Complex Partial Seizures

[burgs]

Hey there. I posted about our kitty a week ago where we thought she had been spooked by an animal in the middle of the night. Life had seemingly returned to normal until she had a very similar episode one week later. This time my wife and I were sitting in the living room and the cat walked in very disoriented, hid under the bookcase and began to cry and hiss again.

We took her to the vet and they kept her for a day, ran bloodwork and urine and all looked ok. The new diagnosis was that she was probably having focal seizures. He said that they could keep digging, looking for toxoplasmosis or cryptococcus, or we could just try phenobarbital at a low dose. We thought about it and opted for the pheno.

Since we brought her back home, she's doing pretty well. She's only been on the pheno for two days now. I have heard that it takes anywhere from 1-2 weeks to build up in the blood. One question I have though is: before you're at that two week period, does it still help to control the seizures, just not as reliably?

Would appreciate any success stories with this medication if you've got them. Has it helped to curb your cats' seizures totally or do they still occur? Did it take a long time to be effective? Thanks.

 

[white cat lover]

I took Lola home to foster @ 7 months. She's still here, as a purrmanent resident. She started having seizures when she was probably 3 months old.

She's on liquid Pheno (have it compounded), twice daily she gets 1/2cc......and I have to be very careful that I keep the dosages close to 12 hours apart. It controls her seizures, as long as I'm reliable & keep timing close.

Pheno is a double edged sword, as it is hard on the internal organs & can ultimately cause organ failure.

 

[sharky]

I took Lola home to foster @ 7 months. She's still here, as a purrmanent resident. She started having seizures when she was probably 3 months old.
She's on liquid Pheno (have it compounded), twice daily she gets 1/2cc......and I have to be very careful that I keep the dosages close to 12 hours apart. It controls her seizures, as long as I'm reliable & keep timing close.
Pheno is a double edged sword, as it is hard on the internal organs & can ultimately cause organ failure.

exactly the above...

I am doing some research as I have finally found something after MANY yrs of my own seizures that is natural and controls them

 

[pat]

Sharky, Good to hear..please share (pm if you prefer)

 

[emilymaywilcha]

I am doing some research as I have finally found something after MANY yrs of my own seizures that is natural and controls them

What, you get seizures too? I thought I was the only poster with epilepsy!

Phenobarbital was my first drug and yes, the doses do have to be taken 12 hours apart. The first two weeks it does control the seizures, but it is more effective after that. It was my first epilepsy drug, which I quit years ago only because I finally got a pediatric neurologist.

Don't worry about the organ failure part yet. That does not occur shortly after a cat starts using it, but after many years of use.