Peter,

Currently, I am also controlling complex partial seizures as well with
JUST Tegretol as my source for drug admin. I'm sure that you've heard
it a thousand times, but be careful with the dosage. I have played
with the dose and it sent me into a seizure, not pleasant. Avoid at
all costs grapefruit as it causes something called gain-of-function,
very similar to that of drinking alcohol. It is basically were your
liver releases more meds into your system at one given time than your
body can handle. Dangerous. It can leave you in a state of "toxicity."
Also, try your best to avoid all milk products with this drug...yes I
know they say, "Take it with milk..." but recent studies have proven
milk to be an inhibitor of absorption of this drug. This drug's PDR
not in so many words states that the pill functions better on acid.
Milk can act as a neutralizer of that acid, thus throwing absorption
off, and the pill becomes ineffective for that dose. Avoid dairy if
you can help it during the taking of your pill. This may be one of the
causes of problems with the drug instead of dosage problems. It was
for me. High cholesterol kind of comes with the territory with this
drug. It is just imperative that you watch it, and more importantly,
watch your liver ensymes, if they are elevated because of the drug,
you may be in a state of overdose (perhaps!!). Liver trouble can be
indicated through itching at every orifice, arms, legs, back, etc.
When my dosage is off, I will have spells, hemifacial spasms,
irregular breathing, and most recently, a seizure. This was indicitive
of Tegretol XR, and milk, a bad combo. Most of Science has not caught
up with this yet. If I am wrong, the worst thing that happens is that
you take the pill with water. I recommend water and a carbohydrate
like a cracker at least. Some other symptoms I have when the meds are
off can be dizziness, disorientation, blurred vision. In most cases,
the controlled release version of the drug can be helpful, but get
many opinions on that. That would be Tegretol XR. It releases an even
distribution of the drug through your body over a 12 hour period. More
stable. Just have to learn how NOT to take it. 2200 MGs seems like a
lot of meds. On a scale of 4-12, on my therapeutic level scale, I
function the best around 6-7. This is something I feel all seizure
patients should know. How low can you go where you will NOT have a
seizure and have the meds still be effective. Worth discovering.
Anyway, I'm still here--ask away if you have anymore questions.

David

I wish you the very best of luck (yes, I still read this NG ;).

I'm now enrolled in the National Marine School doing a correspondence
theory course to fill in the missing bits needed to take Day Skipper
Paper 2. I aim to finish that within a month (two months is recommended
but there's some material which I've already done, plus I'm on holiday).
This is parallel with replacing my bathroom, finishing off the kitchen,
doing all the paperwork for new courses at school and writing a new
departmental policy. I've joined the county sailing club for some free-
time enjoyment.

I still fall asleep sometimes during the evening news, and if I feel
tired mid-afternoon I make sure I get up and DO something active, or
I'll doze off - 25 years of Tegretol-induced habits die hard!

Having the new energy is lovely, getting organised is the difficult bit.
I find a written 'plan for the day' helps, even with times given, to
make sure I don't fall behind or miss out. Each day starts with sitting
down to draft this, then I insert slack as I know I'm not superhuman and
still need some down-time.

There *is* life after medication, and I hope you can find it someday - I
just wish I could have found it 25 years ago. My one worry is that
something will creep up behind me someday and put me splat back at
square one :(  But I've kept alcohol-free even though there's no meds
left in me.