For anyone who has been following my little health saga, here's the latest:
Finally, good news!
The neurologist I saw today for a second opinion was nice, approachable and
actually knew what he's doing.

His opinion is that I may just be one of the few % of the population that
have a naturally abnormal EEG (or my antidepressant produced the
abnormality) and that I may not even have epilepsy after all.

So the plan is to slowly go off both epilepsy meds over the next 6-8 weeks,
and then go see him again at the end of March next year, when the meds are
completely out of my system.

Then get a new EEG to get an accurate baseline
and make sure the results are interpreted properly this time. That will
show whether my abnormal EEG (if it is still abnormal) is indicative of a
problem or if it's best to leave well enough alone. If there's a problem,
he'll figure out the *right* meds to put me on (he believes putting me on
Epilim [valproate] was a bad idea).

Damn it feels good to finally have someone listen and have a plan about what
to do to make me feel better. And it's so good to be right! I was right to
stick to my guns and ask for a second opinion.

Finally, good news!

The neurologist I saw today for a second opinion was nice,
approachable and actually knew what he's doing.

Finally, good news!

For anyone who has been following my little health saga, here's the latest:


Finally, good news!

The neurologist I saw today for a second opinion was nice, approachable and
actually knew what he's doing.

His opinion is that I may just be one of the few % of the population that
have a naturally abnormal EEG (or my antidepressant produced the
abnormality) and that I may not even have epilepsy after all. In which case
I've been taking 2 anti-convulsants since 2004 for absolutely no reason. He
believes the symptoms I'm experiencing (pain, tingling sensations, restless
legs) may all be medication induced too. And the meds are likely to have at
least partially caused my weight gain over the past few years, so stopping
them should help me lose weight.

So the plan is to slowly go off both epilepsy meds over the next 6-8 weeks,
and then go see him again at the end of March next year, when the meds are
completely out of my system. Then get a new EEG to get an accurate baseline
and make sure the results are interpreted properly this time. That will
show whether my abnormal EEG (if it is still abnormal) is indicative of a
problem or if it's best to leave well enough alone. If there's a problem,
he'll figure out the *right* meds to put me on (he believes putting me on
Epilim [valproate] was a bad idea).

So, as of tonight I'm reducing my meds. And as of tomorrow morning I'm
increasing my exercise (slowly) and improving my diet (I think I've
forgotten what an apple looks like). All my doctors are telling me to
exercise and lose weight, so hopefully it will help my physical and
psychological health if I start trying. And since I see a light at the end
of the tunnel, hopefully I will have some success this time.

Damn it feels good to finally have someone listen and have a plan about what
to do to make me feel better. And it's so good to be right! I was right to
stick to my guns and ask for a second opinion. I was most likely
misdiagnosed and incorrectly medicated, and my problems weren't just all
psychological as the previous neuro I saw told me. I've been putting up
with all these niggling problems since early this year, and especially since
July. Hopefully as the meds get out of my system I'll start to feel more
comfortable and more like myself again. And if not, at least I have someone
treating me who is actually interested in finding the answer, not just
pushing me out the door.


I'm so relieved.

Kylie