Case 5
A 30-year-old man had a 15-year history of posttraumatic
complex partial seizures. He had a history of
aggressive and agitated behavior with suicidal thoughts
over the past few years, but had repeatedly refused
treatment for these symptoms. He was averaging 2–
3 CPS/day. Topiramate was added at an initial dose
of 50 mg q.d. to a treatment regimen of vigabatrin,
phenobarbital, and phenytoin. Topiramate side-effects
developed at a dose of 200 mg b.i.d. (400 mg/day) at a
time when his seizures had been totally controlled for
over three weeks. These consisted of confusion, agitation,
bizarre thinking, obsession, hearing voices, suicidal
ideation, thinking Jesus was behind the mass suicide
which had just occurred in California and that he
came to pick up all dead Catholics. He secretly started
carrying a gun. He was admitted to a psychiatric hospital
involuntarily. A partial resolution of the symptoms
occurred with neuroleptic medication. Treatment with
topiramate was continued since he was seizure-free on
topiramate.
Hewas discharged from the psychiatric hospital after
one month and when seen in the Epilepsy Clinic one
month laterwas calm, pleasant, and free of all psychotic
symptoms. At that time he was receiving antipsychotic
medications as well as topiramate 200 mg b.i.d. and
phenytoin. He has remained seizure-free and stable for
the next six months. An increase of dose of topiramate
from 400 mg/day to 600 mg/day later resulted in the
recurrence of above symptoms.