Forgetting Medication, Organization

[unico_love]

I have very poor short-term memory and I've been having difficulty remembering to take Keppra in the mornings (I tend to forget if I just took Keppra or just intended to take it and forgot). I'm mostly used to taking pills at night, so I'm still adjusting to taking some early in the days. I am pretty sure I forgot one of my Keppra doses yesterday, and I think it might have contributed to a small migraine. I rarely get migraines and didn't get them until semi-recently at all. My mother and brother also get them.

I have to start getting more organized, and I was going to buy a day planner, but those are ridiculously expensive! One time I took my computer to get fixed at this one shop, and they gave out free day planners with their business name and telephone number on the front, so I assumed the would be cheap. I am probably just going to print off some similar sheets from my computer instead.

I finally finished my acrylic painting last night, though I might touch it up a few times still. I always feel better when I start completing something and fixing all the errors and imperfections that bothered me during the creation process.

I think I'm going to journal first to try and organize my mind a bit and maybe make some lists. Then perhaps I'll fix up that painting.

Comments

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

Sorry for not keeping up.. What is Keppra, what is it for, and how is it working? I am probably going to ask for some major psyche meds, and would like some testimonials before I destroy my liver, kidneys and/or brain on whatever I need to keep myself sane.

[unico-love.livejournal.com]

Keppra is an anticonvulsant also used as a mood stabilizer, mostly it sounds like for severe mania. The only psychiatric medications I've seemed to respond well to are both mood stabilizers used typically for the severe mania part of bipolar. It actually works well for me, but I went off it for a long time (bad decision) because I felt like it was making my stomach problems worse. That might have just been a coincidence of timing, though. Personally my depression and anxiety and PTSD and everything is better on tegretol (I took Equetro which is a version of that, but went off it because it interferes with birth control pills), and Keppra also helps me. Neither makes me more depressed, which can happen with some people (or "Keppra rage" -- I am very calm on Keppra).

Keppra also has the advantage that it's one of the drugs that if you stop taking it, it should start working again as normal if you decide to try taking it at a later time.

For me, personally, Keppra works wonders in allowing me to stay more rational and in control of my emotions. I still have emotions, I just act and feel more sane and make better decisions. If I get angry or sad or have a bad memory, it's far easier to keep it under control.

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

I'll ask for it by name, thanks.

[unico-love.livejournal.com]

Also, contrary to what I've sometimes heard, mood stabilizers can sometimes start improving mood immediately. That happens with me, and I usually start feeling better right after taking one pill of Keppra or tegretol. My psychologist confirmed that this is actually fairly common (to have almost immediate responsiveness to mood stabilizers). She used to be on tegretol herself and experienced that.

Good luck!