Characteristics of Gran Mal seizures

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Hello,

My son has simple partial, complex partial, and generalized gran mal seizures. He's been having more gran mals lately, the neuro says due to puberty. What I was wondering is do any of you who have gran mals know if you seize with your eyes open or closed, and if closed, are they clenched tightly? I have never seen him have a seizure with his eyes closed before, but the school says they have.....today he apparently had one and the ambulance was called. When I arrived, he had his eyes closed tightly, his extremities were stiff, his face was very flushed, he would not answer me, then he began to cry (tears) and tried to tell me that his entire body hurt and did not want to be touched. He also said his stomach hurt really bad. After about an hour he began to pass a lot of smelly gas. During what we thought was the seizure, he was trembling as if he were cold, and continued to do this for about an hour after....this is often normal in his usual post ictal state, but he did relax for a while, but started to tremble again when he got afraid of the needles.....just like the trembling when we thought he was seizing. I say "thought he was seizing" because I wasn't sure if he was since I've never seen him have a seizure with his eyes closed, especially that tightly! When I tried to open his eyelid, it looked like his pupil was moving around (not a fixed stare). I'd appreciate any help you can give me! We go back to his neuro on Monday, but I need answers now if possible! Thank you all!

Comments

RE: Characteristics of Gran Mal seizures

Submitted by saki on Sat, 2005-06-18 - 09:47

During my seizures my eyes remain open, although I feel them rolling back into my head. The 2 gran mals that I had were preceded this way, then i felt like a veil came down over my eyes. That was the last thing I remembered before waking up in the Emergency Room . The "veil" actuallly felt like such a relief, to the point that during subsequent seizures, I hoped for it. Good luck to you all!!

Re: Characteristics of Gran Mal seizures

Submitted by justifiedbyjesus84 on Wed, 2008-07-02 - 15:59

Hi, I had my first seizure at 17, a gran mal, in my sleep. My dad found me, sent me to the ER and I had a battery of tests, with the doctors concluding that my seizure was caused by stress; and they diagnosed me as an epileptic. I did not want that diagnosis--one seizure did not make me an epileptic. He put me on an outrageaous amount of Lamotrigine that made me sick. I have gone from gran mal in my sleep to complex partial, with secondary generalization with tonic-clonic (I'm 25 now). Sometimes I have just the complex partial, and I can shake it off. I just had a seizure yesterday, my husband says I was confused and scared then went into the gran mal. He laid me on the ground to prevent injury. He says my body grew stiff, my eyes were shut, and was spitting, I was jerking around, and I also lost control of my bladder and bit both sides of my tongue till it bled---it is very painful today. I cannot remember the moments before or after, just him helping me to the tub. My body was exteremely sore, and is today, even the tendons in my neck, I was also freezing cold for a few hours after, and today I'm experiencing very painful gas symptoms. I may be two weeks or so pregnant, and I was scared I was miscarrying, I've never had a seizure pregnant before. When I was pregnant with my first, I dramatically lowered my dosage to prevent birth defects, and have gone from 700mg to 50mg in eight years. I still do not accept my diagnosis because Lamotrigine CAUSES seizures as a withdrawal side effect---great, right?! Now I don't know if the seizures I have are because I am truly an epileptic, because I go too long sometimes without taking my med, or if it's the withdrawal symptom. I'm voting for withdrawal sypmtom. I have to have faith (seizures can be caused by many things, some people have one freak seizure in their life, and I was under an extreme amount of stress and very depressed at the time.) Hope this helps. Make sure your son's school knows what to do to prevent injury. I do not go to the ER anymore because, I have already had all the tests and there's nothing they can do to make me feel better, just run up the bill. Mostly, the tenderness of my husband, the love helps the most.

Hi, I had my first seizure at 17,  a gran mal, in my sleep.  My dad found me, sent me to the ER and I had a battery of tests, with the doctors concluding that my seizure was caused by stress; and they diagnosed me as an epileptic.  I did not want that diagnosis--one seizure did not make me an epileptic.  He put me on an outrageaous amount of Lamotrigine that made me sick.  I have gone from gran mal in my sleep to complex partial, with secondary generalization with tonic-clonic (I'm 25 now).  Sometimes I have just the complex partial, and I can shake it off.  I just had a seizure yesterday, my husband says I was confused and scared then went into the gran mal.  He laid me on the ground to prevent injury.  He says my body grew stiff, my eyes were shut, and was spitting, I was jerking around, and I also lost control of my bladder and bit both sides of my tongue till it bled---it is very painful today.   I cannot remember the moments before or after, just him helping me to the tub.  My body was exteremely sore, and is today, even the tendons in my neck, I was also freezing cold for a few hours after, and today I'm experiencing very painful gas symptoms.  I may be two weeks or so pregnant,  and I was scared I was miscarrying, I've never had a seizure pregnant before.  When I was pregnant with my first, I dramatically lowered  my dosage to prevent birth defects, and have gone from 700mg to 50mg in eight years.  I still do not accept my diagnosis because Lamotrigine CAUSES seizures as a withdrawal side effect---great, right?!  Now I don't know if the seizures I have are because I am truly an epileptic, because I go too long sometimes without taking my med, or if it's the withdrawal symptom.  I'm voting for withdrawal sypmtom.  I have to have faith (seizures can be caused by many things, some people have one freak seizure in their life, and I was under an extreme amount of stress and very depressed at the time.)  Hope this helps.  Make sure your son's school knows what to do to prevent injury.  I do not go to the ER anymore because, I have already had all the tests and there's nothing they can do to make me feel better, just run up the bill.  Mostly, the tenderness of my husband, the love helps the most.

Hi, I had my first seizure at 17, a gran mal, in my sleep. My dad found me, sent me to the ER and I had a battery of tests, with the doctors concluding that my seizure was caused by stress; and they diagnosed me as an epileptic. I did not want that diagnosis--one seizure did not make me an epileptic. He put me on an outrageaous amount of Lamotrigine that made me sick. I have gone from gran mal in my sleep to complex partial, with secondary generalization with tonic-clonic (I'm 25 now). Sometimes I have just the complex partial, and I can shake it off. I just had a seizure yesterday, my husband says I was confused and scared then went into the gran mal. He laid me on the ground to prevent injury. He says my body grew stiff, my eyes were shut, and was spitting, I was jerking around, and I also lost control of my bladder and bit both sides of my tongue till it bled---it is very painful today. I cannot remember the moments before or after, just him helping me to the tub. My body was exteremely sore, and is today, even the tendons in my neck, I was also freezing cold for a few hours after, and today I'm experiencing very painful gas symptoms. I may be two weeks or so pregnant, and I was scared I was miscarrying, I've never had a seizure pregnant before. When I was pregnant with my first, I dramatically lowered my dosage to prevent birth defects, and have gone from 700mg to 50mg in eight years. I still do not accept my diagnosis because Lamotrigine CAUSES seizures as a withdrawal side effect---great, right?! Now I don't know if the seizures I have are because I am truly an epileptic, because I go too long sometimes without taking my med, or if it's the withdrawal symptom. I'm voting for withdrawal sypmtom. I have to have faith (seizures can be caused by many things, some people have one freak seizure in their life, and I was under an extreme amount of stress and very depressed at the time.) Hope this helps. Make sure your son's school knows what to do to prevent injury. I do not go to the ER anymore because, I have already had all the tests and there's nothing they can do to make me feel better, just run up the bill. Mostly, the tenderness of my husband, the love helps the most.

Re: Characteristics of Gran Mal seizures

Submitted by Jennica on Fri, 2008-07-04 - 14:06

Hi there,

I had my seizure when I was in the 8th grade. My dad heard me fall out of bed at night and they came and took me to the ER. later that week the Neuro told me that I had had a Grand Mal and that I was diagnosed as an Epileptic even tho I had only one seizure. My dad says that my eyes were open and falling back into my head. My whole face was turning different colors (green, gray, etc). and it lasted 5 mins. I am now 18 and just got word that i am ("better") i dont know what that officially means but i do get to come off my medicine so i am happy but scared to death. I hope everything with your son works out, i know exactly what he feels like...i am so glad that i can finally see the end in sight! Good Luck and God Bless! Happy 4th!

Hi there,

I had my seizure when I was in the 8th grade. My dad heard me fall out of bed at night and they came and took me to the ER. later that week the Neuro told me that I had had a Grand Mal and that I was diagnosed as an Epileptic even tho I had only one seizure. My dad says that my eyes were open and falling back into my head. My whole face was turning different colors (green, gray, etc). and it lasted 5 mins. I am now 18 and just got word that i am ("better") i dont know what that officially means but i do get to come off my medicine so i am happy but scared to death. I hope everything with your son works out, i know exactly what he feels like...i am so glad that i can finally see the end in sight! Good Luck and God Bless! Happy 4th!

Characteristics of Gran Mal seizures

Comments

RE: Characteristics of Gran Mal seizures

Submitted by saki on Sat, 2005-06-18 - 09:47

Re: Characteristics of Gran Mal seizures

Submitted by justifiedbyjesus84 on Wed, 2008-07-02 - 15:59

Re: Characteristics of Gran Mal seizures

Submitted by Jennica on Fri, 2008-07-04 - 14:06

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