Breakthrough Seizure After 10yrs - Shocked and Uncertain - What do I do?

[JayArch]

Hey everyone. So I'll cut to the chase - I grew up with generalized epilepsy in my teens. Had a mix of focal and tonic clonics throughout the ages of 11-18. Then bam - nothing. Off meds - started to learn to drive - partied like a 20 something year old does and continued on with my life.

Over the past 18months I've been under more stress than someone my age should be. I've been through legal battles - both my parents died leaving me and orphan at 26 and one of my best friends took his own life. Yeah. Sucks.

Anyway about 6 weeks ago I was out having breakfast with friends and I had a huge clonic tonic - fell - split my head open - stitches, the lot. Scans were all okay but the doctor reckoned that the accumulation of alcohol, late nights and the recent tidal wave of grief and stress just caused this seizure.

Regardless. Medically I'm back to square one. I feel lost (especially without my father who was a rock throughout this in my teens). And constantly slightly anxious that it'll happen again.

I'm being put on Zonisamide. 30mg gradually increasing to 300mg daily. I've been reading reviews and it's 50/50. Some swear by it! Others say it ruined their life - with one of the main side effects being brain forg and extremely low mood (this is something I seriously can't afford to have as I'm trying to better myself and get out of this grief pit).

I'm thinking of not taking it - I'm thinking of trying it and seeing how I go - I'm thinking this was just a breakthrough seizure and it won't happen again?

My question: What do I do? Is the likelihood it was a breakthrough seizure higher than the likelihood of a return of epilepsy? Is my risk dramatically decreased by taking the meds? I feel lost and uncertain and any help is greatly appreciated!

Love x

[Whyme89]

I can understand your pain/concern/frustration as a similar thing happened to me. I had a few seizures in 1998, so was put on medication which worked all the time up until 2017 when my Epilepsy returned AGAIN. So I were put on another medication, of which worked eventually. I still take it and will do so for the rest of my life. I take Tegretol and Keppra. I was originally diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 2, and had brain surgery for it in 1989.