Missing a dose is always discouraging. You never know if something happens if that was the cause and it could take days before so. I think everyone should have some sort of checks and balance process. When I take my evening meds, I put out my morning meds. This tells me when I get up to take my morning meds that if they aren't there, then I missed taking them the night before. If I forget the morning meds, my wife ,or sometimes myself, will find them when I take the next nights meds. Knowing you missed a dose is the first step. Working them back in your schedule is the next. the only time it gets complicated is when i travel over timezones. I once went to Japan, 26 hour flight, and my doctor recommended taking an extra dose that day just to get back on schedule. It's hard to figure out how to do it otherwise. If less than 6 hours change, I keep to the same schedule. I do the same when returning and loosing a day over the date
line.
If others have ideas that work, please share them. I know putting a week's meds in the pill containers works for many.
CBI
--- On Wed, 4/29/09, mylmy@bnin.net <mylmy@bnin.net> wrote:
From: mylmy@bnin.net <mylmy@bnin.net>
Subject: Re: [epilepsy] Taking more than one medication
To: epilepsy@yahoogroup
Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 5:24 PM
CBI,
You are right. Dilantin and Phenabarb are 2 of the oldest meds
for EP. Because of that --they are not very expensive.
I have a Lady Dr. friend who told me that she starts out with
Keppra now when she has a new EP patient.
You mentioned that you thought my med schedule is difficult to
follow. It helps that I have a round container where I can put
all the meds that I take per day for a week. Sometimes I think--
"I ought to take my meds". Sometimes I go and do it and sometimes
I don't. When I think of it the next time I go according to how many
Dilantin are in the container for that day. Since all the pills
are different shapes -- I can tell if I've taken my morning or
evening pill.
Millie
Millie
> Wow, That's a tough meds schedule to keep up with. I'm glad you can
> keep it straight. I know it would be a challenge for me. You are
> also fortunate to not have a seizure for more than a year. I would
> love to reach that point again. The breakthrough seizures I have are
> frustrating but I am learning to live with them. I need to ask my
> doctor, and I have a new neurologist because my previous one retired.
> I want to learn more about the different medications we all take. The
> first question I have is which ones are new to the market. I have read
> there are many that are just being made available and I don't know
> their differences. Dilantin and Phenabarb have been around for many
> years. Carbatrol has been around for some time also. If anyone is
> using on of the new medications, how much success are they having? Any
> side effects?
> Thanks everyone for your support. I'm learning a lot about how we each
> deal with this.
>
>
> CBI
>
> --- On Tue, 4/28/09, mylmy@bnin.net <mylmy@bnin.net> wrote:
> From: mylmy@bnin.net <mylmy@bnin.net>
> Subject: Re: [epilepsy] Taking more than one medication
> To: epilepsy@yahoogroup s.com
> Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 1:16 AM
>
>
>
>
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> CBI,
>
>
>
> For me it was up to the Dr. I have nothing to do with it.
>
> I was taking 4 brand name Dilantin and the blood level
>
> told him that was too much. So I take 3 Dilantin Mon, Wed
>
> and Fri and 4 the other days.I also take 4- 30 mg phenabarb
>
> a day. I have my blood levels checked twice a year and again
>
> if I have a sz. I have a physical once a year and a check up
>
> 6 months later. I have been on this for over 20 years. He
>
> also has my liver, kidneys, sugar etc. checked.(blood test)
>
>
>
> I take 2 Dilantin ,2 phenabarb and an Evista (osteoporosis)
>
> in the AM and on Mon, Wed, and Fri I take 1 Dilantin, 2 phenabarb
>
> and aspirin. The other days I take 2 Dilantin, 2 phenabarb and
>
> an aspirin at night.
>
>
>
> My last sz was 2 years ago and before that it was 4 years.
>
>
>
> I used to have grand mal szs but now they are more like complex
>
> partials. My girls say my brain is scrambled for about 2 days.
>
> I don't pass out but I also am not my normal self. I don't smile,
>
> act like I don't hear you, don't ask questions and then can't
>
> answer questions.
>
>
>
> Millie
>
>
>
>> The only time I've taken more than one medication was when I switched
>
>> from Dilantin to Tegretal. This was a phase out phase in approach and it
>
>> worked for me, no seizures during the transition. I had been on dilantin
>
>> so long that I had conficence even though it didn't completely stop my
>
>> seizures. I was not as sure with tegretal at first only because I was
>
>> not familiar with it. At first I thought while still taking Dilantin,
>
>> at a lower dose and taking Tegretal, why not stay on those dosages. It
>
>> was not my doctor's decision nor intent.
>
>>
>
>> What I'm not sure about is when is the decision made to take more
>> than
>
>> one medication?
>
>>
>
>> How long have members taken two or more typed of medications? The
>
>> one negative effect is the strain it places on your liver or other
>
>> organs. How do you manage that?
>
>>
>
>> Are there long lasting effects that raise concerns?
>
>>
>
>> How do you manage the medication blood levels to keep control?
>
>>
>
>> How do you tell when to increase one medication and not another?
>
>>
>
>> Any experiences you have or and guidelines from your doctors would
>
>> help.
>
>>
>
>> Do you take each medication at different times during a day?
>
>>
>
>> If you think of other information that would help understand how
>> this
>
>> is a benefit and positive or negative experience please include them.
>
>>
>
>> What about side effects. Can the two interfere with one another
>> and
>
>> cause headaches or tremors? By all means if it results in months or
>
>> years of being seizure free, that would be great however the other
>
>> factors need to be considered especially side effects and strain on
>
>> other parts of the body. Thanks for your support.
>
>>
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>>
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>>
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>> CBI
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