Question.... - Epilepsy Message Board

Tigre · 08-21-2003, 08:04 AM

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

Art_930 · 08-21-2003, 10:25 AM

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.

maggie39 · 08-21-2003, 01:58 PM

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

Cordy · 08-21-2003, 03:02 PM

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

Tigre · 08-21-2003, 03:32 PM

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