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I went through this. My Neuro Doc had it so that within 6 weeks I would be totally off of dilantin and on the generic Keppra. He slowly takes away dilantin and increases the Keppra during this time. By the 6th week,I was no longer taking the dilantin and Taking the full 3,000 mg keppra per day, spaced out in 12 hour intervals. I also take phenobarbital 180 mgs per day. 60 mg in the morning and 120 at night.
During this time of transition I only expierienced 1 minor seizure(around week3) but have not had one since and it will be coming up that I have not had 1 for a year. Trust me on this,it's the best thing that has ever happened to me,getting off Dilantin and going over to generic Keppra. Keep us posted on this. And yes this is the only way to switch meds accordingly.
JohnView Thread

Yes I am finally back and my med merry go round is over. The keppra has done wonders for me. A lot better then the dilantin that I was on. My new nuero doc did tell me that the scar tissue could be the result of me having seizure disorders. I see him again just before christmas and I'll have to ask him what his thoughts are on the scar tissue with this new procedure.
Well what have I been up to. Here we go. In March I began digging the pond. April 3rd I officially opened it up,meaning adding water and fish.I ended up building it so that it would stand up to the winter freeze here in Pennsylvania. It's 10 foot long by 5 foot wide and 4 foot deep.Got it loaded with perch,bluegills,sunfish,rock bass and large mouth bass.My wife then added 2 shubumkins (smaller koi). I first started it out with goldfish but due to the power of my filters,the filters sucked up all the goldfish. There use to be minnows in there,but the bass took care of them. Also added lots of plants such as water hyacynths,cattails among others.
As soon as I finished the pond,had to get my garden going.The tomatoes are just about finished, been pulling off one pounders,making pickles and just baked my first blueberry pie. And now just waiting on the potatoes and onions and corn. And my favorites the brussel sprouts have a ways to go,last year it was the end of October to early November when they were finished.Right now the brussel sprout plants are 4 foot high
Been out fishing quite a bit,at least 2 times per week and just baking in the sun.
As for my kids, my one daughter moved back in with us after having bad problems with her boy friend and she is now dating a State Trooper and my other daughter out in the Pittsburg area has given me the most precious grandchildren that you can ever ask for,a boy and a girl. Now don't forget my girls just turned 24 in July.
Not sure if you remember,but my son passed away last October at the age of 21 and he also left behind a gorgeous grandson who everytime he comes over all he and the other grandson say is fishies due to the fact that I have 3 aquariums in the house.. Took them outside to the pond to see the pond fish and they love it.
So other then that,everything has been fine, just keep on trying to get my wife to go fishing but thats a no-no,she's scared of bugs,lol. Sometimes I think to myself thats why God created bugs to give us men some time alone,lol.
So how is everything going with you?? I've been in here on a monthly basis but for some reason I could not post anything ,I forgot my password and just changed it the other day.
HUGS
JohnView Thread

Can this procedure be used to eliminate scar tissue ?View Thread

I am by far not a Dr. but I was first put on Dilantin And Phenobarbital.
The Dilantin expierience was horrible for me for 20 years. I had break through seizures all the time. I first started out at 500mg per day. My family Dr.'s raised them to 700mgs per day.
I was a walking mess as my dilantin levels went up and down, my first nuero doctor when I went to visit him about my walking problems stated that I was going through Dilantin Toxicity. My dilantin level was 26, well above what it should have been. He monitored my dilantin levels for 4 straight days to get it down to normal. Then went back to the normal 500mg per day.
Just over the past few years,my dilantin levels bottomed out to a reading of 6 and then zero. My old nuero retired and had to find another and he got me off of it and changed me over to keppra,3000 mg per day with 180 pheno' s per day and I am just getting use to it. I am on week24 of keppra and feeling a lot better then being on dilantin.
Dilantin wears away your bones after years of use and now I have to take Calcium tablets to help prevent further bone loss.
1. Neurologists can lower it but it's up to them by reading your blood levels. Never take the advice of a family Dr.
2. Diantin does work to a point but remember the long term effects of this drug are not good at all,IMO.
3. Can't answer this one for you but I do know that if there are reductions in a dosage there sure are going to be side effects,such as seizure activity being more pronounced.View Thread

Come for night dosage,I'm up all hours of the night.
I too, have had no really significant seizures at all, mine were grand mal seizures and this med has stopped them totally.View Thread


I get my blood levels done every 6 months.Now the only blood they need is for the phenobarbital,There are no blood test level for the generic Keppra. Since I am taking the 3,000 mg. per day,I have read that this was the most that are required as a theurapudic(sp ) level. Heck I just found out not to long ago what my pheno levels are suppose to be and I have never had a problem with pheno levels at all.
And as far as my new Neuro Dr. he said anytime I get a seizure,to call him immediately instead of always running to the ER. So he does know that the Keppra is helping with at least stopping the Grand Mal seizures. Like I said it is just these stroke type seizures that are a concern. BTW what meds are you on,are you on Keppra?
My last visit to him was just b4 thanksgiving and I told him how tired I've been feeling and asked him about whether the pheno's are causing it. He told me if I wanted to try something else, I forget what kind he considered switching me to,but I said forget it. I'm sick of being a guinea pig with all these different meds. I go to see him again in May and if I am still feeling tired maybe I'll give it a try with whatever he suggests.
I use to be like you, when you stated about the heat, the only problem I have is that I love the hot summer months and sunny days. My old nuero Dr. who has since retired answered my question on heat related seizures and I always thought that because of the heat,I was sweating the meds out of my body and he told me that has no effect at all with the meds. Just b4 he retired,my last visit to him ,he was insisting on getting me off the dilantin and switching me over to something else. 20 yrs on Dilantin was long enough he said.
Next time I see the Neuro I'll ask him about the removal of the scar tissue to see if that can help me. If it was 'nt for these darn sleeping patterns that I get in,I'd be just fine. Thanks for the reply back.
JohnView Thread

I had a brain tumor removed on the right side of my head. Right after I got out of the recovery room and was awake the Dr.'s told me that I'll never be able to work again. This was 22 years ago and to this day all my nuero tells me is that I suffer from seizure disorder due to scar tissue from the operation,nothing at all about EP. Now at first I was on pheno and dilantin, for grand mal seizures. Now I am on the generic Keppra and pheno which for the last 4 and half months have stopped me from the grand mal seizures. But now when I get a seizure(only have had 1 since being on this new med) I am completely alert sitting down and have what my wife says are stroke looking like seizure with slurred speech,one side of mouth drooping and total numbness on left side for about 2 hours and then I'm good to go.
My Dr. and the nuero Dr. sent me for heart tests and to check for artery clogs and everything came back fine. He still insists the seizure activity is from the scar tissue. Can scar tissue be removed ? I also had to go through 6 weeks radiation treatment right after the surgery as the biopsy came back and was recommended that I go through with the rad. treatments. Any clues or ideas, I mean I use to work with heavy machinery b4 the operation and can't do that now, but I do keep myself very busy around the house and I mean from cement to siding to pushing tons of topsoil in the yard, right now no more ladders for me til I see how it goes with these seizures. The Nuero Doc. told me that he would have me seizure free in 1 year. He should have never said that to me as I told him I'd give him a run for his money.
JohnView Thread

First dilantin and phenobarbital for exactly 22 years and now Keppra(generic) and phenobarbital for the past 4 to 5 months.
Is there a difference in seizure disorders and Epilepsy?
Whenever I go to my nuero Dr. he says that I have seizure disorders due to the brain surgery that I had. Never has anyone of them mentioned Epilepsy,not even the nuero surgeon back in 1988. Just curious..
JohnView Thread

JohnView Thread
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