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Seizure While Driving

Sat, 01/10/2009 - 00:00

I am 17 years old and about 2 years ago I was diagnosed with JME. On New Years I spent the night at my friends house and got only 2 hours of sleep. I didn't take my medicine that night (Keppra + Lamictal), or the next morning. As I left her house (only minutes after waking up) and began walking to my car I had a few blackouts and even shook a little. This happens to me if I don't take my medicine/don't get enought sleep but I didn't think of it as a big deal. I was just thinking about getting home and going to bed.

As I drove home, which was only 5 minutes away, I felt a little tired but that was all.  That was the last thing I remember because the next thing I know I was being pulled out of my car onto a stretcher and into an ambulance. I immediately knew I had one of my grandmal seizures. I was so confused, and so scared. Later I learned that I had a seizure, run off the road and crashed into a light pole going 45 MPH. My car was completely totalled but I thankfully was fine and was left with only a few bruises. I'm not able to drive for a while (and being 17 that feels like it's the worst thing in the world), but I understand that I should not be allowed behind the wheel of a car right now. I had been seizure free for about 6-8 months before the accident. This past week has been so hard for me and my family but I'm trying my hardest to move on. Anyway.... I am just wondering if anyone else has ever had a seizure while driving?

Comments

Re: Seizure While Driving

Submitted by stacyr97 on Sun, 2009-08-02 - 22:00

Hello, I have a boyfriend that has Partial Complex Seizers....I was wondering if anyone is familiar with these type of seizures?? I was also wondering if he can get into a car while having this type of seizure and drive??? Please let me know and I appriciate all of your time.

 

Thank you

Stacy

Hello, I have a boyfriend that has Partial Complex Seizers....I was wondering if anyone is familiar with these type of seizures?? I was also wondering if he can get into a car while having this type of seizure and drive??? Please let me know and I appriciate all of your time.

 

Thank you

Stacy

Re: Seizure While Driving - Partial Complex Seizures

Submitted by Susumarie on Tue, 2009-10-06 - 07:52

Stacy: I too have Partial Complex seizures: what that means is the seizures can be "partial", so there is not a loss of consciousness, but really alters your sense of reality and motor abilities; or "complex" where there is a loss of consciousness. I'm sure you don't mean the way the wording of your question sounds, because if he is actually having a seizure, definitely no, don't drive. If he is diagnosed with this, he can drive, but if he has a seizure where he loses consciousness, depending on what state you are in, there is a time limit you are not to drive. I have had a few times when I've had a seizure driving, but they were partial seizures and I was able to stop safely. However, I ended up sitting in the car awhile until I could manage to put the car in park and turn it off.  One time I had just pulled into my driveway and sat for awhile til I could get the car off, but then couldn't figure out how to open the garage door, so I was stuck outside until it all passed.  Unlike the others here, I have been VERY lucky to only have partial while driving.  I'm on my 4th type of medication, which seems to be holding.  Your boyfriend needs to make sure he doesn't miss his doses, and if the meds aren't working good enough, talk to the doctor, lots of choices, different ones work for different people.  I have a doc that says you shouldn't med hop, should stick with one -- which is hooey.  If you get that, find a new doc.

 

Stacy: I too have Partial Complex seizures: what that means is the seizures can be "partial", so there is not a loss of consciousness, but really alters your sense of reality and motor abilities; or "complex" where there is a loss of consciousness. I'm sure you don't mean the way the wording of your question sounds, because if he is actually having a seizure, definitely no, don't drive. If he is diagnosed with this, he can drive, but if he has a seizure where he loses consciousness, depending on what state you are in, there is a time limit you are not to drive. I have had a few times when I've had a seizure driving, but they were partial seizures and I was able to stop safely. However, I ended up sitting in the car awhile until I could manage to put the car in park and turn it off.  One time I had just pulled into my driveway and sat for awhile til I could get the car off, but then couldn't figure out how to open the garage door, so I was stuck outside until it all passed.  Unlike the others here, I have been VERY lucky to only have partial while driving.  I'm on my 4th type of medication, which seems to be holding.  Your boyfriend needs to make sure he doesn't miss his doses, and if the meds aren't working good enough, talk to the doctor, lots of choices, different ones work for different people.  I have a doc that says you shouldn't med hop, should stick with one -- which is hooey.  If you get that, find a new doc.

 

Re: Seizure While Driving

Submitted by LyneR. on Sun, 2010-08-01 - 15:49
Hi Stacy, I am a Registered Nurse and our son who is 19 has had Epilepsy for 6 years. He has Temporal Lobe Epilepsy which consists of Complex Partial Seizures. He did not drive in High School. 2 years ago he was finally ready and took the courses etc and was cleared to drive. He had been seizure free for 8 months. In Colorado, it is a period of 3 months of being seizure free before you can drive once you have had a seizure. I am not sure what type of Epilepsy ~(where the focus is of his seizures)your boyfriend has but here is a little info; With complex partial seizures you can have: 1. Simple partial seizures that are without a loss of awareness. 2. Complex partial that have loss or awareness. During a complex partial seizure with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, you can lose awareness because the seizure spreads to involve both temporal lobes, and can cause impairment of memory. It usually begins with an Aura which is a simple partial seizure and is associated with odd feelings; may be physical like certain odors or psychological like deja vu', and other feelings. Your main concern sounds like his driving. I can tell you from our son's recent experience that once you start having an aura or a simple partial seizure... there is not time, with his anyway to get off the road. He had the aura then had a Grand Mal seizure which lasts about one to two minutes. This is typical of his seizure pattern. There is no capacity to reason once an aura begins.... you are already having a seizure. Once a decision is made to drive, if there is a feeling of being a little off then there is already a huge risk factor associated with that feeling. Our son was disappointed as a teen with not being able to drive and his seizure hx was not multiple but enough that he was never seizure free long enough to drive. He was driving and had been seizure free for a year and 8 months and just had a seizure while driving a month ago. Luckily he was in a residential neighborhood, and was traveling at a slow rate of speed. He ran up a curb, was in a area of construction and put a small dent in a window well, and ran into some scaffolding which stopped the car. He was unconscious from the time he ran up the curb until he woke up surrounded by the medics, police and firetrucks. He has always been diligent with the meds.... and is in a band and had a concert the night before and was an outdoor concert in the heat. Went to sleep about the same time but fell asleep a little later than normal. He did take his meds. While for him there is no medical reason like a tumor... etc. that is a cause, he has to pay attention to triggers and be careful to follow a routine based on them. I think that there are several important things to take away from this. Know what your triggers are and pay attention. Your health and well being are the most important thing to those of us who love you and care for you. He had no idea what had happened and could not believe that it was a seizure but it was.... and since it had been so long he really had a hard time coming to terms with it but is very pragmatic and understands the UNPREDICTABILITY of this disease. PLEASE PLEASE... read up on this type of seizure and where his focal point is or where his seizures begin to get more info. Check in with the National Epilepsy Foundation; they have great information and you can sign up to get emails with updates. Also, if there are Epilepsy Walks in your area I encourage you both to participate as it is a great opportunity to meet other people and hear their stories. The National Epilepsy Walk in DC is truly a wonderful experience; and puts a whole new perspective on this discussion. We have met some amazing people through these experiences. And it is a great way to gather information on research etc. Take care, Stacy.

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