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New Here: First Seizure Questions: Adult onset?
Thu, 05/22/2008 - 23:46
Hi, New here: A little background 1st:
I had my 1st seizure about a few weeks ago. My husband called 911 when he woke up to hear me making sounds and struggling. He said I was jerking, eyes rolled back, moving everywhere, not responding, no clue he was there. I didn't respond to 4 paramedics, an ambulance ride. When I came around I didn't know where I was and my tongue was bit up. I couldn't hardly talk. My blood sugar was very low and I had a headache on the left side of my head. I did not know where I was which caused hyperventilation. With not one around, not memory of what happened. My husband was still at home waiting to come and have someone stay with the kids. Once we were all settled and my husband could get there and tell what happened, I got the full work up. MRI, EEG you name it they did it. I stayed at the hospital for 2 days. My EEG spiked and I had a seizure with that. So Complex Partial Seizure left frontal lobe with secondary generalization. I did a sleep study, results soon. On Depakote, no driving for 6 months. I have had simple partial seizures after the hospital visit.
My son has seizures as well and on Depakote/Tegretol. He had a stroke at birth so they say my seizure and his seizures are not related. His is due to brain injury at birth. The Dr. feels that I am under stress...well yea stay at home mom to a boy that had a stroke, not to mention other stuff. The Dr. said stress triggers seizures. They said I could be having tiny seizures in my sleep then the big one the other day.
Questions:
Many of my friends are asking me if adult onset seizures are common? I forgot to ask the Dr.
Will this be the last big one? Or more to come? If I have another one the 6 month driving starts over so did some of you not drive for a year?
I am depakote and they will raise it up to the right dose for me gradually. I am bit overweight anyway....I heard it makes you gain??
If my sleep study comes back saying I have sleep apnea which caused the seizure, won't a cpap machine help and I really don't have a seizure disorder??
Thanks for reading!
Comments
Re: New Here: First Seizure Questions: Adult onset?
Submitted by sandyaco on Sat, 2008-07-26 - 10:31
Hello, I too did not get a response, but continue to read the other entries. I live in California, and have been siezure free for 3 months. After taking a full driving test, I have my driving priveleges returned. I have taken a couple of small drives , but still am a little nervous. I am controlled on lamicatal, and other than a few minor "Odd spells" seem to be siezure free. I am also keeping a diary , and my neurologist is pleased as most people do not. I am lucky because, I have a lot of support at home and with my work colleagues. Do you find since your seizure you have days when you cannot focus as much as you used to?
Good luck to everyone,
Jan
Hello, I too did not get a response, but continue to read the other entries. I live in California, and have been siezure free for 3 months. After taking a full driving test, I have my driving priveleges returned. I have taken a couple of small drives , but still am a little nervous. I am controlled on lamicatal, and other than a few minor "Odd spells" seem to be siezure free. I am also keeping a diary , and my neurologist is pleased as most people do not. I am lucky because, I have a lot of support at home and with my work colleagues. Do you find since your seizure you have days when you cannot focus as much as you used to?
Good luck to everyone,
Jan
Re: New Here: First Seizure Questions: Adult onset?
Submitted by paigeg on Fri, 2008-05-23 - 10:54
Thank You for your reply! I needed a little reassurance and some answers! Thank You. I have been looking on here at other posts and it seems like several of us have had our 1st seizure as an adult in our sleep, waking up and not knowing what happened, then on meds, not driving. Looks I a found the right place for support and questions. Thanks!
Paige
Cameron stroke at birth seizures
Evan our lil preemie
Thank You for your reply! I needed a little reassurance and some answers! Thank You. I have been looking on here at other posts and it seems like several of us have had our 1st seizure as an adult in our sleep, waking up and not knowing what happened, then on meds, not driving. Looks I a found the right place for support and questions. Thanks!
Paige
Cameron stroke at birth seizures
Evan our lil preemie
Re: New Here: First Seizure Questions: Adult onset?
Submitted by kstagg on Sun, 2009-03-29 - 01:44
I'm 38, but had my first seizure when I was 19 - a grand mal that came out of nowhere. I've probably had about 10 or seizures since then - all grand mal.
When I was in college I was taking a shower in my apartment and next thing I knew paramedics were standing over me and I had somehow knocked the shower tiles out and I could see the shower plumbing. Another time I was driving a friend home unexpectedly when all of a sudden I had a seizure behind the wheel and he realized what was going on and steered me off the road. If it weren't for the fact that he needed a ride home at the last minute, I may not be typing this right now.
A year and a half ago I had one after being seizure free about 8 years, while at work. It was grand mal, but not as severe as some of the others I've had. A week ago, at a job I've had for almost a year, I had probably one of the worst grand mals I've had. I'm told that they had to replace the carpet in my cube because I gnashed on my tongue so hard I was bleeding all over the place. My lips were so swollen and scarred that they looked like I went a few rounds in a prize fight.
What is really scary is that this last one I had I was about 30 minutes away from leaving work and picking up my kids at the daycare. I think I've given up hope on ever driving my kids anywhere unless I absolutely have to. I am scared out of my mind. Of course Texas prohibits you from driving for 6 months if you just had a seizure. I totally understand this and will not even think about driving a car during that time.
I've had EEGs, Catscans, the works, but all I get is results saying that the readings show that I obviously have a seizure disorder and have epilepsy. Nothing ominous like a tumor or anything thank God.
I've been on Dilantin, then was switched to Tegretrol, then Carbatrol (which I am on currently and have been for the last 10 years). My neurolgist however feels that I may be better off being switched to Keppra. So now I am on Carbotrol AND Keppra and within a year I'll just be on Keppra.
I'm glad I found this forum and am not the only one going through this. I realize I am "lucky" compared to the folks who have to deal with these on a daily basis, but it scares me shitless. The worst part was when my 5-yr old son was crying the other night to my wife because he was afraid to be home alone with me as he was afraid I was "going to be sick again".
I'm 38, but had my first seizure when I was 19 - a grand mal that came out of nowhere. I've probably had about 10 or seizures since then - all grand mal.
When I was in college I was taking a shower in my apartment and next thing I knew paramedics were standing over me and I had somehow knocked the shower tiles out and I could see the shower plumbing. Another time I was driving a friend home unexpectedly when all of a sudden I had a seizure behind the wheel and he realized what was going on and steered me off the road. If it weren't for the fact that he needed a ride home at the last minute, I may not be typing this right now.
A year and a half ago I had one after being seizure free about 8 years, while at work. It was grand mal, but not as severe as some of the others I've had. A week ago, at a job I've had for almost a year, I had probably one of the worst grand mals I've had. I'm told that they had to replace the carpet in my cube because I gnashed on my tongue so hard I was bleeding all over the place. My lips were so swollen and scarred that they looked like I went a few rounds in a prize fight.
What is really scary is that this last one I had I was about 30 minutes away from leaving work and picking up my kids at the daycare. I think I've given up hope on ever driving my kids anywhere unless I absolutely have to. I am scared out of my mind. Of course Texas prohibits you from driving for 6 months if you just had a seizure. I totally understand this and will not even think about driving a car during that time.
I've had EEGs, Catscans, the works, but all I get is results saying that the readings show that I obviously have a seizure disorder and have epilepsy. Nothing ominous like a tumor or anything thank God.
I've been on Dilantin, then was switched to Tegretrol, then Carbatrol (which I am on currently and have been for the last 10 years). My neurolgist however feels that I may be better off being switched to Keppra. So now I am on Carbotrol AND Keppra and within a year I'll just be on Keppra.
I'm glad I found this forum and am not the only one going through this. I realize I am "lucky" compared to the folks who have to deal with these on a daily basis, but it scares me shitless. The worst part was when my 5-yr old son was crying the other night to my wife because he was afraid to be home alone with me as he was afraid I was "going to be sick again".