Medications

Laura's weaning off Epilim is going well and she's now down to just 2.5ml (100mg) in the evening). I'm feeling both scared and excited as she has been on this medication since 2000, so we have no idea whether it's doing everything or nothing. I've been of the opinion though that if she is going to have a seizure she will have one regardless of what daily anti-convulsants she's on. This seems to have been borne out as over the past few months we have reduced it from 15ml a day to 2.5ml with no increase in her seizures.

Disappointingly though I haven't seen any reduction in her bruising which was the main reason I wanted her off Epilim - tests showed she had some platelet dysfunction due to low fibrinogen and we had thought that the Epilim was the cause as it is a known side effect. But maybe it has to be totally out of her body to reverse the problem so we'll get her blood tested again when we next see her neuro in the summer.

Laura's clobazam has been increased and this is causing some increased unsteadiness (another known side effect and one we've had before on higher doses). I guess though it's a case of having to accept some side effects with these medications.

But overall she is doing OK and having a good spell at the moment which I am very thankful for.