Re: clobazam/sleep/

[Guest guest]

Well, I've just learnt something else! I have clobazam in the house

now because of this rough patch - I really don't want to give it to

him (mind you I didn't want him to have the rectal tube either).

You really are something - sorry you have had to learn the hard

way, poor has been through it.

Love to you both - you are being my life-saver at the moment.

Emma - Mum to who is bloody awful at the moment and I HATE

epilepsy and I just want to cry a lot! (sleep would also be good)

> The major problem with benzodiazapines (and barbiturates actually

like

> phenobarb) for sleep is that although they can lengthen the time

asleep, the

> quality of sleep 'changes', in that the periods of REM and non REM

sleep

> alter. Most epileptics are more prone to seizures in non REM sleep,

and as

> these periods are longer when on benzos, (the duration of deep REM

sleep on

> these meds usually reduces, though sometimes a tolerance to this

develops

> over time and sleep patterns can revert back to normal) there is

more time

> therefore 'available' for those mom REM sleep seizures to be

induced.

> Also, there are very few benzos (actually, none...)

whose 'active' half

> life is sufficient to carry right through till the next morning,

meaning

> that the risk of inter dose mini withdrawal seizures increases, and

with

> keto kids, this is usually the time that ketones are at their

lowest, so

> with the least protection against them.

> The 'non active' half life of a lot of these meds is longer,

meaning the

> hung over sedative effect is still present on waking and can then

accumulate

> with the next dose (nitrazepam is one of the worst offenders here,

but it

> applies to a certain degree to most benzos..)

> 's early am sleep seizures disappeared soon after his

regular AED

> diazepam was ditched, (first time in over 3 yrs he stoped having

them, first

> time in over 3 yrs he has not been on a benzo...) but at the same

time he

> also started having higher early am ketones, so not sure which one

did it,

> possibly both in combination.

>

>

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: " Barbara Swoyer "

>

> > and then will begin w/the Clobazam

> > wean

worsening

> > nocturnal seizures when the sole purpose of our adding it was

for the

> sleep

> > attacks!>.

> >

> >

> > Hi Tracey,

> > Wondering more about this. We have the Clobozam here but have

not

> started it. Also have not finished reading the articles! We put

the Keppra

> back and it's helping with the drops....but we are plagued daily by

the

> early morning grand mals. Clobazam can make them worse? Oh

great....

> > Barb Swoyer