Death By Seizure Disorder.

First of all my condolunces. I am very sorry for your loss.

Meaning specifically what? "death had been ruled by seizure disorder. "

that she died having a seizure? Did she hit her head? Or they can't find out anything else and gave it that ruling?

I don't know but it sounds like a lot of meds. Do you have a pdr (physicians desk reference)? I would read up on all the meds and the contradictions.

It doesn't sound right to me. If it is that is a fact I think that it would be scarry that I could just die without warning like that.

Sorry for not making myself clear, when I discovered my wife's body I contacted the rescue squad, they pronounced her dead and then a series of medical examiners and detectives started trooping through my home.

About three weeks later the state's medical examiner called, she said that barbara's heart was healthy with no sign of disease, her brain structure was intact - no stroke or aneurysm, vital organs were all normal, nothing in her airways that she might have asphixiated from, the doctor said that she had a seizure and that the seizure was what had killed her.

Have spent hours every day since her death on the internet googling those meds, I see lots of warnings about the mix that she was on and the dangers for someone with a history of seizure and their ability to lower the seizure threshold. Stuff like effexor xr is real rat poison----

when my wife was alive we used to have battles about the quantity of meds that she took, she would not listen to any of my objections, it was all necessary she would say, do you think that my doctors would prescribe this stuff for me if I did not need it?

Am told that sudden death by epilepsy (sudep) is very real, and that every year a number of people die from it. I witnessed my wife have many seizures, it would scare the crap out of me seeing her shake and her body convulse, but she always woke up out of it. This last one though she didn't----

I never was made aware of sudep. I just looked it up. No wonder that my mother-in-law is so emotional and scared about my epilepsy when I am around. She told me that brother died from epilepsy but I never questioned it. It seemed to hurt her so. I just assumed that he hit his head, so I don't know. Never-the-less, she has been always so afraid of me dying or getting hurt.

This is still fairly new (diagnosed 10/2002) to me so I am still just learning.

Still yet, it seems so very odd that in 5 days from tearing her rotator cuff and needing surgery that she should pass away. For your own sake don't give up till you find out.

Also, if you do find out can you please let me and others on this bb know? Our lives may depend on the knowledge of interactive medications that is currently being prescribed without a warning that it may possibly cause death.

I never was made aware of sudep. I just looked it up. No wonder that my mother-in-law is so emotional and scared about my epilepsy when I am around. She told me that brother died from epilepsy but I never questioned it. It seemed to hurt her so. I just assumed that he hit his head, so I don't know. Never-the-less, she has been always so afraid of me dying or getting hurt.

This is still fairly new (diagnosed 10/2002) to me so I am still just learning.

Still yet, it seems so very odd that in 5 days from tearing her rotator cuff and needing surgery that she should pass away. For your own sake don't give up till you find out.

Also, if you do find out can you please let me and others on this bb know? Our lives may depend on the knowledge of interactive medications that is currently being prescribed without a warning that it may possibly cause death.

I am very sorry for your loss. No one should be on that many meds. I am no expert, but I would definately get an attorney who specializes in malpractice and see what can be found out. It just doesn't seem right to me.

I am so deeply sorry to hear of your loss! That is a "h" of a lot of medications! I take a lot of medication with my medical situations but I am not an epileptic but that is heavy duty stuff and a very strange mixture, I wish I could help you out more! I am just a caregiver but I would defenitely speak to a pharmacist and most likely an attorney! I really do hope you get some answers soon!
Sincerely,
sandy

I think the doctors killed my wife, thank you for suggesting that I get a knowledgable attorney to look into the matter, realize that even with hours of googling do not know or can find out enought about the mix of drugs and hot they might have affected my bride. I have a merciless !**@! looking into the matter, am told that the review could take months maybe years, will keep you informed.

Hello,

My sincere condolences to you and your family. I am compelled to give you some insight as I have experience on both sides of this coin. This letter is long, but I hope that it will shed a bit of light and give you some peace.

I was a pharmacy technician for over 10 years (assistant to a Pharmacist) and I have Epilepsy. Your list of prescriptions she was on is shocking, although I know that the conditions that she suffered would require any Doctor to prescribe. Upon further consideration, I have realized that they may have well been appropriate. Sometimes if one has multiple Doctors they try to sort-of out-do each other. It is sad, with the patient in the middle, but I have seen it happen.

As for her medications from your listing:

torn her rotator cuff and would need surgery, prescribed methocarbamol 750 mg. – this is a muscle relaxant
Twice a day, mabumetone 750 mg. – Relafen is an NSAID – Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drug
Twice a day and tylenol #3 with codeine as needed until she could have her surgery. – understandable, for pain

My wife's shrink had my wife taking 600 mg.Effexor – usually used as an anti-depressant
900 mgs of trileptal - anticonvulsant
3mg of risperdal - antipsychotic
6 mgs of clonazepam - used to treat anxiety
40 mg. Amphetamine – stimulant 90 mg. Remeron - anti-depressant
and 10mg. Ambien at night. – sleep aid

For migraine relief she was prescribed a 10 mg. Bottle of butorphanol every week. - morphinan-type synthetic opioid analgesic – yes, used in migraine management

My wife's primary care doctor had my wife taking 25 mg promethegan suppositories – this has many uses
10 mg. Metoclopramide – is primarily used to treat nausea and vomiting
10 mg. Prevacid - heartburn and other acid reflux
and 32 mg atacand – used for high blood pressure


I cannot speak about contraindications of medications, but a Pharmacist can. I strongly suggest that you write out her meds and take it into a Pharmacist. They sometimes need an appointment if your discussion will be lengthy and they are in a busy pharmacy, but they are the best people to ask about drug interactions. The list above I have completed, to help you with reasons for her meds. The Pharmacist can tell you if they counteract.

I am sorry that you had to see a seizure. They are scary. I have had grand-mal seizures and once helped a young man through one. Not nice. Her medications speak volumes…she was on 2 meds for epilepsy – not unusual. Depression and anxiety sometimes go hand in hand, so that is not uncommon. The meds from the primary care doctor are not unusual. I see some problems in this list that could actually cause other problems, such that she would’ve been prescribed the others. Again, this is unfortunate, but very possible.

Also, as someone with Epilepsy, I can say that one must trust one’s Doctor. She obviously trusted hers. I trusted mine until I was given a reason not to. Epilepsy can be very difficult to treat; even more so if she was bipolar! It is very possible if she was manic that she may have stopped her anticonvulsant (as in a manic stage, one thinks s/he is insurmountable and therefore did not need the meds). If this is so, there probably would have been a seizure that started. She even could have gone into status epilepticus, therefore suffering hypoxia.

I am sure that it is extremely difficult, especially given such a vague reason for her passing. Although I am not a Doctor, having experience in both areas lets me make sense of the physical possibilities. Honestly, I think that it would be the latter; that she would've stopped her meds in a manic state. This could lead to a passing of a seizure disorder.

Talk to people. Talk to the medical examiner. To the Doctors, the Pharmacist. You have the right to know as much as you can. You may never know the exact reason, but asking these people will help give you peace.

sincerely,
Kelly

Hello,

My sincere condolences to you and your family. I am compelled to give you some insight as I have experience on both sides of this coin. This letter is long, but I hope that it will shed a bit of light and give you some peace.

I was a pharmacy technician for over 10 years (assistant to a Pharmacist) and I have Epilepsy. Your list of prescriptions she was on is shocking, although I know that the conditions that she suffered would require any Doctor to prescribe. Upon further consideration, I have realized that they may have well been appropriate. Sometimes if one has multiple Doctors they try to sort-of out-do each other. It is sad, with the patient in the middle, but I have seen it happen.

As for her medications from your listing:

torn her rotator cuff and would need surgery, prescribed methocarbamol 750 mg. – this is a muscle relaxant
Twice a day, mabumetone 750 mg. – Relafen is an NSAID – Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drug
Twice a day and tylenol #3 with codeine as needed until she could have her surgery. – understandable, for pain

My wife's shrink had my wife taking 600 mg.Effexor – usually used as an anti-depressant
900 mgs of trileptal - anticonvulsant
3mg of risperdal - antipsychotic
6 mgs of clonazepam - used to treat anxiety
40 mg. Amphetamine – stimulant 90 mg. Remeron - anti-depressant
and 10mg. Ambien at night. – sleep aid

For migraine relief she was prescribed a 10 mg. Bottle of butorphanol every week. - morphinan-type synthetic opioid analgesic – yes, used in migraine management

My wife's primary care doctor had my wife taking 25 mg promethegan suppositories – this has many uses
10 mg. Metoclopramide – is primarily used to treat nausea and vomiting
10 mg. Prevacid - heartburn and other acid reflux
and 32 mg atacand – used for high blood pressure


I cannot speak about contraindications of medications, but a Pharmacist can. I strongly suggest that you write out her meds and take it into a Pharmacist. They sometimes need an appointment if your discussion will be lengthy and they are in a busy pharmacy, but they are the best people to ask about drug interactions. The list above I have completed, to help you with reasons for her meds. The Pharmacist can tell you if they counteract.

I am sorry that you had to see a seizure. They are scary. I have had grand-mal seizures and once helped a young man through one. Not nice. Her medications speak volumes…she was on 2 meds for epilepsy – not unusual. Depression and anxiety sometimes go hand in hand, so that is not uncommon. The meds from the primary care doctor are not unusual. I see some problems in this list that could actually cause other problems, such that she would’ve been prescribed the others. Again, this is unfortunate, but very possible.

Also, as someone with Epilepsy, I can say that one must trust one’s Doctor. She obviously trusted hers. I trusted mine until I was given a reason not to. Epilepsy can be very difficult to treat; even more so if she was bipolar! It is very possible if she was manic that she may have stopped her anticonvulsant (as in a manic stage, one thinks s/he is insurmountable and therefore did not need the meds). If this is so, there probably would have been a seizure that started. She even could have gone into status epilepticus, therefore suffering hypoxia.

I am sure that it is extremely difficult, especially given such a vague reason for her passing. Although I am not a Doctor, having experience in both areas lets me make sense of the physical possibilities. Honestly, I think that it would be the latter; that she would've stopped her meds in a manic state. This could lead to a passing of a seizure disorder.

Talk to people. Talk to the medical examiner. To the Doctors, the Pharmacist. You have the right to know as much as you can. You may never know the exact reason, but asking these people will help give you peace.

sincerely,
Kelly

Hello,

My sincere condolences to you and your family. I am compelled to give you some insight as I have experience on both sides of this coin. This letter is long, but I hope that it will shed a bit of light and give you some peace.

I was a pharmacy technician for over 10 years (assistant to a Pharmacist) and I have Epilepsy. Your list of prescriptions she was on is shocking, although I know that the conditions that she suffered would require any Doctor to prescribe. Upon further consideration, I have realized that they may have well been appropriate. Sometimes if one has multiple Doctors they try to sort-of out-do each other. It is sad, with the patient in the middle, but I have seen it happen.

As for her medications from your listing:

torn her rotator cuff and would need surgery, prescribed methocarbamol 750 mg. – this is a muscle relaxant
Twice a day, mabumetone 750 mg. – Relafen is an NSAID – Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drug
Twice a day and tylenol #3 with codeine as needed until she could have her surgery. – understandable, for pain

My wife's shrink had my wife taking 600 mg.Effexor – usually used as an anti-depressant
900 mgs of trileptal - anticonvulsant
3mg of risperdal - antipsychotic
6 mgs of clonazepam - used to treat anxiety
40 mg. Amphetamine – stimulant 90 mg. Remeron - anti-depressant
and 10mg. Ambien at night. – sleep aid

For migraine relief she was prescribed a 10 mg. Bottle of butorphanol every week. - morphinan-type synthetic opioid analgesic – yes, used in migraine management

My wife's primary care doctor had my wife taking 25 mg promethegan suppositories – this has many uses
10 mg. Metoclopramide – is primarily used to treat nausea and vomiting
10 mg. Prevacid - heartburn and other acid reflux
and 32 mg atacand – used for high blood pressure


I cannot speak about contraindications of medications, but a Pharmacist can. I strongly suggest that you write out her meds and take it into a Pharmacist. They sometimes need an appointment if your discussion will be lengthy and they are in a busy pharmacy, but they are the best people to ask about drug interactions. The list above I have completed, to help you with reasons for her meds. The Pharmacist can tell you if they counteract.

I am sorry that you had to see a seizure. They are scary. I have had grand-mal seizures and once helped a young man through one. Not nice. Her medications speak volumes…she was on 2 meds for epilepsy – not unusual. Depression and anxiety sometimes go hand in hand, so that is not uncommon. The meds from the primary care doctor are not unusual. I see some problems in this list that could actually cause other problems, such that she would’ve been prescribed the others. Again, this is unfortunate, but very possible.

Also, as someone with Epilepsy, I can say that one must trust one’s Doctor. She obviously trusted hers. I trusted mine until I was given a reason not to. Epilepsy can be very difficult to treat; even more so if she was bipolar! It is very possible if she was manic that she may have stopped her anticonvulsant (as in a manic stage, one thinks s/he is insurmountable and therefore did not need the meds). If this is so, there probably would have been a seizure that started. She even could have gone into status epilepticus, therefore suffering hypoxia.

I am sure that it is extremely difficult, especially given such a vague reason for her passing. Although I am not a Doctor, having experience in both areas lets me make sense of the physical possibilities. Honestly, I think that it would be the latter; that she would've stopped her meds in a manic state. This could lead to a passing of a seizure disorder.

Talk to people. Talk to the medical examiner. To the Doctors, the Pharmacist. You have the right to know as much as you can. You may never know the exact reason, but asking these people will help give you peace.

sincerely,
Kelly

Hello,

My sincere condolences to you and your family. I am compelled to give you some insight as I have experience on both sides of this coin. This letter is long, but I hope that it will shed a bit of light and give you some peace.

I was a pharmacy technician for over 10 years (assistant to a Pharmacist) and I have Epilepsy. Your list of prescriptions she was on is shocking, although I know that the conditions that she suffered would require any Doctor to prescribe. Upon further consideration, I have realized that they may have well been appropriate. Sometimes if one has multiple Doctors they try to sort-of out-do each other. It is sad, with the patient in the middle, but I have seen it happen.

As for her medications from your listing:

torn her rotator cuff and would need surgery, prescribed methocarbamol 750 mg. – this is a muscle relaxant
Twice a day, mabumetone 750 mg. – Relafen is an NSAID – Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drug
Twice a day and tylenol #3 with codeine as needed until she could have her surgery. – understandable, for pain

My wife's shrink had my wife taking 600 mg.Effexor – usually used as an anti-depressant
900 mgs of trileptal - anticonvulsant
3mg of risperdal - antipsychotic
6 mgs of clonazepam - used to treat anxiety
40 mg. Amphetamine – stimulant 90 mg. Remeron - anti-depressant
and 10mg. Ambien at night. – sleep aid

For migraine relief she was prescribed a 10 mg. Bottle of butorphanol every week. - morphinan-type synthetic opioid analgesic – yes, used in migraine management

My wife's primary care doctor had my wife taking 25 mg promethegan suppositories – this has many uses
10 mg. Metoclopramide – is primarily used to treat nausea and vomiting
10 mg. Prevacid - heartburn and other acid reflux
and 32 mg atacand – used for high blood pressure


I cannot speak about contraindications of medications, but a Pharmacist can. I strongly suggest that you write out her meds and take it into a Pharmacist. They sometimes need an appointment if your discussion will be lengthy and they are in a busy pharmacy, but they are the best people to ask about drug interactions. The list above I have completed, to help you with reasons for her meds. The Pharmacist can tell you if they counteract.

I am sorry that you had to see a seizure. They are scary. I have had grand-mal seizures and once helped a young man through one. Not nice. Her medications speak volumes…she was on 2 meds for epilepsy – not unusual. Depression and anxiety sometimes go hand in hand, so that is not uncommon. The meds from the primary care doctor are not unusual. I see some problems in this list that could actually cause other problems, such that she would’ve been prescribed the others. Again, this is unfortunate, but very possible.

Also, as someone with Epilepsy, I can say that one must trust one’s Doctor. She obviously trusted hers. I trusted mine until I was given a reason not to. Epilepsy can be very difficult to treat; even more so if she was bipolar! It is very possible if she was manic that she may have stopped her anticonvulsant (as in a manic stage, one thinks s/he is insurmountable and therefore did not need the meds). If this is so, there probably would have been a seizure that started. She even could have gone into status epilepticus, therefore suffering hypoxia.

I am sure that it is extremely difficult, especially given such a vague reason for her passing. Although I am not a Doctor, having experience in both areas lets me make sense of the physical possibilities. Honestly, I think that it would be the latter; that she would've stopped her meds in a manic state. This could lead to a passing of a seizure disorder.

Talk to people. Talk to the medical examiner. To the Doctors, the Pharmacist. You have the right to know as much as you can. You may never know the exact reason, but asking these people will help give you peace.

sincerely,
Kelly

Hello,

My sincere condolences to you and your family. I am compelled to give you some insight as I have experience on both sides of this coin. This letter is long, but I hope that it will shed a bit of light and give you some peace.

I was a pharmacy technician for over 10 years (assistant to a Pharmacist) and I have Epilepsy. Your list of prescriptions she was on is shocking, although I know that the conditions that she suffered would require any Doctor to prescribe. Upon further consideration, I have realized that they may have well been appropriate. Sometimes if one has multiple Doctors they try to sort-of out-do each other. It is sad, with the patient in the middle, but I have seen it happen.

As for her medications from your listing:

torn her rotator cuff and would need surgery, prescribed methocarbamol 750 mg. – this is a muscle relaxant
Twice a day, mabumetone 750 mg. – Relafen is an NSAID – Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drug
Twice a day and tylenol #3 with codeine as needed until she could have her surgery. – understandable, for pain

My wife's shrink had my wife taking 600 mg.Effexor – usually used as an anti-depressant
900 mgs of trileptal - anticonvulsant
3mg of risperdal - antipsychotic
6 mgs of clonazepam - used to treat anxiety
40 mg. Amphetamine – stimulant 90 mg. Remeron - anti-depressant
and 10mg. Ambien at night. – sleep aid

For migraine relief she was prescribed a 10 mg. Bottle of butorphanol every week. - morphinan-type synthetic opioid analgesic – yes, used in migraine management

My wife's primary care doctor had my wife taking 25 mg promethegan suppositories – this has many uses
10 mg. Metoclopramide – is primarily used to treat nausea and vomiting
10 mg. Prevacid - heartburn and other acid reflux
and 32 mg atacand – used for high blood pressure


I cannot speak about contraindications of medications, but a Pharmacist can. I strongly suggest that you write out her meds and take it into a Pharmacist. They sometimes need an appointment if your discussion will be lengthy and they are in a busy pharmacy, but they are the best people to ask about drug interactions. The list above I have completed, to help you with reasons for her meds. The Pharmacist can tell you if they counteract.

I am sorry that you had to see a seizure. They are scary. I have had grand-mal seizures and once helped a young man through one. Not nice. Her medications speak volumes…she was on 2 meds for epilepsy – not unusual. Depression and anxiety sometimes go hand in hand, so that is not uncommon. The meds from the primary care doctor are not unusual. I see some problems in this list that could actually cause other problems, such that she would’ve been prescribed the others. Again, this is unfortunate, but very possible.

Also, as someone with Epilepsy, I can say that one must trust one’s Doctor. She obviously trusted hers. I trusted mine until I was given a reason not to. Epilepsy can be very difficult to treat; even more so if she was bipolar! It is very possible if she was manic that she may have stopped her anticonvulsant (as in a manic stage, one thinks s/he is insurmountable and therefore did not need the meds). If this is so, there probably would have been a seizure that started. She even could have gone into status epilepticus, therefore suffering hypoxia.

I am sure that it is extremely difficult, especially given such a vague reason for her passing. Although I am not a Doctor, having experience in both areas lets me make sense of the physical possibilities. Honestly, I think that it would be the latter; that she would've stopped her meds in a manic state. This could lead to a passing of a seizure disorder.

Talk to people. Talk to the medical examiner. To the Doctors, the Pharmacist. You have the right to know as much as you can. You may never know the exact reason, but asking these people will help give you peace.

sincerely,
Kelly