Absence Seizures &/OR Side Effects

Hi PrettyInPink1286, Some of my more minor seizures seemed like they would have been classified as Absence Seizures, as I would have brief periods where I would be unresponsive, with poor or no memory of the brief period. The strongest evidences of absence seizures were in my first grade class at school during recess, when during periods of unresponsiveness while I remained standing "frozen" in place, my fellow students would use me as a kicking-post, and I didn't know and couldn't explain where the bruises on my legs came from, to the consternation of my parents. My teacher told my parents that it was my fault for playing a tempting target without making any evasive moves to avoid the kicks, and if I didn't like it, I should have just left or avoided the situation. Now at 57 years old, my partial seizures are still frequent every day, strong clusters of partial seizures happen about once a month, and secondarily generalized tonic-clonics, that were frequent the last two decades with the clusters, are now prevented with Keppra, but no luck with controlling the partials. My seizures most like "Absence Seizures" are now very brief, and detectable if they strike while I'm holding anything very heavy (the seizure makes me drop it) or if I'm in a "count" either of time, steps, music, etc., and there is a "jump" or "mis-count" in whichever electronic record I'm keeping at the time (usually audio and/or GPS, but with video/camera prices dropping, maybe video/photographic recording too). Some of my current "Absence Seizures" could also often be considered as possible very short "Atonic" (but not "astatic"?) seizures, but too brief for my own whole body to drop. http://books.google.com/books?id=TfrwxdXcmosC&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=atonic+versus+astatic+seizures&source=bl&ots=lRLHWouGQP&sig=PBPv0orwhFrTPuRAj9PKXN0ZGTw&hl=en&ei=W8_0TN6GLI6osQO1m9XHCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CE0Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false Absence Seizures are classified as "Primarily Generalised Seizures", as they indicate initial involvement of both hemispheres of the brain, unless they are "secondarily generalised seizures", that start as a partial seizure, but quickly after onset of the partial seizure, spreads the seizure to both sides of the brain, and doesn't remain localised to one side. This classification system doesn't make much sense when Limbic Seizures are the onset seizures, with seizures that do not remain localized to one part and one side of the Limbic System, or spread beyond the Limbic System. (With only the "absence" as the event, the ILAE classification system of 1981 fails to distinguish between "generalised" and "partial", and between "primary" and "secondarily", without nearly, if not, impossible eeg evidence). The newer system (2010) creates more confusion, with little benefit. Then, "consciousness" is such a vague concept, that it doesn't have a valid and objective definition. http://www.ilae-epilepsy.org/Visitors/Centre/ctf/ctfoverview.cfm IMO, instead of sticking strickly to ILAE classifications, the concept of "Limbic Seizures" forms a basis to explain much more than does the classification of "Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy". The parts of the Limbic System most often associated with epilepsy, are one of the hippocampi (either the left one or the right one) or one of the amygdalae (left or right). "Epigastric Rising" sensations are common with Limbic seizures: http://books.google.com/books?id=TfrwxdXcmosC&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=atonic+versus+astatic+seizures&source=bl&ots=lRLHWouGQP&sig=PBPv0orwhFrTPuRAj9PKXN0ZGTw&hl=en&ei=W8_0TN6GLI6osQO1m9XHCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CE0Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=epigastric%20rising&f=false and, http://books.google.com/books?id=Z3eX0Mu4KdQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Limbic+Seizures+In+Children&hl=en&src=bmrr&ei=HtT0TI-ZAoyasAO4wsWmCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Rising%20epigastric&f=false The hippocampus is easily damaged and/or scarred by high fevers in childhood, the long QT Syndrome, otherwise minor injury, food/drug intolerances, asphyxiation, etc. Initial very minor seizures can also easily "kindle" additional damage in the hippocampus, and in time result in atrophy and/or more scarring of the hippocampus, making seizures more frequent and more severe in the long run. I had much better luck with Keppra on my second try with Keppra. My first try with Keppra, while also on Dilantin, seemed to be prone to emotional lability (most often, becoming easily annoyed). After stopping Keppra for a couple months or so, a second try with a very slow dose escalation, prevented most emotional side-effects of Keppra. Once my Keppra routine started working, I slowly stopped Dilantin because of probable side-effects resulting in bone-loss. Tadzio