of medications - that work well together, and that will hopefully, ideally, allow me to have a seizure-free existence.

FYI - the only real side effect that I seem to be experiencing with Keppra is drowsiness. But, part of me thinks that it might also be be from the Depakote still coursing through my veins. I'll see what happens next week.

Comments

[full4zaccordion.livejournal.com]

Aren't there "What ifs" whenever you start on any new medication? Just take comfort in the fact that your doctor knows what he's doing and he's just trying to find a medication that will help you have a seizure-free existence :)

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

True - I think that I just needed to vent the (typically unfounded) worries going through my mind as I start a new medication. It's partially frustration - I've tried so many different medications, for so many different things, and I have this faulty expectation that the first drug I try should be The One That Works - it's it, that's that, end of story. (Perhaps that's why I'm on them in the first place ... my mind is nicely fucked like that ... heh)

[luvlyssa.livejournal.com]

the depacrack made me VERY drowsy but I went from those side effects (I too transitioned from depacrack to keppra) to none... Keppra is VERY VERY VERY pricey so if you lose your insurance do your best to stock up and/or steal some from the doctors... of all the ones out there that's the one I had the least effects with.
*thinking*
Though it may have been the one that caused me insomnia... I can't remember now...

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

Who knows? I just know that Depabloat was a hellish drug - as you may have read in prior entries - so I'm glad to say "Good Riddance" to that damn drug.

Thankfully, Keppra doesn't require being poked and prodded to check levels in my system - and it doesn't interact with other drugs that I'm already on. So these are good things. :-)