Carbetrol

Re: Carbetrol

Submitted by GodivaGirl on Fri, 2013-11-01 - 20:54

Hi Pug,

I've dealt with 3 different neurologists in my life and they tried all kinds of medications & combinations before I decided to have my surgery.  Each doctor always told me the same thing as they changed up my meds which was basically unless the side effects were really, really brutal & making day to day life intolerable give the change about 6 months to judge if staying on what they'd given me was gonna be worth it or not.  Everytime they'd gradually take me off one med and phase in the new one - that always took at least a month, sometimes longer.  My doctor in Toronto always told me it takes time for the brain & body to get used to the new combination of meds happening.  Some of the side effects can be brutal, but my doctors in TO and in London are both right, the side effects fade in time and slowly the meds start to kind of work.  If the meds are the right match, they work really well, if not then it becomes add / subtract & sort out the best combination.  Annoying and easier said than done, but hopefully this gives ya a bit of insight. 

Happy belated Halloween & Here's to Epilepsy Awareness Month.

Godiva / Erin 

Re: Carbetrol

Submitted by just_joe on Sat, 2013-11-02 - 08:55

Morning Puglover

I read your post and your post gives some insite which is good. You wanted to know how long it takesto know of it is working. I it shows a decrease in the number of seizures which is always a good signthen it is working. Once at theraputic level generally doctors want the body to adjust to the new dosage and in doing that most side effects will disapate. Bodies are different and some people will require less medication than others. When my dosages were changed I stayed on that level which showed it working for a month or up to 6 months. The dosage may be working and doing a good job bur adjustion the levels is not as easy as most people think. Depending or the medication and type of seizures your son has would also be what the neurologist looks at to determine whether to increase the dosage or couple another medications with the carbetol.

My neuro coupled my keppra with vimpat bcak last may. The seizures were reduced. 2 months later we increased the vimpat and the increase reduced the number of seizures even farther. I am usine the diary and writting down anything different so he can see the difference and the information also gives him information or dosage increases or other procedures that could be used to get the person under control.  I see Doc againin a couple of weeks and we may be increasing the vimpat dosage again. I can say the medications today are being created to work on types of seizures rather then the entire central nervous system which does a lot to keep people from being drugged out and walking around like a zombie.

I hope your son gets th dosage needed to get him seizure free and this eases your worries

Joe