Just wanted to check in and document that everything has been fantastic! Absolutely no shakes in the morning, big or small, no seizure activity in the slightest! I feel like a normal person.
My pregnancy is healthy, we are refusing ultrasounds, which got the hospital all in a tizzy. There's no medical indication, the AMA agrees that this should be a diagnostic tool because we don't have a lot of data on it (past knowing that repeated US can cause behavioral problems in humans and retardation in mice) and really the only benefit is to satisfy curiosity. Is it a boy or girl? Could he/she have Down's? Is there a heart defect? Are the long bones growing just fine? Just leave it alone, guys.
When my sister had her US she heard "Look at the size of that head!" and "Looks like he may have a clubbed foot, so we can schedule you a consult with an orthopedic surgeon" (his foot was fine & his head looks no different than the typical baby's cranium). Or when one of my great friends' mom went in for her US and was told that she would have to try to abort one twin because of some complication - they are both fine. RIDICULOUS.
US heats tissue and the brain is surrounded by a plate of bone just ready to be heated up - this is is how it can cause harm. One ultrasound it likely similar to the risk of having one x-ray when you're pregnant (which they used to do & yes, I realize that one has radiation & one has 12MHz sound waves). It may not cause damage - I suspect it would depend on your timing. Are you blasting the 8 week old fetus with super high intensity sound waves as crucial neuronal networks are delicately reaching out to find their synapses? And how the hell would you know?
It's disturbing.
We did listen to the fetal heart tones using a 2.5MHz Doppler for about 60 seconds of exposure because I wanted to know. Later, I felt like I should have stopped the minute the baby kicked the Doppler (which was instantly) because all I really wanted to know if that he/she was alive. I felt a flutter 3 weeks ago and nothing since. That was my mistake though - I didn't really need to listen to his/her heart at 18 weeks. I could wait a few months and the doc could listen with a fetoscope, which relies on clinical skill rather than new technology.
I'm growing right on target in weight and fundal height. All is well with my brain & I'm taking a lot of supplements for the baby's brain too.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
"o.k., fine - you can be off your meds"
So, after my new neurologist met her worst nightmare (I batted my eyes) she said I could go see an epilepsy specialist. The night before my appointment I thought, "Wait... why am I paying $600 or whatever to go see a drug dealer?" Sorry to be rude, but if the whole point is that I don't want to be on any medication... what good can a she do?
All that happened is that I explained my situation & she said that she was comfortable with my choice being off of medication, assuming I don't start having terrible seizures, etc. That is A LOT of money going into the system for her to tell me that. Had she said I needed to be on meds, I would have told her to shove it (in a nice way) so really, I had no purpose of going. She said something about reporting me to the DMV if I was worse, but I know that you actually have to have loss of consciousness in the last 6 months or the DMV doesn't give a rip.
I decided that I would mention my book because she seems like a really cool person. A wall went up when I said "naturopathic" and she recited something that she had canned from other people asking her about natural therapies - there's no evidence, the FDA doesn't approve it and her license/malpractice doesn't cover it. I pointed out though that she does tell people to get sleep, decrease their stress, exercise and drink water for scientific reasons and she agreed. She must have thought I meant herbs, which many MDs are deathly afraid of. Natural therapies include l ifestyle in a big way & we all agree on the basics. She was a nice person and had to be smart to get where she is. I'm also pleased that she used reasoning skills (based on my seizure frequency and past warning signs) instead of dogma. Shows promise.
My ND, of course, worked with me. She checked into other medications in case a seizure was coming on because we have that in our scope of practice, but I'm not into it and most are contraindicated in pregnancy - like benzodiazapines. Other ways proven by parents and caretakers of people not in scientific double blind studies? Things can try if I get the shakes or feel funny:
1. Cayenne pepper on the tongue - whipped one fellow's wife right out of the every time.
2. Ice to armpits and around inguinal areas in a circle (my ND's child has seizures & this has worked for her as well as others) 
3. Scents - carrying a strong smell, like lavender or the famous jasmine essential oil can snap you out of it. The brain has a direct extension exiting into the nose which is why scents bring up such strong memories (great for those with memory problems and Alzheimers).
I'm also taking 1000mg Taurine (an amino acid found in foods) for it's neuroprotection and GABA receptor effects twice a day, at least 300mg of Magnesium (which is also helpful for my gastrointestinal tract in pregnancy) and my diet is filled with protein and healthy fats. I'm drinking a lot of water & no caffeine. I sleep when I need to and don't drive in the mornings. I'm grounding myself outside without my shoes on in the mornings and I plan on getting massages to decrease stress. AND I just saw The Perfect Pregnancy workout video that I think I'll give a try.
Things are good. Maybe now the people who MAY be present at my birth will be a little less edgy with my condition that's so scary for them.
References? Yes, I actually have your God of science here, but you can look yourself:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19025770
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=magnesium%20epilepsy
All that happened is that I explained my situation & she said that she was comfortable with my choice being off of medication, assuming I don't start having terrible seizures, etc. That is A LOT of money going into the system for her to tell me that. Had she said I needed to be on meds, I would have told her to shove it (in a nice way) so really, I had no purpose of going. She said something about reporting me to the DMV if I was worse, but I know that you actually have to have loss of consciousness in the last 6 months or the DMV doesn't give a rip.
My ND, of course, worked with me. She checked into other medications in case a seizure was coming on because we have that in our scope of practice, but I'm not into it and most are contraindicated in pregnancy - like benzodiazapines. Other ways proven by parents and caretakers of people not in scientific double blind studies? Things can try if I get the shakes or feel funny:
1. Cayenne pepper on the tongue - whipped one fellow's wife right out of the every time.
2. Ice to armpits and around inguinal areas in a circle (my ND's child has seizures & this has worked for her as well as others)
I'm also taking 1000mg Taurine (an amino acid found in foods) for it's neuroprotection and GABA receptor effects twice a day, at least 300mg of Magnesium (which is also helpful for my gastrointestinal tract in pregnancy) and my diet is filled with protein and healthy fats. I'm drinking a lot of water & no caffeine. I sleep when I need to and don't drive in the mornings. I'm grounding myself outside without my shoes on in the mornings and I plan on getting massages to decrease stress. AND I just saw The Perfect Pregnancy workout video that I think I'll give a try.
Things are good. Maybe now the people who MAY be present at my birth will be a little less edgy with my condition that's so scary for them.
References? Yes, I actually have your God of science here, but you can look yourself:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19025770
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=magnesium%20epilepsy
Monday, June 20, 2011
The EEG Result
So, I threw up for the first and only time right before the EEG. It seems like when I went off my meds, my morning sickness got stronger. Interpret as you will.
The tech said he thought it looked fine, but it was up to the doctor. He's seen more of them than she has but hasn't been formerly trained. I felt pretty good about it. Then the phone call cascade comes in. 3 messages later, my neurologist gets a hold of me.
"There is generalized activity throughout the brain and one incidence of an ictal focus at the temporal lobes." She went on to say how I could basically have a seizure at any moment. "Have you had a tonic clonic before?"
...what? Well, yeah, remember? I thought that was why she was so worried. That was an odd question... maybe they just put people on medication if they have interesting EEGs these days.
I haven't felt any activity other than the buzz happening around me about what an idiot I am to not be on my medication. Like I have a lamotrigine deficiency. How about we work to solve the individualized symptom of seizures? Alas, the bulk of the brainwashed population believes that we are powerless to cure anything and certainly couldn't function without medication. Of course, I don't watch TV.
I went to my first OB appointment today. Again, not impressed. It's all about data collection, genetic tracking and, God forbid, someone decides that you're an unfit mother and calls DHS on you. I'm not on medications, I don't even drink caffeine.
"What do take for pain?"
That question was interesting to me because I don't take anything. If I'm having really bad menstrual cramps, I'll take a few shots of cramp bark. If I'm having a tension headache, I'll drink more water and try to relax. If I had migraines, I'd look into food allergies, etc.
"I just ask because if you take anything, it should be Tylenol."
You mean the drug that leads over 26,000 people to the hospital per year, 458 of them not living to tell the tale? Maybe people should think about where their pain is coming from before they nuke their livers. And what about a developing fetus? Doesn't anyone think about what it goes through because you've got a backache and it's uncomfortable?
What a crazy, crazy world we live in. I feel like they've all gone mad, so it's just a matter of time before they discover I'm a nut in their book.
The tech said he thought it looked fine, but it was up to the doctor. He's seen more of them than she has but hasn't been formerly trained. I felt pretty good about it. Then the phone call cascade comes in. 3 messages later, my neurologist gets a hold of me.
"There is generalized activity throughout the brain and one incidence of an ictal focus at the temporal lobes." She went on to say how I could basically have a seizure at any moment. "Have you had a tonic clonic before?"
...what? Well, yeah, remember? I thought that was why she was so worried. That was an odd question... maybe they just put people on medication if they have interesting EEGs these days.
I haven't felt any activity other than the buzz happening around me about what an idiot I am to not be on my medication. Like I have a lamotrigine deficiency. How about we work to solve the individualized symptom of seizures? Alas, the bulk of the brainwashed population believes that we are powerless to cure anything and certainly couldn't function without medication. Of course, I don't watch TV.
I went to my first OB appointment today. Again, not impressed. It's all about data collection, genetic tracking and, God forbid, someone decides that you're an unfit mother and calls DHS on you. I'm not on medications, I don't even drink caffeine.
"What do take for pain?"
That question was interesting to me because I don't take anything. If I'm having really bad menstrual cramps, I'll take a few shots of cramp bark. If I'm having a tension headache, I'll drink more water and try to relax. If I had migraines, I'd look into food allergies, etc.
"I just ask because if you take anything, it should be Tylenol."
You mean the drug that leads over 26,000 people to the hospital per year, 458 of them not living to tell the tale? Maybe people should think about where their pain is coming from before they nuke their livers. And what about a developing fetus? Doesn't anyone think about what it goes through because you've got a backache and it's uncomfortable?
What a crazy, crazy world we live in. I feel like they've all gone mad, so it's just a matter of time before they discover I'm a nut in their book.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Off the Meds!
"Discontinuing therapy: Decrease dose by ~50% per week, over at least 2 weeks unless safety concerns require a more rapid withdrawal. Discontinuing carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone, or rifampin should prolong the half-life of lamotrigine; discontinuing valproic acid should shorten the half-life of lamotrigine"
Well, I've been on 25mg a day for 2 weeks. I think it's time to bid adieu to this little quarter of a pill. I'm not going to attempt to chop it in half again or anything - it's time I let go of the railing. I only had a pinky hold anyway.
I'm going to feel so good not having to think about this anymore. I won't have to think about miscarriage, developmental delays or deformities. I'm lucky because for some reason my neurologists over the years just refilled Lamictal as a monotherapy, no other drugs necessary. And over the years, I learned my triggers and educated myself about the condition I have. What's alarming to me is that people aren't educated about their own health boggles and they have to go discover this on their own - in a sense, go get a medical education.
And graduation from medical school for me, my friends, is the Saturday after next. I'm unimpressed with my 1st neurologist who put me on Dilantin and told me I wouldn't be able to hack it in med school.
Now I feel like I know what's going on in my body and I vow to teach my patients what's going on in theirs.
Well, I've been on 25mg a day for 2 weeks. I think it's time to bid adieu to this little quarter of a pill. I'm not going to attempt to chop it in half again or anything - it's time I let go of the railing. I only had a pinky hold anyway.
I'm going to feel so good not having to think about this anymore. I won't have to think about miscarriage, developmental delays or deformities. I'm lucky because for some reason my neurologists over the years just refilled Lamictal as a monotherapy, no other drugs necessary. And over the years, I learned my triggers and educated myself about the condition I have. What's alarming to me is that people aren't educated about their own health boggles and they have to go discover this on their own - in a sense, go get a medical education.
And graduation from medical school for me, my friends, is the Saturday after next. I'm unimpressed with my 1st neurologist who put me on Dilantin and told me I wouldn't be able to hack it in med school.
Now I feel like I know what's going on in my body and I vow to teach my patients what's going on in theirs.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
My New Neurologist
So, I asked the medical assistant at the hospital which doc she'd recommend for a pregnant women with epilepsy who's into natural medicine and wants to not be on drugs. Tall order for a neurologist. So this neuro is new and has advised a patient to take Butterbur for migraines - there's hope.
The MA was disgruntled and shared that she was frustrated with the medical establishment after over a decade of working in it because all they do is hand out pills like solutions.
When the doc came in, I explained that I haven't been on the dose I'm supposed to be on in a long time, I'm sleeping all the time, eating frequently & healthily, cut caffeine and alcohol and my stress level has gone down since I'm about to graduate (kind of over the panic). I've had no myoclonic jerking or symptoms and I rapidly lowered my dose.
She said that it was the American Neurological Association's stance that I should increase my dose by 6 times back up to the dose I was prescribed 6 years ago and stay on that for the course of the development of my fetus. Period.
She then went on to say that I'm putting my baby at risk for death because I would cut of the blood supply during a seizure. She said, "But, it looks like you've already made up your mind"
Darn tootin', Miss. I hadn't had a full-on tonic clonic in 6 years on a low dose of medication that is mostly used to control myoclonis and bipolar depression, but I had 2 on a higher dose of Lamotrigine and 4 on Tegretol. So, for someone who went a year without medication or a seizure (a.k.a. I'm not convulsing all the time and I know my triggers), is it really indicated? Is it worth the risk of damage to the baby?
I don't think her brain was working far beyond the functioning of a parrot. Her physical exam sucked and she nearly forgot to do it. She was mostly worried about giving me the PARQ and charting that she gave me the standard of care so I can't sue her. She couldn't even advise me on how I should come off of it - she just pointed out that I might feel sad because it's for bipolar & that I should consult my general practitioner about the danger of the herbs I'm taking.
Look, I am a general practitioner in a matter of months. I know the biochemistry f the drug I am taking more than most doctors & very few doctors know anything about herbs. They just say they're dangerous and don't work in the same sentence. If the tiny amount of rosemary is contraindicated due to uterine contraction, then so are orgasms. I can feel that red raspberry tea is not good for me right now because I know my body... and it hurts, but it CAN be used throughout pregnancy in some people with great benefit.
So, I'm alone. I still hate going to the doctor and the hospital, so we'll see how this birthing experience goes. A mom can't be nervous - it makes the whole thing take longer and be more painful because stress and birthing don't mix.
Neurologist Fail.
The MA was disgruntled and shared that she was frustrated with the medical establishment after over a decade of working in it because all they do is hand out pills like solutions.
When the doc came in, I explained that I haven't been on the dose I'm supposed to be on in a long time, I'm sleeping all the time, eating frequently & healthily, cut caffeine and alcohol and my stress level has gone down since I'm about to graduate (kind of over the panic). I've had no myoclonic jerking or symptoms and I rapidly lowered my dose.
She said that it was the American Neurological Association's stance that I should increase my dose by 6 times back up to the dose I was prescribed 6 years ago and stay on that for the course of the development of my fetus. Period.
She then went on to say that I'm putting my baby at risk for death because I would cut of the blood supply during a seizure. She said, "But, it looks like you've already made up your mind"
Darn tootin', Miss. I hadn't had a full-on tonic clonic in 6 years on a low dose of medication that is mostly used to control myoclonis and bipolar depression, but I had 2 on a higher dose of Lamotrigine and 4 on Tegretol. So, for someone who went a year without medication or a seizure (a.k.a. I'm not convulsing all the time and I know my triggers), is it really indicated? Is it worth the risk of damage to the baby?
I don't think her brain was working far beyond the functioning of a parrot. Her physical exam sucked and she nearly forgot to do it. She was mostly worried about giving me the PARQ and charting that she gave me the standard of care so I can't sue her. She couldn't even advise me on how I should come off of it - she just pointed out that I might feel sad because it's for bipolar & that I should consult my general practitioner about the danger of the herbs I'm taking.
Look, I am a general practitioner in a matter of months. I know the biochemistry f the drug I am taking more than most doctors & very few doctors know anything about herbs. They just say they're dangerous and don't work in the same sentence. If the tiny amount of rosemary is contraindicated due to uterine contraction, then so are orgasms. I can feel that red raspberry tea is not good for me right now because I know my body... and it hurts, but it CAN be used throughout pregnancy in some people with great benefit.
So, I'm alone. I still hate going to the doctor and the hospital, so we'll see how this birthing experience goes. A mom can't be nervous - it makes the whole thing take longer and be more painful because stress and birthing don't mix.
Neurologist Fail.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Probiotics and inflammation in the brain
"Dose-Dependent Immunomodulation of Human Dendritic Cells by the Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lcr35."
I'm working on my report for a urinary tract & vaginal infection we treated with probiotics, (among other things), and stumbled upon this. Basically, this certain strain of bug you can take in a capsule these days produces signaling molecules that are healthy for the brain cells via a anti-inflammatory mechanism. A great studies on probiotics and babies - the PANDA study - showed significant decreased allergies and skin reactions in newborns as a result of probiotics. I always think of allergies, skin and the brain as related because they are embryologically and things that tend to show up on the skin may have already had an impact on the brain - like increased histamine in the springtime due to allergies. There's no arguing against the brain fog there.Thought it was interesting. I'll have to check if it's in the probiotic blend I'm currently taking. It's good to rotate probiotics clinically, so that would go along with the dose dependent nature of this study.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
25mg qd still o.k.
Things are going well on the 25mg - just a note. Grand Rounds on Monday is going to be a hurdle because I have to sign in by 7:30am, which means I have to leave by 6:30 to drive for an hour. Not necessarily safe. I can't miss any, so I am at the crossroads of deciding if I will have one of my friends unethically sign me in OR throw myself at the mercy of the administration who may, for all I know, get their panties in a bunch and call the DMV to alert them I'm changing my meds. Who knows?
That scenario is pretty possible because, as doctors, they don't realize that the DMV doesn't want to hear about it until absolutely necessary - like if I have a seizure. When I got my license I asked the DMV worker if I had to provide anything extra because I have epilepsy. Her eyes darted from side to side and she quickly said if I hadn't had a seizure in the last 6 months, it didn't matter. So, it's never been on my record. Of course, I've had less than 15 tonic clonic seizures in my lifetime and they've all been in the morning after I've stayed up too late or was stressed out.
I can watch the grand rounds videos later in the morning to maintain my education, but I'm uncertain if I want to blow the whistle on myself. How ridiculous.
Feeling fine so far, but I've been eating and sleeping whenever I want today. I woke up at 3:30, stayed in bed until 4:30am and finally decided to get up this morning. Could have been the pills of the flux of hormones. Then I crashed at 7:30 for a few hours. I trust that my brain will shut off if it needs to when I have those mornings. Maybe that will happen Monday & I'll be sleeping through grand rounds.
That scenario is pretty possible because, as doctors, they don't realize that the DMV doesn't want to hear about it until absolutely necessary - like if I have a seizure. When I got my license I asked the DMV worker if I had to provide anything extra because I have epilepsy. Her eyes darted from side to side and she quickly said if I hadn't had a seizure in the last 6 months, it didn't matter. So, it's never been on my record. Of course, I've had less than 15 tonic clonic seizures in my lifetime and they've all been in the morning after I've stayed up too late or was stressed out.
I can watch the grand rounds videos later in the morning to maintain my education, but I'm uncertain if I want to blow the whistle on myself. How ridiculous.
Feeling fine so far, but I've been eating and sleeping whenever I want today. I woke up at 3:30, stayed in bed until 4:30am and finally decided to get up this morning. Could have been the pills of the flux of hormones. Then I crashed at 7:30 for a few hours. I trust that my brain will shut off if it needs to when I have those mornings. Maybe that will happen Monday & I'll be sleeping through grand rounds.
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