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My daughter's behavior

Sun, 12/12/2004 - 14:52

HELP...I have noticed that since my 13 year old daughter has been on seizure medication, her behavior has been horrible. She is moody and has become very disrespectful to both me and her dad. Now is this because she is now a "teenager" or the medication. I am convinced it is the meds.....Anyone else notice this when they started their medications??

 

 

Comments

RE: My daughter's behavior

Submitted by Clunk1234567 on Fri, 2004-11-12 - 05:38

Some drugs, like Lamictal/Lamotrigine for example, can cause a rise in "irritability". In children you could be talking about the mother of all tantrums. The tantrums will be more "robust" during either an increase or change in the drug regime. Once the body becomes adjusted to the change things get back on an even keel. At thirteen, your daughter is like any other girl, she is going through the change from girl to woman, and the turmoil in her hormones can have the same effect. As most parents will tell you, at thirteen to sixteen it's a rollercoaster of emotions. At thirteen my girl thought she new everything, wrote the book, and wore the tee shirt. At thirteen i new she hadn't.

It's important that you tell your neurologist/doctor about this problem.

Some drugs, like Lamictal/Lamotrigine for example, can cause a rise in "irritability". In children you could be talking about the mother of all tantrums. The tantrums will be more "robust" during either an increase or change in the drug regime. Once the body becomes adjusted to the change things get back on an even keel. At thirteen, your daughter is like any other girl, she is going through the change from girl to woman, and the turmoil in her hormones can have the same effect. As most parents will tell you, at thirteen to sixteen it's a rollercoaster of emotions. At thirteen my girl thought she new everything, wrote the book, and wore the tee shirt. At thirteen i new she hadn't.

It's important that you tell your neurologist/doctor about this problem.

RE: My daughter's behavior

Submitted by janbabygirl9 on Sat, 2004-11-13 - 10:31

My daughter is only 6 years old, and I'm experiancing the same thing. She gets very moody and rude. Especially when shes tired or hungry..sometimes its even when she wants to finish what shes doing when you want her to do something else. Her memory is very poor...she has a short term memory..which makes it hard in school. She is on trileptol..300mgs twice a day. I asked her pediatrician about her moods, and he said "deal" with it, and don't take what she says to heart. So when she sees her neurologist in 2 weeks, I will ask him about the medication. I'm not sure if its typical behavior or not. She is also mentally 3 1/2 yrs old.  She slept about 2 years of her life away due to her medication..which is why shes so far behind. She was on liquid tegretol 3 times a day, from the time she was 8 months until she turned 2.

Please write to me and let me know how things turn out for you.

My daughter is only 6 years old, and I'm experiancing the same thing. She gets very moody and rude. Especially when shes tired or hungry..sometimes its even when she wants to finish what shes doing when you want her to do something else. Her memory is very poor...she has a short term memory..which makes it hard in school. She is on trileptol..300mgs twice a day. I asked her pediatrician about her moods, and he said "deal" with it, and don't take what she says to heart. So when she sees her neurologist in 2 weeks, I will ask him about the medication. I'm not sure if its typical behavior or not. She is also mentally 3 1/2 yrs old.  She slept about 2 years of her life away due to her medication..which is why shes so far behind. She was on liquid tegretol 3 times a day, from the time she was 8 months until she turned 2.

Please write to me and let me know how things turn out for you.

RE: My daughter's behavior

Submitted by mexican_fire on Mon, 2004-11-15 - 15:00

IT could be both combined, and the epilepsy can cause that with minor simple partial seizures.  They can cause a personality change in people who are inter-ictal or post ictal.  Not uncommon at all.

I get REAL nasty and moody right before I have a seizure, and that is one of the reasons my mom knows.  But the tantrums and mood swings i have are differnt than a full-vlown tantrum a child has when they can't get their way.

I am 31, and people who don't know me very well when this occurs, think that I am THE rudest person they have seen, espec ially if it occurs in public, because I will argue really easy when I am about to have a seizure.

TLE is famous for this, and so are seizures that occur in the frontal lobes.

For the woman with the 6 year old, TLE or temrpoal lobe seizures do cause short term memory problems.  I have that same thing, and you'd think that after 10 years of college I could do considerably better than this, but I can't.  I can't even remember to remember things that need remembered.

It will not go away, as long as the child is epileptic or taking certain drugs for it.  ALL AEDs cause some memory problems but others cause less, so you need to ask your neuro, who I didn't find real keen with his bed side manner, about putting her on something that is less invasive to her memory.

NO nuero or ANY OTHER DOCTOR OR NURSE SHOULD EVER TELL A PATIENT OR THEIR PARENTS TO "DEAL WITH IT"!  That is inappropriate and should NOT be taken by anyone.

You need to call him on that, because that isn't right.  It isn't your fault your daughter is sick and has epilepsy-related problems, that he, as her doctor, is too lazy to be bothered by it.  It just blew me away.  Unbelieveable.

Good luck adn keep me posted.

Nancy

IT could be both combined, and the epilepsy can cause that with minor simple partial seizures.  They can cause a personality change in people who are inter-ictal or post ictal.  Not uncommon at all.

I get REAL nasty and moody right before I have a seizure, and that is one of the reasons my mom knows.  But the tantrums and mood swings i have are differnt than a full-vlown tantrum a child has when they can't get their way.

I am 31, and people who don't know me very well when this occurs, think that I am THE rudest person they have seen, espec ially if it occurs in public, because I will argue really easy when I am about to have a seizure.

TLE is famous for this, and so are seizures that occur in the frontal lobes.

For the woman with the 6 year old, TLE or temrpoal lobe seizures do cause short term memory problems.  I have that same thing, and you'd think that after 10 years of college I could do considerably better than this, but I can't.  I can't even remember to remember things that need remembered.

It will not go away, as long as the child is epileptic or taking certain drugs for it.  ALL AEDs cause some memory problems but others cause less, so you need to ask your neuro, who I didn't find real keen with his bed side manner, about putting her on something that is less invasive to her memory.

NO nuero or ANY OTHER DOCTOR OR NURSE SHOULD EVER TELL A PATIENT OR THEIR PARENTS TO "DEAL WITH IT"!  That is inappropriate and should NOT be taken by anyone.

You need to call him on that, because that isn't right.  It isn't your fault your daughter is sick and has epilepsy-related problems, that he, as her doctor, is too lazy to be bothered by it.  It just blew me away.  Unbelieveable.

Good luck adn keep me posted.

Nancy

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