How My Epilepsy Medication Has Made Me Tired

I want to talk about the changes that happened to my body after surgery, especially for my epilepsy and the tiredness felt by my body after taking my epilepsy medication.

I've been experiencing more epilepsy auras since my recent deep brain stimulation surgery for dystonia. While the surgery successfully reduced my dystonia, my epilepsy has significantly worsened.

I'm exhausted and my meds aren't working

It's been 4 months now, and my old epilepsy medication is no longer effective. The constant medication changes are exhausting.

It feels like starting from scratch and finding the right medication again. My primary epilepsy medication is carbamazepine at 200mg.

However, for the past 4 months, it hasn't been controlling my seizures. When my doctor increased the dose to 500mg, this caused severe dizziness and made walking to the bathroom at night unstable. The dizziness and numbness persist even in the morning, making daily activities difficult.

Difficulties with epilepsy medication during menstruation

Because of all of this, my doctor recently adjusted my epilepsy medication. I now take carbamazepine 200mg and a 300mg gabapentin capsule at bedtime.

While this combination helps me fall asleep quickly, the gabapentin seems to lose effectiveness during my menstrual period. During this time, I experienced a significant increase in seizure warning symptoms, including biting my hand and panic attacks.

Unfortunately, without morning medication, I have no way to manage these breakthrough seizures. The 3 days of my menstrual cycle were extremely difficult.

Adjusting to new medications and daily challenges

Once my period ended, I contacted my doctor immediately to discuss the need for additional morning medication to control my epilepsy throughout my entire cycle. This lack of sleep during menstruation was very challenging.

My doctor discontinued gabapentin 300mg and prescribed levetiracetam 500 mg twice daily (morning and bedtime) in combination with carbamazepine 200mg. I started this new medication regimen a few months ago.

Fatigue, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating

Since then, I've experienced significant fatigue throughout the day. The medication also causes dizziness, making concentrating and staying awake difficult.

I wonder how other epileptic patients can ever take the medication and be able to do work. I feel like I am relearning about my body once again.

Being very careful about seizure triggers

Now that new triggers for epilepsy emerge, I have to change my diet and literally be so careful of everything I do. Yes, I am exhausted with my epilepsy because I have to keep an eye on myself. I can't be that careless anymore.

Before surgery, my epilepsy was under control with just one medication, carbamazepine 200 mg, but now it's different. I had to relearn everything from the beginning.

Struggling with fatigue and dizziness

The medication makes me so tired and sleepy. I feel like I teach for 6 hours straight without a break. It is that degree of tiredness.

I am still looking into medication to reduce my dizziness. I feel so annoyed by the tiredness because I can't do much for myself other than rest. I am trying so many new medications for my uncertain epilepsy auras.

Epilepsy is always unpredictable

Well, I have had epilepsy since I was 10 years old, and now I'm 28 years old, yet I am still learning about my body as if it's something new that just happened. I can't predict my body now compared to a few years ago.

I don't know what will trigger my epilepsy. I am checking with my doctors back and forth, yet my body is not well.

Living in this uncertainty is scary and tiring.