Experimenting

I talked to my neurologist yesterday.  I explained to her what I've been going through and how I wasn't sure if the levetiracetam that I've been taking for over the last two years was affecting me negatively.  She listen to me and offered an alternative anti-convulsant that is also sometimes used to treat depression.  I'm a little wary of taking an antidepressant with my normal medication, but one medication that works as both?  That doesn't sound so bad.

Now, just because my doctor approved the medication and her office called in a prescription for me, it's not an easy change to make.  First off, the new medication does pose the risk of liver damage, so before I can begin, I have get some blood work done (along with every six months thereafter to monitor my vitals, particularly my liver).  When the results deem me healthy enough, I can slowly make the transition -- in addition to drowsiness and increased anxiety and depression, levetiracetam also has this side effect (from the primary manufacturer's website): "Stopping a seizure medication all at once can cause seizures that will not stop, a very serious problem."  While I think that calling "seizures that will not stop" a "very serious problem" is putting things a bit mildly, it's also misleading: while many anti-convulsants have this effect, not every one does.

Now I'm just waiting for the paperwork so I can go to the lab for the blood work.  Once I'm cleared, I'll begin the transition, which will take two weeks.  While I am optimistic, I also need to watch for any other potential problems.  Even if my depression eases up when I switch, there may be other changes to my mood or behavior.  But nothing will change unless I try something different, so here's hoping this new medication works better.