xanax & epilepsy

i take meds for epilepsy & have used xanax recreationally in the past.  i recently got 30 & took one "bar" a day for about a week - (maybe 2 on sunday night) then didnt take any since sunday.  tuesday i had a mild seizure.  do you think ive been "on it" long enough for that to be the cause of that seizure?? - b.

[LONESOME]

Have you ever had seizures before?
And if I can ask when you say recreationally what is that mean? my son is also taking it I found out so I would like to know who is recreationally and what does it do to you?

[b7697]

i have a seizure disorder so i have had them before. i've taken xanax recreationally meaning it makes you feel really relaxed like a couple of cocktails without the alcohol.  i take it at night- about 2 mg thats called a "bar" theres also little blue pills that are 1/2 mg.not every night - and like i said havent done it in years - im not a drug seeker but i  happened to come across some......the posts here make me not want to do it anymore because it sounds like hell if you DO get addicted!!  hope your son is not.... -b

[seeksolice]

Hey,

I do not have a seizure disorder, but my twin sister and my mother both do. I also used to be addicted to Xanax. The seizure that you had on Tuesday could very well be from the Xanax (lack thereof). Please see a doctor if you are out of Xanax. Have you ever heard of Status Epilepticus? This is serious- your body can go into multiple seizures from the shock of your receptors going wild from not having the benzo's.

I dont want to scare you, but benzo are sometimes prescribed for seizures- Clonipin and Valium mostly- and ANY drug that prevents seizures should be weaned off of carefully for fear that status epilepticus can occur. I watched it happen with my sister. She forgot to take a dose of her meds for two days (I dont think she forgot, I think she was being stubborn) and went into status epilepticus- had 8 seizures, went to the ER and was in ICU for 5 days, now she has a $25,000.00 hospital bill.  And that happened because she missed 2 doses of medication.

Do you have grand mal seizures? If you do I would not screw with this. Talk to your doctor- let them know that you think the Xanax (lack thereof) caused a seizure. I'm wondering if you're taking a daily medication like Tegretol, Lamictal or Dylantin?

[b7697]

i dont reg take xanax and am on tegretol for seizures.  i just took that small amount for about a week to relax & then didnt have it for 2 days.  i was under the impression that you had to do over a certain amount for an extended period of time to have a "withdrawl (withdrawal) seizure".  im seeing the cr this pm just in case.. thx for the reply..-b

[seeksolice]

You said that you were under the impression that you have to be on Benzos for a period of time before having a withdrawal seizure. This is correct, however your case is singular and not to be looked at as a typical case because you have epilepsy.

Since you have epilepsy your thresh hold for having a seizure is obviously lower than some normal mo-joe who doesn't have the condition and doesn't have a family history. Regardless of how LONG you are on the Xanax, the fact that you have a lower thresh hold than the normal person certainly increases your risk of having a benzo-related seizure.  If you only took Xanax to relax for 5-7 days, hey, nothing wrong with that. But since your seizure thresh hold is so low, you are just way more prone to having a seizure... And Benzos are the wrong drug to be taking if you have epilepsy in my opinion because of the risk of seizure when you withdraw.

I look at it like this:
I have panic attacks. I take Xanax to control my anxiety and panic. When I dont have my Xanax, my brain gets all haywire and I have a really bad anxiety attack. But when I'm on the pills its fine. (this is how I was 4 yrs ago- I no longer have panic)

You have epilepsy. Before Tegretol you couldnt control your seizures. Once you got on the tegretol they were under control. If you dont take your meds for a day or two, chances are high that you will have a seizure.

Benzo's are messed up- and this is why I hate meds. They basically forestall the inevitable. No matter what you're on them for, Benzos will work while you are taking them- but when you stop, the symptoms will pop RIGHT back up. Blood pressure medication, depression medication, it all does that. It *****. I really hope I'm making sense!

By the way, my sister takes Tegretol XR- 3 pills in the morning, 3 pills at night. Do you have a high dosage? She is obese, so her body needs more of the medication- and its definitely BAD news if she skips a dose. How about you?

[b7697]

i take 200mg tegretol 3xdaily. i too am overwt (235#) but my levels have always been fine so they have never raised my dose after all these years!!  how mush does your sis weigh??  i went to the neurologist yesterday & he said it was time for a new med & is switching me to topomax (topamax) over the next couple of months- i heard that can cause wt loss so thats cool - he also said the xanax can definitely lower your threshhold so i wont be taking those anymore for any period of time!