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son with epilepsy after taking medication ritalin
Thu, 01/12/2006 - 17:21Topic: Parents & Caregivers
HI, I'm new to this site and i just had some questions and some concerns.Im going to try to make this short but my son is 6 he will be 7 in a few days.In November we started him on ritalin because of his school teacher saying he was not doing good in school and she told us along with other school staff that he had adhd.We didnt think he did but i didnt know what else to do and didnt want him to fail.the doctor said i could just let it be a school thing and he didnt have to take it at home or on the weekends,etc.so when he got out for christmas break i wasnt giving it to him 3 days before christmas which was thursday he had his first seizure,friday he had 2 which were bad.we were taking him to e.r.after the first and second one then they scheduled us with an neurologist and they done an eeg which they said came back abnormal and they say he has epilepsy.i never started him back on the ritalin and now he is taking a liquid medication called depakene for his epilepsy.since then he has had 1 more seizure while they were trying to get the dose right on his med.i am convinced that the ritalin has caused this since he has always been a healthy boy with no problems and started taking ritalin and was only on it for a month if that and now he has this problem.if you can help me in anyway let me know. i dont know what to do i am very mad and upset.
Comments
A seizure is actually one of
Submitted by AnarchyPhoenix on Mon, 2017-05-29 - 16:01
A seizure is actually one of the side effects of ritalin.
Re: son with epilepsy after taking medication ritalin
Submitted by pinkangel_82 on Thu, 2006-01-12 - 18:13
Hi there
I just read your story about your son at school. I am so sorry to hear he is not well and it must be a terrible worry for you. I think personally that your son's tutor had a nerve saying to you that he has adhd. There can be numerous reasons why he wasn't getting along with his school work. It could be just he finds something difficult to learn at the moment or he just feels unhappy there. (their just examples) If I was you I would make a complaint to the headteacher about the tutor. She had no right in making such a suggestion when she is not a health expert. I have no time anymore for ignorant people like her through my own experiences. I hope you find the cause soon so that your son can be well again.
All the best
Teri
Yeah it can lower the seizure
Submitted by Silverfan on Wed, 2018-05-02 - 14:58
Yeah it can lower the seizure threshold but I wonder what the long term effects on the thalamus are/ I started taking Ritalin when was in 3rd Grade and took it with several other piggy back drugs until I was in high school when I started having Gran Mal Seizures. I quit taking Ritalin but the seizures remained making me wonder if the effects on the brain especially the Thalamus were permanent , I doubt there will ever be any link between these cases and the pharmaceutical companies drug but I think the real problem was giving to young children while the brain was still IN DEVELOPMENT STAGES. My seizures have morphed into wondering seizures now and I fell at work this year nearly breaking my neck. I was forced to resign my position do to insurance reasons and wen I tried to go back to work my employer told me "this is a right to work state". Without work and a federal government worth nothing 'm close to suicide now. Thanks Ritalin!