numbness

RE: RE: RE: numbness (serum levels?)

Submitted by gsness on Wed, 2004-12-22 - 09:30

Hi again, Suzmom!In order to effectively control seizures, your blood (serum) must maintain a certain minimum amount of the medicine. That is what I meant by “serum level.” That is why it is so important to take your medicines as prescribed and on time. Some medicines are processed out of the blood faster than others (determined by what is called the “half-life”) of the drug); but the principle is the same: if the amount of medicine in your blood drops below the amount needed to effectively control seizures you can start to experience auras of the type you describe.Whenever I get a tingling sensation or feeling of numbness (usually in my fingers, toes, or the tip of my nose), it is an aura that usually tells me the amount of medicine in my blood is dropping below the amount I need to control my seizures, and I have to increase my dosage once or twice by taking an extra pill to bring the amount in my blood – the “serum level” - back up. I am on the maximum amount of Tegretol that is usually prescribed (1,600 mg/day) as well as Keppra and clonazapam; but the body's metabolism can change due to stress, diet, physical exertion, etc., and any of these things can cause the body to process the medicine out of the body faster than normal. When this happens, there may not be enough of the medicine in the body to really do the trick in controlling the seizures. Did I describe this all right?Oh, and as far as the tongue is concerned, yeah, that can be part of the fun for some of us! I've had some really embarrassing instances when I may be talking normally and then WHAM… I lose almost all the feeling in my tongue and it sounds like I'm as drunk as a skunk. That isn't so bad when I'm talking with people who know about my epilepsy (my family and coworkers); but it sure is hard to handle in meetings or when I'm on the phone with someone who doesn't know me well. And it's hard to explain to people when you can barely say “excuse me” clearly enough to stop talking. Since I work in a professional engineering capacity, it sure doesn't help my credibility! Ha!Best wishes and blessings for the Yule and New Year!gsness