Missing Component

I don't know why I've not been including this component into this blog, except that one of my symptoms is periodic lack of mental clarity.  LOL

I've been on Tegretol for 15 years.  This is an anti-seizure medication (and has other diagnoses as well that doctors prescribe it for).

I had a head injury when I was 13 and again in 1994 when I fell off my horse and was unconscious for an undetermined amount of time. 

I started have little "mini-seizures" in about 1998 and went to the doctor shortly thereafter.  He referred me to a Neurologist who prescribed the Tegretol.  I have got the prescription refilled by authorization from my (former) Primary Care Physician) for all of these years. 

When I saw a new Neurologist in April, he was surprised that I was taking it for so long.  He mentioned that it might be a good idea to consider getting off of the Tegretol once I told him what my "seizures" were like.  He doesn't think that they really are seizures.  They might be some kind of muscle spasms (I didn't think to ask him more about this).   And since I haven't had one for a long time, it would really be worth looking into.

This Neurologist is who ordered the EEG and MRI most recently to investigate the cause of my recent dizziness, fatigue, etc.

I called 5 days after the tests were done and his nurse told me that the results were normal (I actually have a brain - hehe) and nothing outstanding.  Yay, no tumors or anything serious like that.  I wanted to know if I should start weaning off the Tegretol and had to make an appointment.  It seemed so far away that I have been contemplating doing the weaning on my own. 

Last Monday, when I still was getting no relief from my symptoms, I eliminated the Aspartame and reduced my dosage of Tegretol by 100mg.  Just to see what would happen.  I saw the Homeopathic Physician on Wednesday and started the supplements on Thursday.  By Thursday afternoon I definitely had more energy and less dizziness and it lasted through Saturday (as I have already written about in the other blog posts). 

But, I started having headaches on Friday.  I wondered if it was just some sort of withdrawal symptom - but from what?  The Aspartame?  Not likely - that would have been more immediate as my internet research has revealed.  The Tegretol?  Maybe.  So I went back to the entire 400mg dosage Saturday night just in case the headaches were from that. 

My appointment with the Neurologist today:  He wants me to go ahead with the reduction in dosage of the Tegretol.  He wanted to see the results of the EEG before he recommended this and definitely thinks I should be off of it.  I'm to reduce it by 25% over the next two months.  I have an appointment to see him again then.  At that point, he'll decide how fast I should reduce the rest of it.  He told me it might take 6-12 months to completely get off of it from being on it for the ridiculously long amount of time of 15 years. 

Questions remain:  Will this be the culprit of my woes over the last period of my life where I've becoming almost completely sedentary in all aspects of my life?  Is it truly Tegretol Toxicity and not necessarily Aspartame Toxicity?  Is the sustained-released Tegretol the culprit of my sudden fatigue attacks?  Was  Aspartame "poisoning" contributing to Tegretol "poisoning"?  Only time will tell, I suppose. 

What I would like for my (former) PCP to answer:  Why have you been refilling the Tegretol for 15 years without question?

I still have an appointment with the HD this afternoon and will go over all of this with her.