Roberts Facing Medical Option on 2nd Seizure

[applegrove]

Roberts Facing Medical Option on 2nd Seizure
The New York Times
By DENISE GRADY and LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Published: August 1, 2007

"Despite his quick recovery from the seizure he suffered on Monday, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. faces a complex diagnosis and a difficult decision.

Because the seizure was his second — he had a similar one in 1993 — he meets the criteria for epilepsy, and he and his doctors will have to decide whether he should take medication to prevent further seizures, said neurologists not involved in his care. (Neither the chief justice nor his doctors would comment yesterday.)

The decision will involve weighing the risk of more seizures against the risk of side effects from the drugs. Major seizures can be a frightening and traumatic experience for patients and family members. Patients are advised to avoid heights and not to swim alone, and many states bar them from driving until they can provide evidence that the disease is under control.

But the drugs can have troubling side effects, including drowsiness or insomnia, weight loss or weight gain, rashes, irritability, mental slowing and forgetfulness. Many patients can be treated with minimal side effects, doctors say, but it may take trial and error to find the right drug.

.....SNIP"

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/health/01seizure.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=1186087857-9yNZqI6V1u/u3XqeOEHMeg

[shain from kane]

1. Doctors voted 5-4 to dope him. Hereafter, instead of the Chief Justice, he will be the Big Dope.

[MasonJar]

2. I suggest he go to the emergency room for his medical treatment. That

is what W told the children without insurance to do.

[awoke_in_2003]

3. Well, I wouldn't wish it on anyone

I suffered with them from 17 to about 25 years old. They can be quite scary when coming on, you can have people speaking to you and you do not understand one thing that is being said, can't even recognize the words as english. Hard to put the feeling in words, but thankfully no problems for the last 14 years.

[yellowcanine]

4. It is not really that big of a deal.

Lots of people live very normal lives with mild seizure disorders. A low dose of something like tegretol usually keeps them from having any seizures at all.