does epilepsy cause behavior problems???

Rachael - posted on 09/07/2011

I had juvinile epilepsy and the only probles I had ws when I came out of it I didnt remeber alot and was drain so it made me cranky. and ith me gettin crank it caused problems but I had family that helped my work thru it

Sandy - posted on 08/24/2011

My son has behavior issues and he is on Concerta 36 + 18 mg. every morning. He seems to do well in school with this drug and it's so much better than Adderal, Ridalin and Abilify. Abilify caused his seizures to get extremely worse and took two years to get him back down to a minimum of seizures that aren't too bad. You might want to try Lecithin 1200 capsules, over the counter. It's for brain and nerve function and may be of some help for her. It's worth a try to see if it helps her. As for blaming yourself ... I've been doing that for 12 years, when my 9 month old started having seizures. Nothing has ever been confirmed as to what caused the damage to Joey's brain but his seizures got so bad that his left brain had to be surgically removed to keep him alive. Good luck and never give up trying!! Sandy Lora

Kristin - posted on 08/24/2011

i have always wondered i know medicine side effects can cause problems when on medication when pregnant i keep wondering if my daughters problems are caused from me being on seizure medication while pregnant with my daughter. I'm an epileptic i have had seizures since i was 1 yr old and now I'm 35 my daughter is 10 now and since she was 6 she was told she had ADHD but don't think it is i read a lot and i did a lot of research and if she would have been put in a categorized area would have been oppositional defiant disorder because she knew what she was doing and she would break hit and anger would really cause a lot of problems we tried medicine she was on adderol and vyvance they had the reverse reactions then they were supposed to do they supposed to calm anger and hyper active behaviors it made her more violent her dad and i are now divorced and when she comes home from his house her behavior changes and she acts up for 2 weeks till i get her back in schedule her dad lives in north Carolina and we live in NY state so she goes down Christmas Easter and a month in summer it hard i always have in the back of my mind that the medicine i was on made her have behavior problems or the divorice was to hard on her don't know

Debby - posted on 08/23/2011

My son is 21 and on Keppra...he was diagnosed at 18 and Depakote was the first med (didn't control and caused major weight gain).
His neuro went through all the side effects and cautions with us and yes he was moody and argumentitve at first. Recently had to increase his dose and again he has been moody, but at 21 certainly verbal enough to talk it through! His take is that it is largely due to the sleep disruption and vivid dreams plus the natural depression of having another seizure which required the dose adjustment. We included the B-6 and that helped a great deal! No medication is great for everyone and some are worse for others but Keppra has been great for him! Do try the B-6 and encourage him by catching him doing good, break the cycle of criticism for him and give him the strength to try.

Danielle - posted on 08/18/2011

My son is 5years old. He started having seizures when he was 3 months old. He has been on several medications. He is on Valproic 5ml three times a day. Seems like the more they up his medicine the worse his attitude gets. He is staying awake all night and not sleeping very much. Is that normal? I have tried the Melatonin 3mg. It no longer works. Anyone have any usefull tips on how to get him to sleep?

Kristen - posted on 08/07/2011

not necessarily but it depends on how old the child was when they were first diagnosed, my daughter was 3 weeks of age, it caused her to have developmental delay, and she has two types of seizures so meds were hard to find and limited to her age. Topamax will cause cognitive delay I seen first hand the effects of that drug, and some due have behavioral side effects check with your doctor but also do your med research I found that researching the meds my daughter was taking helped me out and I could talk to her neurologist about the meds and side effects and what best for her.

Sandy - posted on 08/05/2011

Hi Sandra ... that medicine is not for her. You need to find a 'kinder' med. Trileptal is what my son has been on for 11 years, along with others that I do trial and error with to see if there are side effects. Drugs you could ask about: Vimpat, vigabatrin, tegretal or klonopin. Ones that can have horrible agression and behavior are Keppra and Zonisamide. Lamictal isn't bad but you have to watch for rashes because it can turn into Stevens Johnson Syndrome. All drugs have issues.

You need to stop tiptoeing around her. You need to start standing her in the corner for time out, take away tv and game privileges and spanking. She has to 'learn' how to control what is happening in herself before she gets really violent against her family. You may also want to try Lecithin 1200 capsules which is for brain and nerve function. My son was seizure free for 7 3/4 months on it and I took away half the doses of one drug and 3/4 doses of another one and he is doing well. Still has seizures at times but not anything like 30-40 life threatening ones a day he did have. Concerta is a behavior/adhd med which also helps with concentrating, especially in school. Joey also has a VNS (vagus nerve stimulator) which helps stop seizures. Amazing device that's implanted in their chest. If trouble sleeping or sound sleeping, you can give her 3 mg of Melatonin which turns the brain down for a deeper rejuvenating sleep.

I've been doing this for 12 years, Joey almost 13. Lots of things for you to check out and try. Be stern and show her that she CAN control some of her outbursts!! Good luck. Sandy Lora

Sandra - posted on 08/04/2011

hi my daughter has just been diagnosed with epilepsy she has been on eperlim for about 9 months and they keep up her doseage the more it gets up the worse her moods and attitude is getting she has a violet streak were she kicks and hits out to me and her sibblings when i talk to her consultant all she says is its just a phase her memorys is really bad and she gets frustrated and the slightest thing its like walking on egg shells if you say no to her or she hears somthing she dosent like she throws the biggest tantrums plz help any one got any suggestions id love to know how other ppl deal with as she is one of four it is hard to give her the one to one time i know she love but it just carnt be done all the time

Sandy - posted on 04/26/2011

Angela .... you need to do some advocating for your son!! Does he have and IEP (individualized education plan) at school?? You need to let them know that they can't keep suspending him from school because he has special needs!! He has rights!!

He may be getting ready for puberty and that adds it's own problems. Check out the VNS device, add Lecithin 4 times a week for brain and nerve function. Even a regular psych or therapist could help. I am trying to do that for my son right now but it's not easy. Good luck.
Sandy Lora

Angela - posted on 04/26/2011

many articles say that epilepsy does not directly cause behavorial problems and that may be true but I believe it has a direct enough impact especially depending on the lobe of the brain the seizures are coming from along with all the seizure meds side effects have that combo and change in behaviour you will directly see. My son is now 9yr and has had seizures for 4yrs and his behaviour has changed for the worst and his seizures are still not controlled, he is constantly getting suspended from school I am going to see the Neuro-Psych doctor to review results from testing I pray this will give answers to his poor learning and behavorial problems. Please pray for me and my son

Cynthia - posted on 12/13/2010

It most certainly has been for me!! I cannot contain the bad behavior. Im at a loss I dont know what approach to come to next??

Leticia - posted on 12/02/2010

sometimes absence seizures can go unnoticed they can last from a 2 seconds to 2 minutes, then there may a period of confusion depending on age and where hes at he may be embarassed so acts out i believe that was the case w/ kobe 7yo

Leticia - posted on 12/02/2010

Iam so glad I found this site and this topic. My son Kobe is 7 and had his first grand mal in June. Prior to that he was biting his tongue which seems not so bad but the tongue biting worsened, he began to shrug his shoulders and i think a lil drop seizure bcuz his head would drop forward, once at school while he was being disciplined and facing a wall, which had a staple sticking out , well he hit his eye and needed 4 stitches...OUCH... He was labeled ADHD and prescribed Metadate. I was very uncomfortable about giving him this med but surprisingly it slowed his episodes down a bit.... after seeing a neuro he was put on Valporic acid 10mls 2x a day... he continued biting his tongue so he was put on keppra... He has been sooo sleepy... i stopped Metadate otherwise he would be a walking zombie!!! Kobe also has problems in school... he was promoted by my husbands appeal to 2nd grade and is missing alot of it due to meds and seizures!!!!!! Sometimes I feel like Im crazy, overanalyzing his behavior and or moods but as many of you may agree... Nobody knows our kids, especially one that requires soo much more than the others, better than us!!! Its soo hard for both the parent and the child!!!! Soo glad I got to share this!!! Iforgot to mention his behavior...ADHD symptoms are also epilepsy symptoms...It can all be sooo overwhelming.... Med time so GG!!!!!!! Keep up the good work parents

Dana - posted on 12/02/2010

I have a question. My son was diagnosed wit h epilepsy two years ago. He had 2 grand mal seizures and was seizure free until this past monday. He has been taking trileptal but he is having major attiude and behavior problems at school. Is this common with this med or is it common behavior after someone has a seizure. Any info would be great!

Sandy - posted on 02/19/2010

Hi Janice,
I understand where you are with all the drugs and doctors. I have thoughts of taking him off his meds but I don't think he'd survive it. Trileptal has been a good med for him for over 10 years. Each child or adult are complex and one med works for one person but not for another, or one person has horrible side effects when another has none. It is very difficult trying to find what is correct for each person. As for your sons behavior, the Neuro Psych can put him on meds to help with his behavior. My son is on Concerta. Abilify and Adderal were NOT good drugs for him. My recommendations would be to NOT try Abilify. Joey's seizures changed for the worse and he is still having seizures involving his arms, legs and body rocking after almost 2 years. He did NOT have that before he was on Ablilify. Good luck.
Sandy Lora

Janice - posted on 02/18/2010

Hi ladies, My son Carlos was diagnosed with complex partial seizures when he was 3 years old. His very first seizure was from over heated and it was a petit mal seizure. I went through numerous tests and its been a real hard way to go. He was taking Cabramizapine which is part of the tegretol family, and it seemed as much he grew the more seizures he would have because of the weight gain and the upping of the dosage for him. He had mood swings, he would cry if you looked at him, he was aggressive and abusive to his older sister.By the time he was in K1 I was working the overnight shift and I would come home from work get them ready for school and go work there all day long in the class room just to keep him in line. I was a volunteer teacher assistant and I was exhausted. The next school year I took him off the medication because he wasn't seizing and I felt bad for him because he had problems emotionally. They tried to give me trileptol and keppra and I did research on the medicines and including tegretol they all are in the top 20 risk rates for suicide. I feared for my child and refused to medicate him. The after effect of taking the medicine is behavioral issues. The cabramizapine took a toll on him. I sit and cry sometimes because of the behavioral issues and school because he now is 8 years old, is repeating the first grade, has tourettes, so he has a tick in his face and his behavior is worst. He is marked because of past behavior problems in school, thy even kick him out regularly. Its gotten to the point where we are doing psych evaluations, plans, out patient programs for emotional and behavioral issues. Next we are on to a Neuro Psych and its sad because of all the testing they do he is feeling more and more miserable about himself. I hope everyone researches the meds before they agree to them. His neurologist hates me cuz i can give the pros and cons of meds. Please moms be careful I ask.

Sandy - posted on 02/16/2010

Hi Christine,
I'll have to remember that drug. Thanks for the info. I've never heard about Vyvance. Always best to have another drug, ready and waiting to try. Joey is doing well in 4th grade ... excelling somewhat which is amazing. As for her not wanting to eat ... I gave Joey rice krispie treats for breakfast. Best of luck. God Bless.
Sandy Lora

Christine - posted on 02/16/2010

My daughter was on Concerta and had some success but the Vyvance has been much better, though her appetite is fair at best and has lost weight, but the success in school has been worth it!

Sandy - posted on 02/15/2010

Simone,
Read my other post on here about Melatonin and VNS. The VNS might her your daughter, it has helped Joey. No more drop seizures since device put in. I have done anything and everything to get rid of seizures and it's all helped a little here and a little there. I know boo hoo, I am an emotional mess right now over my life in general and then dealing with Joey on top of that is pushing me over the edge. God Bless you all cause I can tell that you are in the same place I am at right now.
Sandy Lora

Simone - posted on 02/15/2010

Hi, I don't don't have any answers for you other than you aren't alone. My daughter is 10 yrs and behaviour is up and down. She has been diagnosed since she was 18 mhts and has absence, drop attacks and some big ugly ones during the night. Medication continues to change with different side effects all the time. She is intellectually disabled from the siezures and boy do i wish she could tell me how she is feeling is the behaviour from the seizures coming and going or is it just the hormones. Sorry not much help but connected with what you had to say. Going through a bit of why me stage at the moment.

Brandy - posted on 02/14/2010

he has been put on steriods as of the 16th of december and on the 30th of december 2009 he hasn't had any at all. so far so good we take him to saskatoon at least once a month for him to see his specialist. he also gets EEG's done while he is up there. he is doing good so far me and my family are keeping our fingers crossed that it they don't return

Sandy - posted on 02/13/2010

My son had drop seizures when he was 5 years old. I had a VNS (Vagal nerve stimulator) put in him. Joey hasn't had anymore drop seizures since it was put in, in Aug. 2004. The device is like a pace maker and is implanted in the chest with wires going up into the neck, to the vagal nerve. Joey's is set to off 5 minutes on 30 seconds and has been that way since the installation. He also wears a special magnet on his wrist. When he feels a seizure coming on he swipes the magnet over his chest where the device is. If he's seizing, anyone can swipe the magnet for him. It does help a lot. Joey is still on meds due to his other seizures. Complex partial, petit mal, absence and some more generalized ones. Look VNS up online and see what you think.
Sandy Lora

Brandy - posted on 02/13/2010

Hey Kelly my son Kyle is 2yrs old going to be 3 soon. he has seizures but they are what you call drop seizures, he is also being treated with two different meds. I have also noticed that he get angry and hurts some people not all the time though but they don't know what is happening so what i do is stay strong and let them know that everything will be ok and also help them realize that it's ok to be scared , let them know you will be there every step of the way.

Sandy - posted on 02/12/2010

Erin,
Wow! I know what you mean about the Keppra and I took it away abruptly, just like you. Joey took knives, scissors, .. anything ... and pointed it at us. I was petrified!!! It's hard to see your own child go from being sweet & cute to being evil and dangerous!! I still have the knives put away. That is great that your son is doing so well with no medication. Best of luck that it continues like it is .. or better. God Bless.
Sandy Lora

Erin - posted on 02/12/2010

my son was 3 when he was put on keppra for what we thought were just seizures after about a month he had stabed his older brother with a fork in his shoulder breaking the skin he said he did because his brother tooke his pice of chicken the next day he put the dogs head in a plastic bag about an hour later he chased his sister through the house with a steak knife because she put his shoes away needless to say we took him off the meds that day. they tried other meds he lost his abilty to talk right we found out that he is not only epileptic but he had two strokes as well and that they were medacating him for the seizures not knowing he was haven strokes he is now four years old i have taken him off all the meds because my husband and i felt the meds were doing more harm than good and he has not had a stroke in ten months and only 4 minor seizures in the eight months of no meds

Sandy - posted on 02/12/2010

Regina,
There are lots of seizure drugs to choose from!! Keppra is horrible!! A child can't be expected to go through life acting horrible from the effects of a drug. Read my post to Kelly Dixon, it has lots of info. I have been playing drug roulette with Joey for over 10 years and I'll keep doing it until I find out which drug/drugs are 'his'. I just added Vimpat to see if it will help control his seizures. BTW: Joey has never been seizure free since his first seizure at 9 months old. His Epilepsy is severe!! Heart aches and stress come with having a sick kid ... I know that first hand. It's difficult but you can't settle for second best.

Have you considered VNS (Vagal nerve stimulator)??? It does help Joey to have fewer seizures and helps counteract them when they start.
Sandy Lora

Sandy - posted on 02/12/2010

Brandy,
Did you mean Abilify? If so, it's is NOT good for anyone with seizures. Abilify made my sons seizures worse!! Keppra is a drug that makes everybody's life miserable. The Keppra is NOT worth dealing with!! There are plenty of other drugs to try. Trileptal is a cousin of Tegretal and has been a good drug for my son. Zonagran has violent and behavior issues too. You need to her to a Neuro Psyche doctor and get her on Concerta for the concentration. Read my post to Kelly Dixon, as I told her my experiences with my sons drugs.
Sandy Lora

Sandy - posted on 02/12/2010

Hello Kelly,
This advice is from what I've lived through and am dealing with right now. Joey is 11 and went through puberty this past summer. Hormones and seizures don't mix!! Joey was on Keppra along with Trileptal when he was 2 ~ 4 years old. Still seized so Keppra was taken away and replaced .. by many different ones in the last 8 years or so. Tried to do the Keppra/Trileptal mix again last year and I got a huge surprise! He turned very aggressive and mean. Horrible to be around. I dropped the Keppra quickly and waited to see the new drugs becoming available to kids. I have finally started him on Vimpat last week along with the Trileptal that has been his base drug for 9 years or so. From what I've heard .. Eplim can also have the aggressive and violent behavior. I know that Zonagran was horrendous for Joey, he hurt me!!

As for his memory and concentration .. get him to a neuro psyche doctor and get him on Concerta 36 mg., taken in the morning. Please DON'T try Abilify!! Joey has been seizing since he was 9 months old, absence, complex partial and petit mal. Within a couple weeks of starting Abilify for behavior .. his seizures became generalized. I took him off of it immediately but it has left ever~lasting mark. It's been 1 1/2 years that he's been off of Abilify but his seizures are still involving his arms, legs and throwing his body back and forth. I didn't like Adderal either. The Concerta (36 mg.) has made a huge difference in Joey's life, especially in school. To prove that a fact .. one day his teacher called and said he was having a horrible day. I checked his 7 day med holder which has a.m., p.m. and he I'd accidentally given him p.m. dose. I was relieved to have an answer as to why he wasn't behaving. Joey is doing great in 4th grade. He is paying attention and learning well. I don't like behavior meds but it is working great for him!! If their attention span is short ... they can NOT learn!!! Get him to the doctor ASAP and get him on Concerta. Hopefully it will be the right drug for him. He sounds so much like Joey. Concerta will help his memory and concentration, while getting him off at least the Keppra should help with his behavior and attitude. See about replacing the Keppra with Trileptal. Still waiting to see how/what the Vimpat is going to do for him. Best of luck. I know exactly what you're dealing with.
Sandy Lora

Elma - posted on 02/08/2010

Hi Kelly.

It is very difficuilt for your son. He is embaressed by the seizures. Talk to him and reasure him that it is nothing to be ashamed of. The medication can cause mood swings. My daughter was on Lamicton and Epilim but were still having seizures. In 2005 the neurologist changed the meds to Lamicton and Keppra and since then she is seizure free. She is now 23 and engaged. You will have to be strict with your son, because they can manipulate you by using epilepsy as an excuse. He must excersize a lot! treat him as any other 12 year old - don't handle him with silk gloves, but love him unconditionally.

Brandy - posted on 02/06/2010

my daughter is 7, almost 8 and is in a simular situation. She ws diagnosed w epilepsy when she was 9 months old, and has been on Tegretol and now on Keppra 900mg in the am and 800mg in the evening. She is also on Abily 2mg. She has been labeled also b/c no matter what we cannot control her tantrums, attitude, or get her to focus on anything for an extended length of time. She goes from one extreme to the other quickly but haven't really gotten any help from psychiatrist.

Kelly - posted on 02/06/2010

thanx guys,.it's nice to know yr not the only one goin through all this ..x

Regina - posted on 02/06/2010

yes they cause behavior problems but theirs nothing you can do about it . you have a choice of controlling seizures or behaviors. my son takes keppra & trileptal, depacoat he's 12yrs. just stay strong for your son but remember to take time out for your self,this task in not easy an you have a long road to travel. good luck !!!!!!!!! peac be with you.

Julz - posted on 02/06/2010

hi there depending on the meds it sure dose iv had it for 30 years and so has my sister and parents but thankfully not my children but i have noticed by my own meds as a child phenobarbitone tends to make you laid back and a lot more happyer over in newzealand its not given out much but in austrailia its widely used so i would ask my gp about trying this i think it will make a driffence julz

Angela - posted on 02/04/2010

My daughter Eloise is 4 & 1/2. She has had epilepsy since 8mths and has tried lots of drugs. She is currently on clobozam, lamictal and topomax. Her behaviour is terrible. It was really, really bad when she was on keppra. She is very impulsive and will sometimes act violently to her brother.I spoke to our Pead yesterday as we are increasing meds and he said we just need to find a balance between the behaviour and the seizures. I have heard from many others that meds cause terrible behaviours in some kids with epilepsy. It's more common than you probably would expect. God luck with it all, and know that you are not alone xo

Heather - posted on 02/01/2010

I don't know anything about eplim, but one of the side effects of Keppra is mood swings. My son's neuro has prescribed B6, 200mg 2x/day to combat them, and it's worked wonders! Seizure meds can also leave you feeling foggy for a while