Interview EP41

Age at interview: 25

Age at diagnosis: 13

Brief Outline:

Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1994. Epilepsy is poorly controlled. Current medication' sodium valproate (Epilim) and topirimate (Topamax).

Background:

Civil servant; single, no children.

Explains how taking recreational drugs set off more seizures than usual, and advises against...

I also had, a number of years ago, I also had um, I also had a number of seizures that were brought on through drugs as well.  And that was, that was a very horrible experience. I actually, it's a number of years back, I actually went clubbing one night and I took a number of pills, not loads of them but just a few. And I came home one night and had a number of seizures that night and they were a lot longer, they took a lot longer than normal.  And if there's anybody that has epilepsy, I definitely suggest that you don't take any because with the amount of seizures that I had that night, it almost killed me.

How many did you have that night? 

I had five seizures that night and they were about, five seizures and they were all, I was told they were all within about forty-five minutes of each other. 

Yeah.  Were you also taking your medication as well as the, was it Ecstasy? 

It was Ecstasy, yeah.  I wasn't on any medication then no, no, I wasn't on any medication. Like I said, that was back then in the different days, in the bad days, the days when you think you know it all and you do all things differently you know. So but, either way though I still think even if I was on any medication I still think the same would have happened because Ecstasy either way is still incredibly powerful, especially with epileptics.