Side Effects

I think my medications are making me fat and my face is always breaking out.
Some medications are known to have these side effects. Even if you're worried about your weight, don't go on a crash-course diet. Not only do these types of diets not work, they are also not safe – especially for someone who has epilepsy. Talk to your doctor about going on a sensible diet and exercise program. And see if there's another medication that might work without making you gain weight.

A lot of teenagers face the nightmare of pimples, so it might not be the meds that are doing it. If your face is severely breaking out and over-the-counter creams and astringents aren't doing the trick, make an appointment with a dermatologist who can prescribe an antibiotic to help control and hopefully, eliminate the pimples. Again, tell your epilepsy doctor in case a change of medication would help.

I have heard from several sources that long term medication use results in osteoporosis and bone density problems. I was wondering how much truth there is to this statement and if there is, is it worth having a bone density check to see if I need to do anything now to help prevent things getting worse as I get older.
Some AEDs may cause bone loss and increase the risk for osteoporosis. It is important to make certain that you are receiving adequate calcium (1200 mg/day if you are menstruating). Talk to your doctor about your concerns about bone loss and if you should have it checked.

I don't want to have to deal with how the meds make me feel. How can I make sure the drugs I take for epilepsy won't change the way I act?
That's a problem a lot of people with epilepsy face – side effects. It can be especially troubling for teens. There's pressure from both peers and society as a whole to act a certain way. In addition, some teens lack the know-how to keep that pressure in perspective.

So, what do you do? Well, try to remember it's not the end of the world if you fall asleep in math class. Instead of worrying about what others might think about you, talk to your math teacher or guidance counselor and see if you might be able to take your math class at a time of day when you aren't so sluggish and sleepy.

And, remember different meds affect people differently. Check it out with your doctor. Maybe there's a drug out there that won't make you feel bad. Or maybe you can change the amount of medicine or the times you take it so you don't feel as sleepy.

I realize that many of the medications for epilepsy have the side affect of weight gain, is it possible for these same medications to also have the side affect of weight loss?
Whereas some antiepileptic medications may have the adverse effect of weight gain, some also have, as potential effects, appetite loss or decreased appetite, and anorexia. If this is a personal concern and if you have not done so already, please mention this to your physician so that s/he can try to determine the underlying cause of the weight loss and whether or not it is medication-related. Any recognized adverse symptoms should be brought to the physician's attention.

I was just recently diagnosed with epilepsy about 7 months ago, and have been having seizures for almost a year. I have heard that seizures can really effect a persons memory, and I don't mean in a good way. Is this true?
Epilepsy affects everyone differently and while some persons with epilepsy may have difficulty with short- or long-term memory, not all will experience this problem.

Memory loss may be caused by a wide variety of problems including anxiety, side effects of medications, the aging process and disease.

Antiepileptic drugs may affect people in different ways. These medications may affect the thinking process, including memory, and problems can occur at therapeutic drug levels or be due to toxic levels of medications.

People who have infrequent, brief seizures often do not remember the seizure itself; however, additional memory loss does not usually occur.

Problems with learning and memory can be a source of frustration for people with epilepsy of all ages. Medications may sometimes slow a person’s ability to process new information or may affect memory.

The seizure disorder itself may be involved, depending upon the part of the brain in which it originates.

An individual who experiences memory problems may want to use simple assistive devices such as making notes and lists that can serve as memory aids. If these problems interfere with a person’s daily life or are getting worse, a physician should be consulted.

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