I was just wondering.....I'm on 2000mg of Keppra a day for my seizures and 10mg of the muscle relaxer Zanaflex for the neck problems. This is all due to a head injury i got back in Jan. of this year. There are too many of the probs from the injury to list but the change in my life and also the fear (it could have been a fatal injury) I have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. So now they want me on antidepressants and anxiety meds. I thought that most antidepressants and seizure meds dont mix? does anyone else take antidepressants and seizure meds? If so....what kinds? Im scared of anything else going wrong and dont think that I can handle more probs right now. Thanks for listening

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Tigre

Check with your pharmacist - they are absolutely the best-trained people about drugs and interactions. They tend to know more than physicians about this stuff.

Or - go to the library and get a copy of the PDR (physicians desk reference) and look up your druf and see what the manufacturer says about interactions.

I don't know about how the two mix (good advise to ask pharmacist - they know better about that stuff than doctors). But I do know that many antidepressants can trigger seizures, so that's also something to be carefull about. I vagually remember seeing a website that compared risk of seizure for different antidepresants but I can't remember... you might try doing a search. If the one your taking is a risk, you might be able to switch to a lower risk one?
Maggie

Hi,
I don't think the two things mix: For one, seizure meds "depress" your brain in a way, by not allowing the neurons to fire off so fast, so it doesn't make that much sense to take both, if you think about it.
Another thing: I lived through severe head injuries as well. I was in a coma for two weeks, and was very close to dying. I'm so sorry that it happened to you. Depression is bound to come from all of the things that you have to deal with as a result. But medications are not good for your body, and recovering from something so major, you should probably try to take a minimal number. Please let me know how things are going with you.
Take care,
C

Thank you for the info! And Cordy thanks for your reply as well. I will definately bring that up to my neurologist, I want to get better not worse. I didnt realize that seizure meds "depressed" the brain so to speak like that and it does make sense in what you said. They would counteract each other so to speak? Maybe the therepy is better than the meds....i just want to have the dark feelings lifted so I can focus on my family again. Thanks again

PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL about taking antidepressants with seizure meds. Last July I spent five days in hospital after taking Prozac for a week. I was very depressed and my primary care doctor looked the drugs up and there was no adverse reaction noted. Like I said....a week later I ended up going into statis epilepticus, and seized for hours. I urge you to ask not one, but several more Doc's and Pharmacists. Good luck. I can't imagine WHY any of suffering from "E" would ever be depressed!!! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif Be well, Kathy

It is possible to take anti sieizure meds and anti depressants at the same time. You do need an Rx from your doc and you should still talk to a pharmacist but IT IS possible to take both and still be healthy. Don't get me wrong, what I am saying is not a guarantee they will work for you but I know people who take both and are doing just fine. That bit about not taking anti depressants because it messes with the "firing off" of your neurons....NO! Depression is not a neuron "firing" problem but a chemical imballance. It doesn't have to do with the electricity but the chemicals. It is possible to take both and feel better with your seizures and feel less depressed all at the same time.

Hop this helps!

God Bless,
KittyMom

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Mother of 3 beautiful kids and wife to a Great husband! I love helping others...it helps me grow!

Hi and once again thanks for the replies. I didnt get the depression from having the seizures though. I can live with this. I became depressed (or so my therepist told me) because of the limitations now to my normal busy lifestyle. I dont just suffer from the seizures, the physical injuries sustained from the head trauma have cause many more problems. I cannot do nowhere near as much for myself or my family and thats where the depression sets in. I have to depend on people just for rides to docs, the store, and now my kids have to take the bus.(which the bus driver has "forgotten" that my child was on the bus twice and didnt bring her home until hours later...thats a whole nother story) I cant take them where they need to go. I cant draw anymore which was my passion, my escape if you will because my hand has tremors now. No, please understand that its not the E that has caused depression. Many more underlying factors caused depression and thats why i need both meds. Thanks for all the info though because I will be careful but i also need help with the depression because thats whats effecting my family and i cant have them go through my "emotions" anymore. Take care and thanks so much for your replies.