Travis from MN

It was when I would have been a first or second year college student when my seizures drasticly changed, and the dr's started scratching their heads. They tried adding on one frequent drug to teg (regular tabs back then) Then they changed me over to XR a little later; Added on another frequent drug (so 3 drugs back in this point of time) the trial and error continued.

I had been holding seizure free and driving since I was 16. I figured it was a latter change in my body that caused the therapy I was on to become ineffective for me.

I then went on a rollercoaster of meds and attempts at adjustments, different combos until the Dr's found something that somewhat worked. It wasn't until I moved and found a new Dr that tried a different drug combo that seemed to work better with my system.

My theory, from some of what I have read, is some peoples bodies stabalize out around age 20 or so.. Thats why there may appear to be a change in seizure control. There have even been posts on here from others about this.

As for what works, Best of luck in finding it. Keep your log book of seizures, when increases or decreases are made, drug changes, etc. This all helps to show the overall benefit or not of a drug. In the past I would total my monthly seizures (between 4-10 back 7 years ago when I started logging) to now where it is usually less than one a month. However by keeping that log it helped the Dr's in their decisions.

As for the Teg dose, I could handle 1200-1600/day without symptoms (still on 1200/day). When they tried 2200 spread across 3xday THAT I could not handle (800 AM, 600 noon, 800 PM). The spacing had to be precise.

With my 1200/day of Teg I never had had problems with that. I know others can't take that high of a dose, but again, I am the odd duck. I have a tollerant system for medications. I have been on this level of Teg since I was a child so the dose is normal in my eyes.

Hearing a person is on 600 sounds low when I think what I'm on; wishing I could be on that amount; yet my bloodwork shows my dose is smack dab in the middle where it should be for levels on Teg.

So make sure to have levels if your Dr has not ordered them yet.
Teg has TWO types of levels that can be done, standard, and a "free" level as it's called. The "free" level is lower in numbers for the range, but some Dr's feel it gives a more accurate reading of the syrum in a persons body of Teg.

and NO, I am not a Dr, intern, nurse, or specalist. Just a patient that became overly educated. <grin>

--Travis