Thursday, August 18, 2011

Tegretol vs Topamax

So we started the Tegretol on the 6th after meeting with the doctor. Isabel seemed to be taking to it just fine, she actually loved the taste! Before she started the meds we noticed some bruising on her face, just normal toddler stuff but as the week progressed the bruises started to alarm me. They lightened a bit like they should but then they darkened again in the exact same spot, then lightened again, and darkened. I looked up the side effects of Tegretol and serious blood disorders was high on the list...so I thought a call to neuro was in order. They ordered a CBC which we had done right away and thankfully in true Izzy fashion she was quite the trooper through the whole ordeal. Afterwards I thought that I would treat her to lunch in the cafeteria and I am SO thankful that I did. She was happily eating her fruit loops when I looked down and noticed blood dripping down her arm and pooling on the chair. I quickly took the band aid off from where she got the blood drawn and applied pressure while we went back to the lab. She then proceeded to bleed through 2 more pads and band aids. After about 10 minutes and a lot of crying we got the bleeding to stop.
The office called  later that afternoon with the results and thankfully the CBC was normal but they wanted her to stop the Tegretol immediately due to the clotting issues.
So now we start the Topamax and what I don't like about this already is that it comes in sprinkle capsules...which are really just little beads. How the heck am I supposed to get her to take this?? They don't dissolve in liquids and my daughter can definitely tell when I am trying to sneak medicine into something! Last night we finally got some into her when we mixed it with yogurt and ice cream but doing it 2-3x a day is going to be tough!
My happy girl...

1 comment:

  1. First off, I love the pics of your little trouble maker :) Secondly, all the strength to you to get through these tough times. I'm Madison's father (I think you recently discovered Jamie's blog for her) and completely understand having to fend for your child. The only thing I really have to say about Topamax is just monitor your daughter's mood. At least with Madison, it made her sleepy and groggy at times (we just referred to it as Dopamax). Not to scare you away from it, as it did help her seizures at the time, but just keep an eye on her. Through all of our own personal struggles with medications, we've strived to make sure Madison is as happy as can be :)

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