Hi Synnove,

I have bilateral lesions on the right and left temporal lobe of my brain along with the frontal lobe of my brain. I had the surgery done to reduce my sz. but I've had so many sz. over the yrs. even after the surgery was done that it caused more brain damage but I have gotten used to it after living with epilepsy for 42 yrs. now.
I keep a calendar and write down what time I have a sz. along with the type of sz. I have once in awhile I will write down if I'm sick with a cold or virus along with any low pressure in the weather. It has been proven that when a person gets sick and when there's a low pressure in the weather this can often trigger sz. for a person. By keeping track of my sz. on a calendar my Epileptologist found a pattern in my sz. and noted that I also have more sz. in the fall and winter compared to spring and summer when I have fewer sz. and this is do to the amount of serotonin in the air which I never knew about until a couple of yrs. ago.
When I have a sz. sometimes I will get a simple partial (aura) sz. where I will start to see colors in my eyes and get a nervous feeling in my stomach the moment that happens I tighten up all the muscles in my body and make my hands into tight fists, if I do this in time it will stop the sz.
I live a normal everyday life, I can't drive do to state law but I try to keep busy and I work full time so it's nice when the weekend comes I can take it easy and relax after the laundry and housework is done. I take my sz. meds twice a day once in the morning with breakfast and then again at 5 pm.
Years ago I was on Depakote and it worked great for me but then my body became immune to the drug and it also caused me to become anorexic where I would eat my 3 meals a day along with snacks but the drug caused me to lose to much weight I lost 70 lbs. in 4 months then the drug started to eat up the blood platlets which is very rare so I had to go off the drug.
I have a feeling you may be having myoclonic sz. meaning the person has sz. when they first go to bed and when they wake up in the morning. Last spring I had to have a sleep study done and My Epileptologist found out I was having sz. in my sleep 1-2 hrs. before I would get up in the morning but since I have been on vimpat that has stopped that form of sz. You may want to ask the Epileptologist to do a sleep study on you and it's up to you but I would stick to seeing an Epileptologist because they not only deal with epilepsy they know all about other neurology disorders and problems and can treat you so you would only have to see one Dr. instead of 2 different Drs. but that is up to you.
I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You,
Sue