Sincere apologies symptoms and conditions

I have just been reading the list of, what I am considering to be "possible", side effects from Dilantin . Doesn't everyone, whether on Dilantin or no drugs at all experience headaches, nausea, stomach pains or depression from time to time?
After being on this medication for over 30 years there are some things which I've experienced. Just about everyone complains of hyperplasia but it has been my experience that if I maintain a clean healthy mouth, there is no hyperplasia. If, for one day, I do not brush my teeth, hyperplasia sets in immediately & it then takes a week or so to get it under control. So, brush, brush & brush your teeth.
As far as memory loss or difficulty learning, I suppose it happens to everyone at one time or another. However I have graduared from high school with honours & became a registered nurse (top 5 in my class of 56) all while I was on Dilantin.
The only true adverse side effect from taking Dilantin for over 30 years which I experience is that whenever I am tired, my speech can easily slur. I am very aware of this & it's become habit to pay close attention to my pronounciation & correct it so I may articulate normally. Not a big deal & a very small price to pay.
I'm not one for pity trips or blaming my seizures or medications for my downfalls in life. I am so grateful to have my seizures under control & hate to think where I would be today if not for Dilatin. Remember, if you look for it , you will likely find it. So try not to look for all these adverse side effects (crutches)& see the benifits. We have enough to handle keeping this under control & educating the sometimes ignorant world.
I took control of the epilepsy that attacked my system. I would never allow it to control me. Good luck to all of you. Sincerely :)

To my fan fare;

"U have to be an idiot to write things like that to people like us who r really suffering because of pred. Obviously u have found the wrong website. Now go find yourself a SHRINK. "

Thank you, your blatent insults obviously indicates superior intelligence and mental stability. Far be it that anyone poses a theoretical question or thought based on their own experiences.......

'So Jules, 5 mg a day for a few weks and you're the expert ?'

Just so you know, I've taken doses as high as 60 mgs a day many times in my life.
My daughter, who was on life support for a month, was given 500 mgs a day. I owe a higher power and the prednisone, my sincere gratitude for her survival.

I never stated that "anyone" has psychosomatic side-effects or "the placebo" effect here. Did anyone bother to notice the ? at the end? Did anyone stop to think that I might be posting a serious question/concern I had?

To those that are suffering from the horrific side-effects and I offended...my sincere apologies. I wasn't trying to dismiss your suffering, only trying to point out the positive side of the drug, and to open some peoples eyes to the reality of "possible" placebo effects.

Where I was coming from:

During my 3rd year in Pre-med, several of us students began suffering from chest pains, arrythmias, perfuse sweating, etc...guess what we were studying at the time?

I could list thousands of studies showing the reality of psychosomatic/placebo effects. I could also post harvard/mayo etc. studies that show the ultimate power of mind and the positive/negative effects that peoples suggestions have on our healing, side-effects and survival.

Posting the horrific side effects of ANY DRUG might offer reassurance that were not alone in our side-effect suffering but it can also have some really negative psychological effects on certain people and ultimately affect their decision in taking it...ie...my mother had penicillian anaphylaxis, and none of us would touch it with a ten foot pole for years.

Some of the posts here are terrifying and I personally feel that people should think about the impact it is/could have on people just beginning drug therapy.

In my opinion, when taking any drug, the bottom line is weighing the risk versus benefit, ...ie...chemo has terrible side-effects, but does the disease it's treating have any less profound effects?????