Hello everyone,

I am also new to this group.  I appreciate this forum and any insight
you all may provide.  I also have questions about side effects of
medication.

I am 32, and I was epileptic as a child.  I had my first seizure at 3
and stopped meds at 12.  I think I had my last seizure at 11.  I don't
know what kind they were.  My mom didn't do any investigation into
anything.  She followed the doctors orders blindly in all aspects of
my upbringing.  I only had siezures at night, about 1 hour after I
fell asleep I think.  Only my first few seizures were during the day.
They were more like going into a coma like state staring blankly and
drooling, unresponsive.  The ones I had at night, I would sit up in
bed and call for my mom and couldn't move one side of my body (I think
the right side), my mom and dad would carry me to the bathroom, where
I would throw up, my mom would hold me while my dad would call my name
until I could focus my eyes on him.  (During the seizure they would be
rolled back in my head.)

I was on phenobarbitol.  I don't know the mg, but I do know I took 3
bitter little pills every night.  I just started counseling for
depression, and some questions are coming up.  I basically haven't
thought about epilepsy and phenobarbitol for a long time, and am just
now starting to wonder what long term effects I have.  I'm just now
wondering if some of these dots can be connected.....

I have some questions.  Could these be side effects?

*  I don't remember my childhood.  Hardly a thing.  My memories begin
at about 13.  Is this because
   a)  I was so doped up on barbituates that  I didn't do anything
memorable?  or
   b)  Do the drugs affect memory?
I shared a room with my sister, 10 years older than me, and I only
have 1 memory of her in my bedroom.

*  I still have a hard time with memory.  I forget so many things that
I should remember.  My friends' names from high school, my friends'
names from last year at church, details about my childrens' births,
details about their growing, when they talked, walked, etc (They're
only 7, 5, 4).  Could phenobarbitol have permanently affected my
capability to remember?

*  Can being on phenobarbitol for so long during my brain's formative
years set me up for chronic depression?  I was very depressed during
my childhood, I forgot about this, but I found a diary from my 10th
year and it was horrible!  My teenage years were a blast.  I had so
much fun, I was very happy, as soon as I started having children, I
became very depressed.  (postpartum?)

And of course, my report cards went from C's and D's to A's and B's
the year I came off phenobarbitol.

Any information would be so very much appreciated.  I have been
reading posts for a couple weeks, now, and I hope and pray for
everyone of you that you will "grow out of it" like I did, and if you
don't that you'll find the best medications/therapies/doctors for
you.  I feel for you.

Blessings~~*

Rebekah