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Seizures During Sleep
Wed, 02/11/2009 - 22:16
Hi, I'm new to this site. I have most of my seizures in my sleep or in the morning after waking up.. my last one being two days ago. It seems that either illicit drugs, alcohol or lack of sleep bring most of my seizures on, and I'm working on getting them under control by giving up these things rather than taking my medication, I find the medication Valpro has some bad side effects.
I think my last seizure was a big one becauseI have been a scattered mess since then, I've slept for two days straight now and I have yet to leave the house. I can't think straight so if this doesn't make any sense I hope u understand why. My whole body is aching and my memory is slowly returning.
Anyways I'm almost 25 and I was diagnosed about 2 1/2 years ago.. does anybody else experience sleep related seizures?.. I truly believe if I can get enough sleep I will get my epiliepsy under control.
Thanks for any of your comments.
Comments
Re: Seizures During Sleep
Submitted by kelly184 on Sat, 2009-09-12 - 03:38
Re: Seizures During Sleep
Submitted by ahardway on Thu, 2009-08-06 - 21:53
Hi Morning Sunshine
I just turned 28 and my seizures started 4 years ago about 2wks after I turned 24. I was having exctremley violent convulsions every 3 months on up until last year. Throughout 2008 I was doing the same thing you did. I would wake up with my lips chewed up and swollen as well as my toungue and I would have very bad scratch marks on my upper inner thighs. I am taking Phenytoin, Lamictal, and Keppra. The Lamictal has stopped my grand mals and the Keppra has helped my petit mals. If I were you I would def. talk to your docs. and make sure that you do not miss any of your meds. I had surgery done to my left temporal lobe to stop my seizures which has been awsome! However, before that if I missed even once dose I would have a seizure. I hope things look good for you! Take care!
Anna
Hi Morning Sunshine
I just turned 28 and my seizures started 4 years ago about 2wks after I turned 24. I was having exctremley violent convulsions every 3 months on up until last year. Throughout 2008 I was doing the same thing you did. I would wake up with my lips chewed up and swollen as well as my toungue and I would have very bad scratch marks on my upper inner thighs. I am taking Phenytoin, Lamictal, and Keppra. The Lamictal has stopped my grand mals and the Keppra has helped my petit mals. If I were you I would def. talk to your docs. and make sure that you do not miss any of your meds. I had surgery done to my left temporal lobe to stop my seizures which has been awsome! However, before that if I missed even once dose I would have a seizure. I hope things look good for you! Take care!
Anna
Re: Seizures During Sleep
Submitted by kinderdebt on Thu, 2009-08-06 - 20:33
It has been SO interesting reading all these stories about sleep seizures! I have had partial complex seizures that occur only during sleep for the last 20 years, and so far my neurologist is the only doctor I've described my seizures to who hasn't looked at me like I was crazy! Any doctor that I've told my seizures only happen at night has said that they've never heard of that :) I'm glad I'm not alone! I usually get a warning from some numbness or pins and needles in my right hand during the evening. I wake up abruptly, usually screaming. I often will get up and try to run out of the room. I experience a great deal of disorientation, although I usually remember much of the seizure. My husband always tries to talk to me and ask me questions...his theory is that it will help me get back to reality faster, but it just frustrates me because I can't speak coherently at all during this time. When it's over, he always wants me to explain what happened, but I'm exhausted and just want to go back to sleep. I sleep like a rock til morning. Usually I'm ok in the morning, although occasionally I'm still a little "out of it". I've had very good control of the seizures with Tegretol. I was on phenobarbital at first, but had more breakthrough seizures with that. Recently, my neurologist started to wean me off of it, because I had been seizure free for 5 years, and was having normal EEGs. When I was almost off completely, I got very bad numbness in the right side of my body that lasted throughout the day. We thought it was a withdrawal type symptom from the meds, but now she believes it is a sensory seizure. I also had my first sleeping seizure in many years. Needless to say, I'm back up to full dosage of the Tegretol. I still am getting off and on numbness, but it is so much better, and we are playing with the dosages now. I wholeheartedly agree with what everyone said about not stopping your meds suddenly...very bad idea. Only do it under strict doctor supervision.
It has been SO interesting reading all these stories about sleep seizures! I have had partial complex seizures that occur only during sleep for the last 20 years, and so far my neurologist is the only doctor I've described my seizures to who hasn't looked at me like I was crazy! Any doctor that I've told my seizures only happen at night has said that they've never heard of that :) I'm glad I'm not alone! I usually get a warning from some numbness or pins and needles in my right hand during the evening. I wake up abruptly, usually screaming. I often will get up and try to run out of the room. I experience a great deal of disorientation, although I usually remember much of the seizure. My husband always tries to talk to me and ask me questions...his theory is that it will help me get back to reality faster, but it just frustrates me because I can't speak coherently at all during this time. When it's over, he always wants me to explain what happened, but I'm exhausted and just want to go back to sleep. I sleep like a rock til morning. Usually I'm ok in the morning, although occasionally I'm still a little "out of it". I've had very good control of the seizures with Tegretol. I was on phenobarbital at first, but had more breakthrough seizures with that. Recently, my neurologist started to wean me off of it, because I had been seizure free for 5 years, and was having normal EEGs. When I was almost off completely, I got very bad numbness in the right side of my body that lasted throughout the day. We thought it was a withdrawal type symptom from the meds, but now she believes it is a sensory seizure. I also had my first sleeping seizure in many years. Needless to say, I'm back up to full dosage of the Tegretol. I still am getting off and on numbness, but it is so much better, and we are playing with the dosages now. I wholeheartedly agree with what everyone said about not stopping your meds suddenly...very bad idea. Only do it under strict doctor supervision.