Juvenile epilepsy
Hello. My 14 year old daughter has experienced two convulsive seizures and daily myoclonic jerks/ twitches. She has been taking Keppra and her symptoms are controlled but her moods are so extreme it’s like she’s a different person.
She is not willing to switch medications because the doctor has warned of increased seizure risk during a transition. Does anyone have experiences to share? Thank you
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Epilepsy & Seizures Support Group.
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Hi @natb23
Welcome to our Connect community! I hope you'll find the support and understanding you're looking for here.
I'm also sorry to hear about your son's seizure disorder and the struggles you're facing.
It's not easy for mothers to navigate this initially, but I believe there are ways to find a balance between fostering independence and providing appropriate care.
I've found some testimonials in this Epilepsy Team article that beautifully reflect the same perspective @jakedduck1 has shared:
“Give them confidence, strength, and independence. That is what my mother did for me. I started getting complex partial seizures when I was 12. Now I am 52. I worked. I didn’t let epilepsy take over my life. Don’t let your child give up in life.”
“As a child who had epilepsy, the most important thing to me, at that time, was to know that I was loved for who I am. My parents always encouraged me to look on the bright side despite the seizures and reinforced that everything was going to be OK!”
Here's the link to the full article: Epilepsy Team - Transition to Adulthood
https://www.myepilepsyteam.com/resources/the-epilepsy-transition-to-adulthood-how-to-help-your-child
You mentioned you're not doing well. Have you considered seeking therapeutic support to help you navigate this difficult time with your son? Sometimes, having professional guidance as well as connecting with other parents in similar situations can make a real difference.
Take care!
Chris
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3 ReactionsMy 15 year old son had his first tonic clonic seizure in January 2025, he has had 3 more since then. They started him on lamotrigine after his first seizure, we weaned him off of it in June because he had been seziure free and thought the seizure was caused from him being sick with a high fever the week before it happened. Come July he had a second seizure so they started him on keppra and has had two more seizures since we started keppra, we now are introducing lamotrigine back along with his keppra still. Could his seizures be caused from metabolic issues or going through puberty? Are the drs maybe misdiagnosing him with lack of nutrients and vitamins? He has been a healthy kid his whole life, no head trauma, no tbi or family history of seizures so I’m just wondering why now and if he will grow out of this?
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2 Reactions@terin82
Yes to your first three questions although how often I wouldn't know. However, your doctor should have done blood tests to rule those issues out although you may want to ask him if a vitamin & mineral profile test was done.
JME is seldom if ever grown out of. 50% of epilepsy patients never know the cause. Even if it was a genetic cause and genetic testing was done don't always show up so in my opinion it's best to accept the conditionand not worry about the cause, just. Concentrate more on controlling the seizures. Did you ask his doctor these questions?
Does your son have my myoclonic jerks prior to his seizures?
Take care,
Jake
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