Is it meds or Alzheimer's coming on? - Epilepsy Message Board

jenlori71 · 07-26-2007, 10:25 AM

For most of my life I have been on Tegretol and Dilantin. The doctors took me off the Tegretol after being on for 15 years, then put me on the Dilantin for 15 years. A couple of years ago, the decided to take me off the Dilantin because they felt I would get Osteoporsis when I got older. They then put me on Keppra and Lamitical. Since then my memory has gone bad, my children tell me we have done things that I don't even remember. For awhile I kept tell them no we didn't because I couldn't remember doing it. I eventually accepted the fact that they were right and I just can't remember things. I am 35 years old and I thought if the doctors were concerned about me getting Osteoporsis then I might be getting old enough to get Alzheimer's Disease. Could it be the meds or am I in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease?

Sherri5186 · 07-26-2007, 12:39 PM

Hi jenlori,

At one time,I was wondering the same thing.It all started to
start after my dr. put me on lamictal and keppra.When I
realized that,I asked them to take me of lamictal,also due to
the cost without insurance.Well,I hate to tell you and we all are
different,but,even after that and now that my keppra is down to
only 250mgs. daily(was 2000) my memory is still gone just like you
said.I too forget all about family gatherings and cookouts that happened
a year ago,and even when my mom tells me,I sometimes cannot remember.
It is so sad

Sometimes only a month or 2 ago,even weeks ago,I may
not remember.

I have also busted my head wide open twice and that is when the doctor
put me on both new meds.So,I was never 100% what caused it,but,the
more I read about and hear others like yourself talk about it,makes me even
begin to be more sure it might have been the meds.I would have thought
after getting off the meds.would have restored my memory,so that is what
makes me still think it could have been the head injuries. Who Knows??!!

Just telling you my experience. Good-luck,Sherri

jenlori71 · 07-26-2007, 01:03 PM

Thank you, Sherri.

I'm sorry to hear about your experiences. I too cracked my head open when I was 7 years old. I was on my friends swing, that was right above her sidewalk, and I believe I had a seizure while swinging. I apparently fell off the swing and landed head first on the sidewalk. The next thing I recall was waking up in the emergency room with my mom. I don't know if that is was caused me to have another scar on my brain, because the doctors never said anything. Maybe that is why I am having those Simple Partial Seizures. Petit Mal seizures are far from those kind, Right?

(I might have said I had Grand Mal before, but these are the ones I have had in the past)

Again, thank you. Although my doctors are doing their best to help me, you have given me more information in the past couple of days than they have in my entire life time.

Take Care,
Jenlori

Sherri5186 · 07-26-2007, 01:09 PM

Hi jenlori,

It makes me smile to know I can help someone else

Good-luck!! Sherri

dogmom · 07-26-2007, 02:15 PM

The title of your thread caught my eye immediately as I had my appt. w/my neuro. just yesterday and asked him something close to your question. Just three weeks ago my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She's 76. Her mother also had Alzheimer's.

I asked my doc if, with all of these seizures I'm having, I am increasing my chances of inheriting the disease. I felt kind of silly asking that question, but let's face it, Alzheimer's affects the memory, which is based in the hippocampus part of your brain...I have temporal lobe epilepsy (again, the hippocampus part of the brain....) and my memory seems shot some days.

He explained that epilepsy and alzheimer's are two totally different entities. People with epilepsy have short-term memory loss. People with alzheimer's disease suffer from degenerative memory loss. It worsens with time.

And you also have to factor in these meds we take! I'm on Keppra and Topamax (3,000 mgs and 400 mgs, respectively) and Topamax is well-known for affecting you cognitively. I was on Lamictal for a year and it messed with my memory big time, too!

So at 35 yrs. old, I wouldn't worry about Alzheimer's.