My problems and introduction

Quest for Lucidity
1

Hi and nice to meet you all. A friend recomended me a couple of LD web sites and for the past 4 days i was just observing and i finally decided to join this one couse it looks very friendly.

Since my early childhood i was experiencing lot of LD types some short some long and some extremly vivid. That was not happening too much but it would happen once or twice per month for sure and it was rather normal for me. All this stopped on my age of 19 (i am 23 now) when i discovered i suffer from Juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE). Luckyly this type of epilepsy is threatable but it takes a long time to get rid of it. By many doctor’s orders i started taking Carbamazepine (Epitol, Tegretol) and by now i started feeling alot of better then before, my mind is clearer and i am well concentrated. Anyway my vividnes didnt stop when i started using tegretol i think it started when i did series of tests (including 2 EEG, 1 computerized tomographics and 1 magnetic resonance all in 1 week) since then i can rarely remeber my dreams DR just cant happen i remeber some small segments of my dreams for 5 minutes after i wake up and while my mind is still blurred and then its all gone. Of course LD is out of the question i havent got one for ages. My question is are there other people with epi that are experiencing similair problems? Does taking some vitamins help? I consulted my doctor and he recomended B6 as a normal dose on every 6 hours.

Also i may add that i suffer from insomnia somethimes when that occurs i get 3 or maybe 4 hours of sleep at night (usually from 3-4 am to 6am when i get up for work) but i always sleep 3 hours after work (mostly between 3 and 7 pm). Same as the noght sleep i can’t remeber any dream :help:

2

Hi :grin:.

As for your questions - I’m afraid I don’t have any answer. Do those drugs surpress DR then?

I surpose you could always try improving your DR (there are plenty of techniques for this).

3

whoa that was fast :happy:

Tegretol is standard threatment for epilepsy i am not so good in explaining things on english so i will just paste the summary of this medication. Sorry if this is not the right place for this thread.

[b]TEGRETOL Novartis
Carbamazepine

Use:
Anticonvulsant, antimanic agent. Epilepsy: Adults and children > 12 years - initially, 100-200 mg once or twice a day; increased in divided doses until best response obtained. Optimal daily dosage: 800-1200 mg. Rarely, some adults may require 1600 mg/day. As soon as disappearance of seizures has been obtained and maintained, reduce dosage very gradually to minimum effective dose. Children 6-12 years: Initially, 100 mg in divided doses on first day; increased by 100mg/day until best response obtained. Maximum daily dosage: 1000mg.

Trigeminal neuralgia: Initially, 100 mg twice daily; increased by 200 mg/day until pain is relieved, usually at 200-800 mg/day (occasionally, 1200 mg/day). Reduce or discontinue Tegretol, if possible, at intervals of not more than 3 months.

Mania and bipolar disorders: Initially, 200-400 mg/day in divided doses (400-600 mg/day may be used in acute mania); increased gradually until symptoms are controlled or a total daily dose of 1600 mg is achieved. Usual dose is 400-1200 mg/day in divided doses.

With lithium, neuroleptics: start with 100-200 mg/day and increase gradually. Daily dose > 800 mg is rarely required.

Tegretol tablets, Chewtabs and suspension: Take in 2-4 divided doses daily, with food. CR tablets may be divided or swallowed unchewed with liquid during or after a meal. Suspension: Start with low doses and increase slowly to avoid adverse reactions. When switching from tablets to suspension, give the same amount of drug daily, but in smaller, more frequent doses (i.e. twice daily tablets could be switched to 3 times daily suspension).

Contraindications:
AV block, hepatic disease, a history of bone marrow depression, acute intermittent porphyria or serious blood disorders. Hypersensitivity to carbamazepine or tricyclics. Not to be given with, or within 14 days of starting or stopping MAOI therapy.

Precautions:
Pregnancy, lactation: Weigh possible risks vs. potential benefits. Elderly patients. Urinary retention, increased intraocular pressure, cardiovascular disorders, activation of behavioral disorders, exacerbation of seizures. Perform periodic ophthalmic examinations, evaluations of renal, hepatic and bone marrow function. Abrupt cessation of Tegretol may precipitate seizures. Cross-hypersensitivity with phenytoin and oxcarbazepine.

Side effects:
Drowsiness, headache, ataxia, vertigo, fatigue, diplopia, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, allergic skin reactions, edema, fluid retention, dry mouth, leucopenia, eosinophilia. Rarely, serious hematologic, hepatic, cardiovascular and dermatologic reactions (stop therapy).

Interactions:
Se Contraindications. Plasma levels of carbamazepine increased by macrolide antibiotics, isoniazid, verapamil, danazol, fluvoxamine, grapefruit juice, azole antifungals, loratadine, ritonavir, diltiazem, fluoxetine, cimetidine. Carbamazepine may lower plasma levels of anticonvulsants, oral contraceptive, oral anticoagulants, digoxin, cyclosporine, levothyroxine, dehydropyridine calcium channel blockers, doxycycline, TCAs, estrogens/progestrogens, corticosteroids, benzodiazepines, haloperidol, protease inhibitors for HIV treatment, olanzapine, risperidone. Plasma levels of carbamazepine may be reduced by phenytoin, Phenobarbital, rifampin, oxcarbazepine, St.John’sWort, valproic acid, phesuximide. Combined use of carbamazepine with lithium or haloperidol may increase risk of neurotoxic side effects. [/b]

4

I don’t know what half those words mean (I’m not a doctor :wink:), but I can’t see anything that should affect your DR or memory. But, even if some do - then I’d still say try using some techniques to help improve your DR.

Try having a look through this thread (it’s short - only seven posts so far), it has some good techniques to help improve your DR:
[Problems with Dream Recall)

Alternatively, you could having a look through the ‘BIG rememerbering dreams topic’ (which is longer, but should have even more advice):
[The BIG Remembering Dreams topic - Part III)

:smile:

5

soul calibur, you choosed the right site, everyone here is looking how to help each other.
I dont have a clue about what JAE is, but if you try the recall methods that are in this page (the main page) I am almost shure you will improve your DR at once, I was remembering a dream each week, and with this page it is one every day at least. Dont give up, good luck