Very Concerned

My best friends child has seizures alot, he is on a whole lot of medications and is pretty much like a zomby, He was pretty much normal up until age 3. When he was born he did have heart surgery. Then(around age 3) he had a seizure and has been on all kinds of medication since. Can he be so overly drugged that its causing all the zomby like actions, and the seizures? I think its at least 9 pills in the morning and same at night. Plus Melatonim (not sure on spelling).

[Concernedparents]

Just my unprofessional opinion here-

9 pills may sound like a lot, but have you looked at the amout each pill is? 9 pills that are 25 mgs are less than taking 3 pills that are 100mgs.

If you are concerned you should talk to your friend.

Epilepsy is not a one pill fits all disorder. One medication may work for you, but it may take three for me.

Melatonin is an over the counter suppliment, not really a medication.

Depending on the type of seizures, and if he has a specific epilepsy syndrome that alone may be the cause of the zombie like actions.

[julie162]

i have son who as carabral poisy and epelepsy he to was put on medications for his fits and as like all  medicines drs are not sure if one medicine gonna stop the fits or even 20 medicines they are just trying medicines out to hope one maybe will suit the child fits as for my child no medicine  suited him he was on phenitoin,which did sort of controle i would reccomen that but drs do not liek it as its a old drug and causes the gums to swell up he was also on sodaim valporate which gave my son liver failur and kidney failur and 24 hours to survive which he did and again they try medicne after medicine to where i got sick of it they useing like guinne pig i stoped all medicines apart from phenotoen as we was used to that but it never stoped or controlled his fits once every mth he go hospital due to  fit sometimes be ventelated cause drs could not stop him fitting but after few days hours all be ok before i refused medicine the ones they used to try my son on made him liek a zombie also in a corner being able to do nothing it bad enough haveing cerabral poisy but to have child sit constantly zombie liek due to medicines i wont have it u r the parent get the medicines from him just agree to one if need to be but when and if u do take him of medicnes its got to be gradualy my son is now 17 years age he fits maybe one tim eyear no medication he is on cause i took him of them when on medicines he was hospitalised once every four month or even ventelated medicines no good drs know no more than u do about themand fits
they just hope for a outcome

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

As rightly said by Concernedparents, you should look at the dose of each medicine. And you should also look at the sedative action of the drugs. This is usually mentioned in the monograph that comes along with some medicines.

I am sure your friend is not happy with the treatment of her child. The zombie look is usually due to the medicines, but it can also be a consequence of the seizure itself. There is a slight difference though. The zombie like state due to the drugs is pretty much present throughout the day, whereas , if it is due to the seizure, it is most pronounced after the seizure for some period.

I think you should suggest your friend to have patience. The zombie state will go once the medicines have started working and the doctor reduces the number or tablets per day.

Regards