Arika's Story

April 2006

Arika started seizing at around her third birthday in July 2005. Her first seizures were staring spells then fall (absence followed by a drop seizure) which happened over about six days. By that time we thought all the events were because she was growing too fast, since her blood test and every other medical test result was normal.
 

A few months later, in December, her condition deterioriated. She had lots of drop seizures which resulted in injuries and we saw countless head drops and myoclonic-type seizures. By this stage we were desperate. In January she had from 20 up to 70 drop seizures a day. We went to the hospital, and we found out that she had MAE (Doose Syndrome) so she was started medication. We started with Depakene (Depakote/Micropakine/Epilim). In about 1 day the drops reduced to less than 10 per day, and after coming home and establishing the therapeutic dose of medication, she has remained completely seizure-free.
 

This horrible thing has not gone for good; it showed it’s face recently when Arika was ill with high fever so we know it’s not over. But because we have managed to find a medication that is effective in controlling the seizures, she can have a full life. Arika is back at the nursery (pre-school), she is happy and fine. Hopefully she will stay so.
how happy we are!!!