I don’t know if it’s fatigue or depression or both. I think it could be a side effect from seizure medication or not? I feel that if I knew the the cause I may be able the combat it. It is really impacting me daily. I feel better if I drink coffee but then my temperature control get screwed up and my left side of my body is cold and my right side is hot. Does others have this problem.
I can relate to the fatigue… I feel constantly tired, yet I have a horrible time trying to fall asleep every night. Coffee too helps me, but only temporarily. (I am also only three weeks post-op)
My Dad's only 2 weeks post op but he is extremely fatigued. And very breathless after any little activity.
We're hoping it's the Topamax that's causing the breathlessness as he's being weaned off that anyway. But no, he can't do much but rest at the moment.
I am 4 weeks post op (endovascular stent/coiling) and also feel fatigued and possibly a little depressed. The only meds I’m taking are Plavix and aspirin and supposedly that shouldn’t medically cause an issue. I’m thinking it may be just an after effect of a major life threatening event. I’m confident it will pass for all of us. It’s nice knowing we are not alone.
I am fatigued and depressed most the time!
Nobody knows that I am depressed. Along with
Depression is sadness and emptyness!
I am not able to cry I simply san not cry so I
laugh all the time about silly things people say.
I have had people say that I am always cheerful
in spite of what I have gone through. I am tired
ALL the time!
6month post op l cry all the time for no reason only my husband has seen me haven’t told Docters don’t want anymore medicines got a good family so what makes me so low how can l change it
Hi
I had ruptured aneurysm four years ago and my fatigue is still really bad, just listen to your body if you feel tired have a rest your brain is still healing. I am taking anti depressants too and has taken me 12 months to combat my feelings but am getting there. Don’t forget you have been through a massive trauma, maybe you could benefit with some counselling. All the best x
I'd like to comment on two issues in this thread -- fatigue and crying-depression-sadness.
After my SAH, the fatigue just wouldn't go away, even several years after the rupture. It finally became apparent that the blood pressure medication was the culprit, even though I was on a very low dose with the doctors assuring me it was not a contributing factor. After I began to manage my blood pressure by means other than medication, the fatigue lessened significantly enough that I was able to return to work.
I also had depression after the SAH, even though I continued on the same medication that had been effectively managing it prior to the rupture. The depression was manifest in anger, bouts of crying, and irrational irritability (at the dog for just being around, for example). Three years into this yuckiness, which was very definitely affecting my marriage and my ability to mother my two pre-teen boys, my neurologist decided to have me try Neudexta, which at that time was used to treat pseudobulbar affect (inappropriate laughing and crying) and is now used also for Parkinson's and ALS. That Neudexta "saved my life" almost as dramatically as the interventional coiling saved me after the rupture! I take a little more than the "label" recommendation and I take it all at once in the mornings -- otherwise I have trouble falling asleep at night.
I wish everyone the best. It is not easy dealing with depression and negative feelings after your life has been saved and you feel guilty because you "should be happy" about that.
(I had a basilar aneurysm at age 42, June 29, 2009, and my kids saved me by calling 911... if I had been alone I would have simply tried to sleep off the after effects of the horrible vomiting episode caused by the bleeding (the headache was very secondary to me)).
I’m 3 years out and I still feel fatigue and depression. I have good days and bad days. I do feel depressed but other people do not realize it. It seems that when I have the good days I overdue and then I pay for it. Life is not the same and I’m learning to accept that but it is hard. I’ve always done what I wanted and when I wanted but now it’s when I’m having the good days. It’s rough to get use to that.
I had both of these issues but I also had nightmares and anxiety. I was diagnosed with PTSD. Maybe something you should talk to your dr about. They can help even if you don’t want extra meds.
I am 10 weeks post coiling for a ruptured anterior communicating artery. I have extreme fatigue, usually mid afternoon which I try to fight, I cry quietly by myself. I am waiting to have Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, as I do not want to go down the medication path. I think a lot of it is because of the *brush with death*survivors have had
Thanks to all of you for making me feel "normal". It is obvious to me that only people who have experienced a brain aneurysm rupture understand what I am going through. It has been 2 years since I had two stints and coiling, I still do not feel well! Thanks again.
I would really like to hear your reply to this discussion. Had my aneurysm 12 years ago and since then I stay fatigued and got very depressed. I am on medication since then. My brain doesn't want to switch off at night and I am on medication for that as well. I live with constant pain where the shunt is placed. It pulls on a nerve and I feel horrible pain when I do anything that causes pressure, like sneezing, coughing going to the loo. The neurosurgeon told me that there is nothing they can do to relief the pressure. They can't remove the shunt it would be fatal.
How long have you been on the anti-seizure medication? I got put on Keppra when I had seizures following surgery to clip unruptured aneurysms. I was told it was one of the best tolerated in that class of drugs, but I was a mess-- airheaded, fatigued, maybe not depressed, but not quite myself, fuzzy, sleepy, memory issues. The thing is, some of those problems can be attributed to recovering from surgery and from the seizures (which were my first ever and very severe). I am still on Keppra a year later, but a lower dose (500 mg twice a day instead of 1000 twice a day) and your brain does adjust to it. I feel mostly normal now, although I am still looking forward to getting off of it eventually. Your coffee comment makes me think you are feeling a drug side effect, because I really depend on coffee to balance out the sedating effect of the Keppra. A brief nap can help, too, if that's a possibility for you.
I will admit to feeling a little depressed sometimes, too, but I'm not sure if that's related to my aneurysms and medication, to my general personality, or to my circumstances in life (kids, parents, work, looming menopause, various other stressors at play). I haven't asked for antidepressants yet, but I am reserving the possibility if things get worse. I think I have to be a lot more careful now about caring for myself than I was before surgery-- enough sleep, decent diet, some exercise, avoiding situations I know will stress me out (especially anything loud and crowded).
Definitely talk over the feelings or side effects with the doctors. You might need to change meds or adjust a dose.
I’m on my fourth seizure med. i had two seizures right after the coiling procedure. I’ve never had seizures before either. The doctor ruptured a different vessel than where my unruptured aneurysm was but that’s a different story. I started out with keppra and cried everyday about an hour after taking it for about a year. Then changed to aptiom. I couldn’t think and had balance problem. The switched to lamictal, which I thought was the best one but still really fuzzy. Now on Dilantin. Still depressed and fatigued but not fuzzy. So not sure if the seizure med is causing the fatigue and depression or if it’s the effect of the rupture. I had the coiling in November 2013so it’s been awhile.
I think the hot cold issue is from where the bleed damaged, the cerebellum. Any stimulant will cause this, pain melds, coffee, etc. I have ataxia from the bleed too and any stimulate makes my shakiness worse.
Can anyone relate and let me know what has helped them?
Just one thing I noticed. I was told no coffee because of rise in BP. So I dropped coffee.