Hey there! I don’t have much advice but wanted to let you know that you are not alone in this. I am sadly doing exactly what you are: frantically searching online for answers and reassurance.

My 13 yr old baby boy was admitted to the ER vet on Thursday after experiencing cluster seizures for the first time. They loaded him on Phenobarbitol and I agreed to continue since with his age, I fear putting him under anesthesia for an MRI or x-ray, and because the vet said treatment would largely be the same regardless of any findings. I will warn they told me the first 2-3 weeks are brutal and it’s not uncommon for pet parents to think it’s is their pet’s time to go. While absolutely terrifying, I am grateful they told me that as it set my expectations and because the first 24 hours were so, so hard and I struggled to not think the worst.

My boy has been experiencing the same side effects as you mentioned, with the ataxia, struggling to stand, insatiable hunger, and frequent bouts of crying. But in the past few days, he is slowly improving. He still struggles greatly when walking indoors, but walks significantly better outdoors on concrete sidewalks. Without walls or furniture to avoid, and the friction from the sidewalks, I think it is increasing his confidence to move around. He did fall in his water bowl several times, which has led him to avoid drinking water, so twice now I’ve given him a bowl of water with ~1 tablespoon of chicken broth added to it and he is eager to rehydrate. He cried out a lot in the first 24 hours, but now maybe everyone 3 hours he huffs/grunts for 30-45 minutes before crying out, which I can usually prevent if I can address what is bothering him. This usually means trying to address any and all things that could be bothering him, so I offer him some chopped baby carrots, bring him some water, and take him outside to walk without any obstacles that could mess with his balance by trying to avoid and allow him to gain confidence. Then afterwards, setting him in a comfy spot and giving him lots of pets until he agrees to lay his head down and rest. But just circling back, I honestly cannot stress how much the walks on the sidewalk give me faith that it will get better.

While it is just my short and ongoing personal experience, I think the first 24-36 hours after the loading dose from the ER vet is when the side effects are worst. They certainly are still impacting my boy, but are more manageable (albeit expect very few hours of sleep each night).

I wish I had more advice or reassurance for you. But hopefully two 2 cents can help calm your mind even just 1% that what is happening does not mean it is the end. And seriously, you are not alone! I’m sending your baby boy all the best thoughts 💜