MEDICAL HELP

[vicmooreus]

I have an 8 year old child who has being on daily phenoberb for the past 5 years and more.  He takes it constantly at night together with Tegrottol 3 hours before the phenoberb.  I am beginning to be worried about my child's developmental stage.  He talks but not logical, he walks but not stable, he is hyperactive but lacks coordination.

For how long would this drug taking last?  Everytime we go to the hospital on appointment doctors say "continue the drugs" because, maybe, he got seiture.  Sometimes the doctor that sees us is different from the one that saw him previously hence has no choice than to say continue with the drugs.

What can I do? since the 1st doctor that introduced this drug is no longer working with the same hospital.  What can I do considering the fact that my child sleeps calmly whenever he is given the drugs and wakes up feeling drowsy and has short span attention.

Please it may interest you to know that my son had undergone surgery two times (i.e. planting of shunt in his head through is abdomen).  The shunt has been removed but certain improvement is yet to take place.  Will my son survive? Will he ever be normal? Will he live long couple with the fact that he has being on this drug for more than 5 years?

I need your advice please.

[cloeybaby]

I am so sorry that the doctors that you have been going to have not taken the time to sit down and explain things to you. That is horrible! First, you need to find a new doctor. There is no reason that you should not be able to get some answers. Second, what has your son been diagnosed with  besides epilepsy? Your son may or may not have to be on these drugs for the rest of his life. That depends on whether he is still having seizures or not. Some types of seizures can be outgrown others can not. If you could please ask more sepcific questions and give more detailed informatin i would be more than happy to try to help you understand things a little more. But please find a new neurologist and if that is not what you are seeing then please get a neurologist. I hope everything is ok :)

[laurel453]

Hi,welcome here

I wish i could help you with your questions but i am afraid i don't have the knowledge .... It seems you have not been given any good explanations by the doctors that are treating your child and i don't kn0w what the diagnosis was but we have the ask an expert forum where doctors answer questions and maybe you can find some help there with your questions, i would give it a try. Wish you luck and all the best, vicmooreus