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9-year-old daughter only twitching on the right side of her body and now having nocturnal seizures as well... any ideas?

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 14:50
My 9-year-old daughter who over the past 2 1/2 years has only had a handful of focal seizures and over the past 3-4 weeks has actually started twitching/shaking only on the right side of her body. She is also for the first time ever having nocturnal seizures several times per night. These are all new symptoms! I took her to her pediatric neurologist last Wednesday and she diagnosed her with epilepsy buy only ordered an 24 hour ambulatory EEG and nothing else. With these new symptoms and the sudden onset I thought she should have at the very least ordered some labs and maybe even another MRI (since her last one was over a year ago). She has had 2 previous EEGs and 1 MRI... all were inconclusive. She hasn't even had a focal seizure in over 6 months. Now, suddenly she has started having all these new symptoms. She was prescribed Zonegran and after reading all the horrible side-effects I reluctantly started giving it to her 3 days ago. Just wondering if anyone else has ever had seizures only on one side of the body or such sudden change in symptoms.

Comments

Re: 9-year-old daughter

Submitted by rikk on Thu, 2009-02-26 - 17:52
hi,  your daughter has by your description, simple partial seizure, poss focus would be the left side of the brain.  the doc may be waiting to get the results of the eeg, before ordering anything else.  you can always ask the doc to do the test.  all seizure medication can have terrible side effects.  everyone is different.  the most important thing i can say is follow your gut, with presenting all your concerns, if they are not answered within reason, and in terms that you understand and agree with,  all you can do is to push for what you think is right.  you know your child.  no doctor can ever know that the way you do.  Yes i have simple partial seizures that effect the right side of my brain, and thus show on the left side of my body.  it may take some time to find the right medication(s) to control the seizures. Seizures types can change or additive in nature.  It needs to be evaluated, by agreement between you and your doctor.  hope it helps.   rikk

Re: 9-year-old daughter only twitching on the right side of her

Submitted by barker_amber on Thu, 2009-02-26 - 20:20
My daughter has seizures on the right side of the brain only. The doctors told us they were Tonic Clonic Seizures. They seem to crawl down the left side of her body starting at her face then arm, leg and toes. She is currently on a medication called Trileptal and when she was younger she was on Phenobarbital. I dont know what all your doctor has told you but as i understand seizures in children is very common and they usually grow out of it by puberty. Good luck.

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