Thursday, October 16, 2008

Early Effects Of Phenobarbital

I'm not gonna lie, this past week of Henry getting used to Phenobarbital has been err... not fun. He has terrible anxiety. He barks almost non stop, and you really have to keep your food *well* out of his reach. He's so food crazy right now, he'd just take the food from right in front of us. We say grace with one eye open and on the food, lol. He chewed up some books on the shelves and has to be frequently diverted from chewing on the furniture.

He's very sensitive to emotional stress right now. Saturday we were gone several hours. (First time being alone since his cluster) Upon arriving home, Henry was in non stop flycatcher seizure mode. I was a nervous wreck. I gave an extra pheno dose. Didn't seem to kick in well enough, at least not for a few hours. Yesterday evening me and my husband were bickering like normal couples do occasionally, and Henry started again with the flycatcher seizures. Me and my husband both noticed right away and decided to be nicer to each other. Flycatchers stopped when we quit bickering.

Today my patience was really wearing thin as I was trying to make my kids supper, make the veggie goop, and throughout it all, Henry was barking at me NON-stop. (with his BIG coonhound bark) I don't know what to do. It's not really a behavioral/discipline issue, it has a medical cause. So I just keep reminding myself, I think *I* have it so rough, well Henry has it even worse. I'd really hate to feel like I was ravenously starving all the time!

Within a few more weeks, my expectation is that as the Phenobarbital really starts to work more effectively, it will give better seizure control, and will have less side effects.

For now, long walks, stuffed kongs, a bone he has, and lots of TLC are a few things helping us get by. Not as much as I'd like though, still feel like I am on the verge of insanity.

This too shall pass.....

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