Too much med can lead to toxic effects, which can be very dangerous, but too little, for many, can mean a higher likelihood of szs. For me, a "therapeutic level" usually is MUCH lower than the "standard" dose. In fact, the dose I have been told nearly all my life--no matter what med--was what I had to take to be "in therapeutic range" ALWAYS (and I do mean ALWAYS) fried my brain beyond belief and left me with other potentially deadly effects. For this reason, I will never see another neurologist again. I'm very, very fortunate that only a minute dose of Keppra (250 mg a day) shuts my epi up entirely. If a neuro were overseeing my care, and not my neurosurgeon, who's known me my whole life, I would have either died from the effects or committed suicide. It was THAT bad, no matter what med, and I have been on phenobarbital, Tegretol, Ativan, and now Keppra. Neuros have a pathetic way of refusing to think outside the box. Therefore, I no longer see them.
Moral: If a smaller dose works well for you, stick with it!
LIZARD, list mod, living with epi 43 years :)
--- On Wed, 5/5/10, pierce407720032003 <sacornelius@
From: pierce407720032003 <sacornelius@
Subject: [epilepsy] medicine levels question
To: epilepsy@yahoogroup
Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 9:23 PM
What exactly does medicine levels mean? If a dose works then why bother changing because of what a blood test says the medicine levels are?
I had a blood test last week and today came home to find a message from my doctor's office saying to call them. The dose I take now is fine. Is there a reason to change it if the blood test says I have too much or little in my system?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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