epilepsy and BPD

[Setter Rob]

My wife, age 53, has grand mal seizures that have been well controlled by Tegretol and a tiny dose of phenobarbital. For most of her life she has also displayed borderline traits that were for the most part mild, tolerable, and far outweighed by her wonderful qualities. In the last few years those BP traits have become intolerable to me, and have been marked by many others.

Among those noting the traits in her was a neurologist who told her that 95% of people with seizure disorders at some time present with mental health problems that require treatment. She dismissed him as a jerk and that was that. She has also been plagued by sleeplessness, a classic symptom of anxiety. It may also be relevant that her mother at about the same age had become a resentful moody angry soul and had to seek therapy; she also had suffered a neurological condition, Guillaume Barré's Syndrome.

For the last few years, the same period the BPD has been getting worse, my wife has been having more and more auras though not seizures. Although her blood tests show a sufficient level of Tegretol, I suspect the dosage may need to be increased. Tegretol is sometimes used to treat BPD. Does anyone have any information about how a seizure disorder may be related to BPD, and how both could be helped by Tegretol?

There are psychological reasons for the BPD getting worse, related to our return to the region she grew up in bringing back past traumas. But I am curious about the possibility of chemical reasons as well. She has been reluctant to find a new neurologist, but is slowly moving in that direction.

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[Dawning]

My udBPD son had a seizure last year when under severe stress. It did not happen since. He was 26 at that time. I researched it and it seems to happen regular to people with BPD. He never sought medical care for it though.

[modafinilguy]

BPD does not lay mild and dormant for a persons whole life and then suddenly come out at such a late age.

There can be some overlap between neurological abnormalities (like epilepsy) and various mental disorders but you are not going to be able to meet any clear cut conclusions.

Indeed be aware, that the medication she is on could possibly even be responsible for changing her personality, or it could be brain changes due to the epilepsy or various reasons.

You really need to consult an expert for advice, with or without your partner.

If you have noticed these pronounced personality changes, discuss it with a neurologist etc. Please be careful I have heard of such medications causing changes in people.

BPD is not known to be effectively treated with such medications, although they are sometimes tried, they are not considered effective overall.

Bipolar disorder however is highly responsive to that medication.