Posted by Elizabeth on May 19, 2001, at 14:52:55
In reply to Re: Temporal Lobe Epilepsy-anyone out there?, posted by Mitch on May 19, 2001, at 2:22:29
> ... Why I say this is that I have taken various anti-convulsant meds for bipolar and I haven't found any miracles. *Neurontin* I find "wakes up my head"-whatever that means.
You said you'd taken Adderall. How did that affect you in regard to the TLE-like symptoms?
> The derealization/depersonalization thing happens when I feel "trapped" or "boxed-in" and can't "escape". I have NEVER had a panic attack outside. It has always been in a "box" of sorts.
That sounds like you might have agoraphobia (or a risk factor for agoraphobia): fear of not being able to escape. Ironically, people often develop agoraphobia as a result of PAs -- they are afraid of having an attack in a place or situation they can't escape from -- and end up having PAs that are triggered by agoraphobic feelings!
> Like I said above there is something peculiar about Neurontin. It wakes me up. This is difficult to describe. If I stop it suddenly I lapse into a *profound* lethargy/sleepiness with cognitive problems. But if I took a high dose of it it makes me real nervous/agitated/spacey.
That sounds very much like what buprenorphine does to me: I feel more alert and clear-headed on it than off. If Neurontin does that for you, then that's lucky, whatever the reason. It also sounds like the combination of Neurontin with very low-dose Adderall helped even more.
300mg Neurontin isn't a lot, BTW. Have you ever tried taking more?
Re Adderall vs. Dexedrine: Adderall is supposed to be longer-lasting and smoother (this is because of the funny combination of amphetamine isomers). If the fluctuations in your level of alertness really bother you, you might try slow-release Dexedrine ("Spansules") as an alternative to Adderall. There's also a relatively weak but long-lasting stimulant called Cylert that isn't related to amphetamine. I took it for a few months in college and it helped me to feel alert during the day and maintain a regular sleep schedule.
> Do you think just plain Tegretol would be a better idea?
No, if oxcarbazepine made you sick, carbamazepine is liable to be worse.
> I take some Klonopin now-would Clobazam or Tranxene (clorazepate) work better??
I don't know much about clobazam except that it's chemically distinct from other benzodiazepines and weaker. (It's not marketed in the U.S.) Tranxene is longer-lasting but less potent than Klonopin and can be taken just once a day. Different people have a lot of different opinions as to which benzo is the best, so it's hard to predict.
Anyway, good luck with things. I hope you can resolve your situation.
best,
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:63474
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63641.html