Things have been busy for Zack. We were able to remain medication free until this summer. In early June we noticed him waking up in the middle of the night very scared. He would look around as though he was seeing things that were not there. He would point at things that were not in the room. We called Dr. Zelaya and he called us back. His EEG showed a type of seizure occurring in the occipital lobe of the brain. He wanted to start Zack on Trileptal. We have been taking Trileptal 7 mL 2 times per day since June 11, 2012. He stopped waking up and seems to tolerate the medicaiton well. However his anxiety levels were keeping him from speaking at school. He also seemed scared and nervous according to his teachers. After finally getting into a child psychologist and getting an official diagnosis of Selective Mutism we decided to try 1.25 mL of Fluoxetine in the mornings. While I was hesitant to try and was sure it wouldn't help I am happy to say I was wrong! This medicine allows him to relax at school and in social situations. While he still has trouble speaking in the classroom he will raise his hand to answer non verbally. He is also speaking to his special education teacher and to his speech teacher.
His most recent EEG in October 2012 showed a new type of silent seizure activity. Sadly sometimes other medications can help one type of seizure and at the same time cause another kind. Zack was started on Depakote in November 2012. We have to have regular blood work performed as this medication can cause damage to his liver. So far the minimum dose seems to be working and his labs are coming back normal. He takes his medications like a trooper!
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