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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> THE NIGHTMARE DRUG 
        
(Message started by: UN_SOLVED on Jul 31^st, 2004, 10:03pm)

Title: THE NIGHTMARE DRUG
Post by UN_SOLVED on Jul 31^st, 2004, 10:03pm

The KEPPRA nightmare

I was 5 months into my 15th or 16th cycle (beginning my chronic phase ~ Late March, 2001). I was having 2 - 4 attacks daily and at least 1 at night. I was going to college for CSCI and taking care of my son by myself. I was in the middle of moving our stuff into our new apartment. I had been on the Keppra for just a short time and I was tired and ready for bed (expecting at least 1 attack).

I had the scariest nightmare you could image, Things just seemed so REAL! I woke to a full blown attack and took Imitrex. Told myself it was just a dream and dozed back off. Again...I woke up freaking out because of a nightmare and had a full blown attack. After taking the Imitrex again and setting there for a moment ... I realized it had only been about 10 minutes since my last nightmare and attack. Now i'm worried. can I go back to sleep or is this going to keep happening ? I waited for awhile ... went and grabbed a video of "Session 9" to watch. I fell asleep at the beginning of the movie and it all happened all over again (Nightmares and CH wihtin minutes).

I ended up getting up and watching the movie. I was totally tripping. It was like an ACID affect. I should've just watched Pink Floyd "The WALL" .... " The lights were on but nobody was home ".

I continued having attacks without nightmares in the daytime ... BUT as soon as I fell asleep .. NIGHTMARE CITY. Needless to say ... I ended up staying up for 7 straight days and wound up in the hospital on yet another DHE drip. I stopped KEPPRA immediately and WILL NOT do that again !

Hope you others don't experience that. It was a NIGHTMARE ON MY STREET !!

Strange drugs can do strange things !

Unsolved

Title: Re: THE NIGHTMARE DRUG
Post by ex_pat_asia on Aug 1^st, 2004, 12:08pm

Un_solved,
That does sound nightmarish. Just curious though...why you would turn on the movie "Session 9" after being awakened by nightmares and a cluster attack. Not exactly a soothing effect my man.
Just to share my own experiences, my nightime attacks always hit during REM - dream state sleep. And as you are a youngish guy your dreams are going to be very vivid and frequently nightmarish (these generally become less so as you age). I don't know if it was the Keppra that cause your experience but it is likely it did not help. I am not impressed with the drug's noted side effects, and certainly what you describe fits within their own list of these:
- sleepiness or feeling tired
- weakness
- difficulty coordinating muscles normally, (e.g., abnormal walk)
- aggression, anger, and irritability
- agitation, anxiety, and other mood changes
- decreased ability to cope with daily life events
feeling depressed or worsening depression
- thoughts of suicide

Your plan to shitcan that one is a pretty good start in my opinion.

Don't be surprised, however, by similar experiences again, and by all means try the Oxygen tank if you have not yet done so. The rythmic breathing of pure Oxygen, aside from chasing away the beast, has a soothing effect. Another thing to try is to get some peppermint oil and place a bit between your lip and nose--being careful not to get any on your mucous tissues inside the nose. It has a soothing quality about it also. Finally, Floridian has posted elsewhere that he makes sure to get a long hot shower before bedtime and uses melatonin as well as verapamil. I have just started the verapamil so do not know the efficacy yet but many have posted in favor of this drug. I can say that the hot shower has some scientific basis for it. The body, in preparation for sleep, turns down your inner thermostat slightly, and begins to cool itself. The hot shower relaxes your major muscle groups and more specifically, the subsequent cooling, mimics the cooling and effectively prompts your body to continue the process...making you more drowsy, and ready for deep sleep.
The headaches may, of course, come anyway...but I have to tell you that the Oxy re-breather mask and deep slow cadence breathing it affords, feels like a refuge to me when they hit like that...and also quickly chases away the effects of whatever far-out dream I was having. I also find it to be my single most effective aborter of the attacks. I hope you get progress soon and have mostly PFDAN

Title: Re: THE NIGHTMARE DRUG
Post by Redd715 on Aug 1^st, 2004, 2:29pm

Quote:

- sleepiness or feeling tired
- weakness
- difficulty coordinating muscles normally, (e.g., abnormal walk)
- aggression, anger, and irritability
- agitation, anxiety, and other mood changes
- decreased ability to cope with daily life events
feeling depressed or worsening depression
- thoughts of suicide

Sounds like CH to me.....

UN SOLVED is our resident vetran of refractive treatments there EX....trust me when I tell you he's been through it all and then some, including a number of surgical proceedures with no success. You are preaching to the choir so to speak, but you heart is in the right place!

Title: Re: THE NIGHTMARE DRUG
Post by UN_SOLVED on Aug 1^st, 2004, 9:13pm

Redd is right. I've tried it all.

Glad your 02 works for you !

Unsolved

BTW .. I had no idea that "Session 9" was gonna 'freak me out' like that !! LOL ... It was the drugs !!

Title: Re: THE NIGHTMARE DRUG
Post by ex_pat_asia on Aug 1^st, 2004, 9:21pm

Thanks for the heads up guys and for not taking umbrage at sounding so pedantic. Like most of us here I am animated on the topic and pleased to have a chance to air opinions and read others.

"Session 9" may be one of the very best of its genre that I have seen in a long time....and is friggin creepie. It would freak the pope.

W or W/O Keppra.

UN_SOLVED, if you have tried it all I guess I can only offer wishes of the PFDAN kind.

"I'm very brave generally, he went on in a low voice: only today I happen to have a headache.
-Lewis Carroll"

Title: Re: THE NIGHTMARE DRUG
Post by Ronny on Aug 2^nd, 2004, 5:49pm

Shit man, that sucks. :-[

If i hear your story, i'm glad i'm me and not you.

Many, many PF wishes.
Ronny.

Title: Re: THE NIGHTMARE DRUG
Post by Redd715 on Aug 2^nd, 2004, 8:19pm

Ronny I know what you mean. I feel like one huge turd when I piss and moan about my situation, because when I think what UN-SOLVED wouldn't give to have the few PF days I get between battles. ....

But I still hate CH!!!!

Title: Re: THE NIGHTMARE DRUG
Post by lionsound on Aug 2^nd, 2004, 8:32pm

The same thing happened to me last week. Two doses of imitrex then woke up with a KIP-10 to a startle from a rockin' nightmare that I swore was really happening. Very scary.

In your first sentence it sounds like it was this happened a while back. I hope so. thanks for reounting it.I didn't know anyone else knew what that was like.

PTSD me usually startles a lot from headaches and nightmares.

Been taking Keppra for about two years. Makes me wonder if what has been become usual once wasn't a few years ago.

Wishing you some peaceful sleep.
-L

Title: Re: THE NIGHTMARE DRUG
Post by buckeyescooter on Aug 3^rd, 2004, 2:11am

Sorry to hear about your horrible night. I have read many of your posts and your courage amazes me. I even read that biography of yours via that link you posted sometime back. I've taken Keppra before and never had any of the problems you described. I found it to be somewhat effective in the beginning of a cycle, but once it really gears up, having to go to a stronger anti-seizure. It's late here in Los Angeles, hope your sleeping soundly with no pain on the horizon.