EPILEPSY: During the early years of my... - Restless Legs Syn...

Restless Legs Syndrome

21,293 members14,928 posts

EPILEPSY

lorrinet profile image
4 Replies

During the early years of my RLS a psychiatrist I saw because of severe post-natal-depression (worsened, I'm sure, because of having little rest and with a tiny baby), gave me Tegretol, an epilepsy drug, because there is epilepsy in my family (not me). I had described my symptoms (which I now of course know to be RLS), and he said he thought my condition may be related to epilepsy. I took Tegretol successfully for almost five years, then it stopped working and i spent the next twenty or so years with nothing, until I found Dihydrocodeine (as previously related on here).

Does anybody else have epilepsy in their family, or read any research which mentions it?

Written by
lorrinet profile image
lorrinet
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
4 Replies

I've read of a link between RLS and ADHD but never epilepsy, did the Dr say why they thought there was a relation between the two?

lorrinet profile image
lorrinet in reply to

No, I think he was floundering because he just didn't have an answer. In those days, who had heard of RLS? Things are not exactly good for us today but are 100% better than they were 30-40 years ago. Most doctors know about it now, even though help is patchy.

But he gave me Tegretol, which gave me a crucial five years of relief while my children were very small and my husband away at sea.

Kaarina profile image
KaarinaAdministrator

Hi lorrinet,

I found this link if it is any help?

epilepsyresearch.org.uk/res...

lorrinet profile image
lorrinet in reply to Kaarina

Thank you for that Kaarina. It's very interesting. My nephew suffers from RLS and he had childhood epilepsy, but other family members with RLS don't have seizures.

You may also like...

RLS and epilepsy

wondering is there a link between RLS and epilepsy? My parents had RLS as do I and my siblings. My...

In UK have been sent an appointment to epilepsy clinic?

been sent to the neuroscience dept, and a doctors epilepsy clinic. Has anyone else been to Oxford...

Surprise temporal lobe epilepsy diagnosis

ten years ago confirmed PLMD (but I didn't happen to have RLS that night.) Over the years, RLS has...

Advice Needed re Serum Ferritin Levels

treating my RLS. He was refreshingly knowledgable about RLS and suggested something, which I can’t...

Restless Legs Syndrome

I have had RLS for a long time I am 76 years of age Up until recently my RLS was under control only