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Is it possible to outgrow epilepsy?

Tue, 03/04/2008 - 09:28
I've had seizures since infancy; convulsive (petite mal) starting out up until about age 12, I went with my mother to apply for disability at that time and was informed by letter regarding the disapproval, that it would be something I would grow out of. Well about a year to date I've had a partial seizure while in the military service and  some seizures while I sleep. I didn't qualify for any military benefits because of it being a pre-existing condition. I want to know can you truely ever out grow your seizures or do your seizures transition to another form of seizure as you age?

Comments

Re: Is it possible to outgrow epilepsy?

Submitted by gwen57 on Sat, 2008-05-31 - 12:10

George:

Talking about outgrowing seizures is a very broad topic.  if you have a seizure/seizures as a child, the brain is still not finished developing, and the child may never have another one.  In the case of idiopathic (no known cause) and a low seizure threshold you can have another as an adult.  In which case the brain is fully developed and medication becomes a lifelong commitment, unless there is an underlying cause, fever, head trauma, etc... 

I have had E since my first one at age 11, therein lies the hormonal connection.  I am fifty now and have been on dilantin for thirty years when my next one came on at 21.  My seizures were few and far between, only nocturnal until the age of 45, when a doctor did a total hysterectomy, and I went into what is called static epilepticus, uncontrolled seizure after seizure.  I knew it was coming, and this is very important, I had a headache that put me on the floor.  Prevention is the key word, lack of sleep is the number one cause of a seizure in us folks.  I did that experiment in my 20's where I quit taking medication, had a seiz. 3 days later, that ended that experiment.  Now , I have been informed that my thyroid has been killed by Dilantin, physicians are bound by, "first do no harm", except they left out the part about being proactive.  So, my point being is we all need to pay attention to our own health and assist our doctors in our care.  I hope this helps...

Gwen

George:

Talking about outgrowing seizures is a very broad topic.  if you have a seizure/seizures as a child, the brain is still not finished developing, and the child may never have another one.  In the case of idiopathic (no known cause) and a low seizure threshold you can have another as an adult.  In which case the brain is fully developed and medication becomes a lifelong commitment, unless there is an underlying cause, fever, head trauma, etc... 

I have had E since my first one at age 11, therein lies the hormonal connection.  I am fifty now and have been on dilantin for thirty years when my next one came on at 21.  My seizures were few and far between, only nocturnal until the age of 45, when a doctor did a total hysterectomy, and I went into what is called static epilepticus, uncontrolled seizure after seizure.  I knew it was coming, and this is very important, I had a headache that put me on the floor.  Prevention is the key word, lack of sleep is the number one cause of a seizure in us folks.  I did that experiment in my 20's where I quit taking medication, had a seiz. 3 days later, that ended that experiment.  Now , I have been informed that my thyroid has been killed by Dilantin, physicians are bound by, "first do no harm", except they left out the part about being proactive.  So, my point being is we all need to pay attention to our own health and assist our doctors in our care.  I hope this helps...

Gwen

Re: Is it possible to outgrow epilepsy?

Submitted by summerfly on Thu, 2008-04-17 - 14:17
I've had E from being a teenager. I'm now fiftyeight years old. Over the years I've had good and bad times with regard to E. I've been under control for around forty years taking 300mgs of epanutin (phenytoin) a day. I had a little trouble during the menopause but that over, I've been remarkably well. So much so in fact I've hardly taken any medication at all for the last few months. Unfortunately a couple of weeks ago I began to get the old feelings back. I knew that I'd made a mistake not keeping up the medication. I'm now back on 300mgs a day  and yes , feeling absolutely tired out all the time. My advice to anyone who thinks they've outgrown E is to be prepared for it to pay another visit! I agree with you though George. We can have a full and happy life. I have two gorgeous, healthy, intelligent daughters and four beautiful grandchildren. I'm so lucky. 

Re: Is it possible to outgrow epilepsy?

Submitted by JanElanaNC on Tue, 2008-05-20 - 22:33
This is a question that, until a couple of years ago, I would have answered with a confidant "YES".  As a child, I had petit mal seizures, but was told by pediatriatian that I had outgrown them and would never have to deal with them again.  That was around age 13.  Imagine my suprise when during my senior semester in college at the age of 26, I ended up in the hospital after having a grand mal seizure in class.  This time around a neurologist told me that it was possible to change types of seizures as I got older.  I chalked it up to stress/sleep deprivation/bad vitamen combination.  Again, I thought I was in the the clear.  Now, two years later, after a second pregnancy, I have had 4 seizures in the last month.  I'm back on a new medication and have a new neurologist.  This time around, I'm taking more control of the situation and educating myself to the best of my ability.  My new perspective...the brain is a very complex organ that is highly sensitive and easily manipulated.  Maybe it is possible to "outgrow" epilepsy if your brain can somehow figure out how to function without (what I call) misfiring, but maybe it is more likely that you have to teach your brain to function under certain circumstances without temporarily shutting down. All I do know is that I must have control of the situation and demand the healthcare providers provide me their full attention. 

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