|
|
The medical history is the foundation of the diagnosis of epilepsy. The doctor needs ALL the information about what happened before, during, and after your seizures. If you cannot give enough information, then others who have seen the seizures happen should contribute what they know. If some of the details are vague, the doctor needs to know that too.
To get a full picture of what the spell was like and what might have caused it, the doctor probably will ask about things that happened before and after it as well as during the incident itself.
Before the spell:One of the most valuable pieces of information a doctor can get is an accurate eyewitness description of a typical event. It is worthwhile for people who have seen your seizures to visit the doctor’s office with you. If that is not practical, perhaps the doctor or nurse can speak with them by telephone.
Ask them to write down a detailed description of what they saw soon after the event, because memories fade with time. Even after they talk to your doctor, save these notes, because they may be helpful to another doctor later. If the episodes occur often, it would be very helpful for the doctor if someone could film one or more of them on home video.
Your parents or other family members also may be able to help with some important questions about your medical history:
If the incidents occur repeatedly, try to identify associated factors. For example, some women with epilepsy have more frequent episodes at certain times in their menstrual cycle, so you may want to track this kind of relationship on a calendar. Some people try to link their seizures with environmental factors such as stress, using an antibiotic, or eating too much sugar. Often these associations are just coincidences. Keep careful records of when the possible factor occurs in relation to the time and frequency of your seizures. And remember that even if the factor and your seizures turn out to be associated, that doesn't necessarily mean that the factor is causing the seizures.
Topic Editor: Carl W. Bazil, M.D., Ph.D.
Last Reviewed: 3/8/04
This content is user-generated. Content is not monitored nor consistently reviewed by the epilepsy.com Editorial Board. Epilepsy.com therefore cannot guarantee the accuracy of any content edited with the Wiki sections. While epilepsy.com, the Epilepsy Therapy Project, and its partners encourage visitor interaction and publishing within these sections, users should use caution when exploring content, especially as it pertains to health concerns. No content on epilepsy.com is intended to replace the care of a doctor. We encourage you to contact your own health care provider for individual medical advice. We cannot provide second opinions or make specific recommendations regarding therapy, nor does this Wiki content constitute a recommendation for any diagnosis or treatment options.
The medical history is the foundation of the diagnosis of epilepsy. The doctor needs ALL the information about what happened before, during, and after your seizures. If you cannot give enough information, then others who have seen the seizures happen should contribute what they know. If some of the details are vague, the doctor needs to know that too.
To get a full picture of what the spell was like and what might have caused it, the doctor probably will ask about things that happened before and after it as well as during the incident itself.
Before the spell:One of the most valuable pieces of information a doctor can get is an accurate eyewitness description of a typical event. It is worthwhile for people who have seen your seizures to visit the doctor’s office with you. If that is not practical, perhaps the doctor or nurse can speak with them by telephone.
Ask them to write down a detailed description of what they saw soon after the event, because memories fade with time. Even after they talk to your doctor, save these notes, because they may be helpful to another doctor later. If the episodes occur often, it would be very helpful for the doctor if someone could film one or more of them on home video.
Your parents or other family members also may be able to help with some important questions about your medical history:
If the incidents occur repeatedly, try to identify associated factors. For example, some women with epilepsy have more frequent episodes at certain times in their menstrual cycle, so you may want to track this kind of relationship on a calendar. Some people try to link their seizures with environmental factors such as stress, using an antibiotic, or eating too much sugar. Often these associations are just coincidences. Keep careful records of when the possible factor occurs in relation to the time and frequency of your seizures. And remember that even if the factor and your seizures turn out to be associated, that doesn't necessarily mean that the factor is causing the seizures.
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Seizures During Sleep | Aug 2, 2009 | |
| Morning Sunshine | ||
| im confused, scared and feeling so helpless | Aug 24, 2009 | |
| groovybird | ||
| Food-Triggered Siezures | Sep 25, 2009 | |
| uberzwitter | ||
| Positive Stories Only | Jul 27, 2009 | |
| onemarvy | ||
| Myoclonic jerks occuring in the evening? | Oct 27, 2009 | |
| elly | ||
| Epilepsy triggers? | Aug 9, 2009 | |
| Black.Pearl | ||
| My story and some questions! Does anyone else have pains in there head? | Jul 29, 2009 | |
| johnandkymberley | ||
| Deja vu and Epilepsy | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| Mikey4 | ||
| new and scared | Aug 23, 2009 | |
| mamaofhapas | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: what does it feel like? | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| rokchik1 | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Controlling Anxiety | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| Alang | ||
| Confused about some terminology | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| drowsydreamer | ||
| Top Ranked Hospital or Best Neurologist with Epilepsy Specialty in Southern California / Los Angeles / Pasadena | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| bobfrank30 | ||
| vns therapy side effects | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| helenpe1 | ||
| Anyone experience memory loss? | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| tiff_25 | ||
| How do you cope with memory loss? | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| sportz_nut | ||
| Running out of Options | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| KATHS2 | ||
| Holy Cow, am I lost on what to do!!! | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| IRTIM2 | ||
| Fire fighter wanting to work with epilepsy | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| mjc | ||
| Night Seizures | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| Mommamelissa | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,424 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,947 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,843 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,716 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 15,213 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 13,080 | |
| George R | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 12,910 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 11,357 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised | 10,018 | |
| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 9,421 | |
| Maggie | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| A horrible day with epilepsy | Jul 30, 2009 | |
| MichaelK | ||
| Please help | Sep 4, 2009 | |
| Tanikkab | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep deprivation EEG | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| freedbythewind | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Links of London jewelry | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| tiffanyblog | ||
| A novice writer needs YOUR help! | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| ACSutliff | ||
| Heck of a day | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| 4mygirl2 | ||
| vaic t800 TV cell phone with camera | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| agoodsellers | ||
| Ohhhhh Baby! | Nov 19, 2009 | |
| 1sassyhelper | ||
| 29 years old, had seizures since I was 8. | Nov 19, 2009 | |
| dkalra | ||
| Nckia e71 dual sim cards cell phone with NES game | Nov 19, 2009 | |
| agoodsellers | ||
| A Memory upon the Stairs | Nov 19, 2009 | |
| kjeldoran_king | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts | 8,002 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| my partial complex seizures | 3,859 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,649 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,464 | |
| JudiS | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,061 | |
| pksmom | ||
| Feeling Sick | 2,907 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 2,853 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,801 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,712 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,595 | |
| teft | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Grandparents of grandchildren with Epilepsy | Nov 14, 2009 | |
| EmiliesGrandma | ||
| neeraj clinic, rishikesh,india | Nov 14, 2009 | |
| ankita gupta | ||
| Project Uplift | Nov 4, 2009 | |
| tamliniscute | ||
| SEIZURE FREE | Nov 3, 2009 | |
| gracie9933 | ||
| EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA | Oct 9, 2009 | |
| Roxanne D | ||
| Community Feedback on Proposed New epilepsy.com Feature | Sep 30, 2009 | |
| kdredske | ||
| Parent with Child with Epilepsy,Dystonia, and Autism | Sep 24, 2009 | |
| TashaCole | ||
| RX outreach Program | Sep 22, 2009 | |
| mw | ||
| Fun and Games | Sep 22, 2009 | |
| phylisfjohnson | ||
| Epilepsy and Memory Loss?? | Sep 17, 2009 | |
| lindseygthatsme | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Trying to understand Epilepsy | Aug 2, 2009 | |
| truecd | ||
| Sudden and Awful | Oct 13, 2009 | |
| kel7 | ||
| The Day My Family Nearly Died | Oct 10, 2009 | |
| Brenno76 | ||
| My son Christian | Oct 21, 2009 | |
| ChristiansMom2 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| WHY??????????????????????? | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| marymm | ||
| Ugg Bailey Button Boots–Your Winter Footwear | Nov 20, 2009 | |
| lovetiffany | ||
| Ceremony to welcome President Hu Jintao to the country, accompanied by up to 200 people Barack Obama Barack Obama | Nov 19, 2009 | |
| nicky001 | ||
| Ten best sale cell phones(one) in Otc:A2688 TV cell phone | Nov 18, 2009 | |
| agoodseller | ||
| new roads to travel | Nov 18, 2009 | |
| Marsha Cash | ||
| febrile seizures | Nov 18, 2009 | |
| febrileseizures | ||
| 6 months post brain surgery | Nov 18, 2009 | |
| robin4902 | ||
| James Rowell | Nov 18, 2009 | |
| jamesrowell | ||
| Police Officer with Epilepsy | Nov 18, 2009 | |
| Rob Jamieson | ||
| So Wonderful of Using a Video Baby Monitor | Nov 18, 2009 | |
| buyairshoe | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,277 | |
| kroiz | ||
| (TLE) seizures, most misunderstood condition | 866 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 469 | |
| snoby | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 439 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 418 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 394 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 379 | |
| javaman | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 334 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| Life......... | 329 | |
| dizzygal | ||
| Crystal's story | 326 | |
| Crystal11 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
