I am having very frequent focal seizures and complex/simple partials, im having them everyday to everyother day for the past few months. I saw my nuero yesterday and hes been trying to get me switched to another dr for 2 months now but so far no luck. Im going to get blood work to get my drug levels. But he wants to start a new med that I have never even heard of. I cant even remember the name because its so new. And this would be an addition to my depakote and trileptal. My nuero said im on really low doses of my 2 meds, only 1000mg a day of depakote and 12000mg a day of trileptal. However I was on keppra befor and that was a BIG dose and i weened myself off of it because i hated it so much and my drs wouldnt listen. Im going to ask for that DNA blood work aswell. But what have been the best meds that have helped you with those paticular seizures? I dont really want to try a brand new med. So im open to other meds with less side affects, verses a new med that heaven knows what the side affects can be.

Hi tos8,

For both my complex partial and simple partial sz. I have been taking Diamox, mysoline, and vimpat. The vimpat has really reduced my complex partial sz. a lot this past yr. I only had 7 complex partial sz. for the yr. which is great for me. Diamox and mysoline help with the simple partial and absence sz. and both of these drugs are older drugs that have been around for many yrs.
I have found that the newer AED's don't work for me like the old AED's do. The older AED's work much better. In regards to you AEDs that you are taking now I was on both of them and I found the Depakote worked great and I was taking 2500 mg. a day but I couldn't take trileptal or tegretol with the Depakote because the 2 drugs would interact with each other causing me to have more sz. and this may be what's happening with you.
You are playing it smart asking for a DNA test but don't be surprised if the neuro tells you "I don't do that kind of a test." This isn't true they have been doing it for yrs. and all they have to do is take a q tip and get some salvia from your mouth and send it to a DNA lab or the lab at the hospital near you and they can find out what sz. med (AED's) will work the best for you. You may have to speak up to your neuro and tell the person if they don't do the DNA test that you will report them to the medical conduct board. After that they will listen to what you are saying and follow through. I wish you only the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

Hes only mentioned vimpat once and now hes onto this new med he wants me to try. But for you only having 7 complex partials in a year is amazing! When your having them everyday to every other day, yeah not so great. And then there are times that just out of the blew i get crazy exhausted and absoutly have to sleep right then because i cant function and its such a strange feeling, and he said im having a really quick seizure that you cant see and i dont even notice it, but its caused enough electrical activity to shut my brain down to rest. So I would really like to get that back under controle! Ive been on this combo for 2yrs now and havent had this much trouble in over a year, so i dont think thats issue, just for some reason they have started hitting me again.