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Short-term memory loss post- seizure

Sat, 06/04/2005 - 14:56
Please, does anyone identify with this problem?My son, 21yo now, has always found that after a seizure he has no memory of the past 2-6 hours preceding the seizure.e.g. went out to tea with his friend to celebrate their anniversary and had a seizure later that night. The following day he could not remember anything of that evening from when I had dropped him at her place at 6.30pm. Still doesn't till this day 2yrs later. (by all accounts they had a lovely time..)He finds this aspect of his condition the most upsetting. This is just one of many examples. My heart aches seeing the sad look on his face as we piece together his movements on a particular day.This doesn't help when trying to identify auras etc. either as he doesn't remember.Does anyone find this happens to you?I have read many posts about memory in general and see this in him too, but not seen much about this other aspect.Thanks for your time,Maryanne.

Comments

Re: RE: RE: RE: RE: Short-term memory loss post- seizure

Submitted by shevin on Thu, 2010-07-22 - 16:59

I have dealt with intractable complex partial/secondarily generalized seizures for 30 years now with my first seizure at 19.  What many of you are talking about ( pam in the UK in particular) is not short term memory loss but episodic memory loss.

My problem is autobiographical episodic memories i.e. events I participated in and conversations I had with people as opposed to facts I have learned and current events of those days I'm aware of.  As a community organizer in the disability world during the '90s I worked daily on projects with different groups and planned events.  All of this is gone.  Despite endless pages of notes I can't bring any of it back.  When do these memories disappear?  I guess in about a year or two.  I can't help but to wonder who I would be with those memories.

There was a time, about 15 or 20 yrs ago when my problem was short term memory.  After a seizure, weeks of memories before the seizure were practically deleted.  I would eventually get about 90 percent of it back which left recall full of holes.  Back then however I was on different meds and seizure frequency of about 25-30 a yr was more than twice as bad as today's 8-10 a yr.  Endless studies show that AEDs also have an effect on memory.  Some drugs more than others.  In a discussion with my Dr about a drug I'd be starting I said "But I thought Lamictal didn't have that side effect" She said "They all do.  It's got to suppress something and memory storage and retrieval often get in the way."

I really don't mean to scare anybody newly diagnosed with my problems.  There are aspects of my case that are either rare or unique.  An example is a prolonged postictal state lasting four days.  During these days I'm not completely out of it as most of us are immediately following the seizure but there is something missing in my head.  I'm not disabled during this period and will usually go to work if I have job.  It gets better each day but I'm not %100 for four days.  I could go on forever about bizarre features but I'm hoping you get this far.  By reading this, your work as a therapist is helpful and I appreciate your support.

KM

I have dealt with intractable complex partial/secondarily generalized seizures for 30 years now with my first seizure at 19.  What many of you are talking about ( pam in the UK in particular) is not short term memory loss but episodic memory loss.

My problem is autobiographical episodic memories i.e. events I participated in and conversations I had with people as opposed to facts I have learned and current events of those days I'm aware of.  As a community organizer in the disability world during the '90s I worked daily on projects with different groups and planned events.  All of this is gone.  Despite endless pages of notes I can't bring any of it back.  When do these memories disappear?  I guess in about a year or two.  I can't help but to wonder who I would be with those memories.

There was a time, about 15 or 20 yrs ago when my problem was short term memory.  After a seizure, weeks of memories before the seizure were practically deleted.  I would eventually get about 90 percent of it back which left recall full of holes.  Back then however I was on different meds and seizure frequency of about 25-30 a yr was more than twice as bad as today's 8-10 a yr.  Endless studies show that AEDs also have an effect on memory.  Some drugs more than others.  In a discussion with my Dr about a drug I'd be starting I said "But I thought Lamictal didn't have that side effect" She said "They all do.  It's got to suppress something and memory storage and retrieval often get in the way."

I really don't mean to scare anybody newly diagnosed with my problems.  There are aspects of my case that are either rare or unique.  An example is a prolonged postictal state lasting four days.  During these days I'm not completely out of it as most of us are immediately following the seizure but there is something missing in my head.  I'm not disabled during this period and will usually go to work if I have job.  It gets better each day but I'm not %100 for four days.  I could go on forever about bizarre features but I'm hoping you get this far.  By reading this, your work as a therapist is helpful and I appreciate your support.

KM

Re: RE: RE: RE: RE: Short-term memory loss post- seizure

Submitted by sarah1984 on Fri, 2011-01-07 - 04:45

Thankyou for your comment shevin - it explains the exact problems I have had for many years

In terms of memory loss, you just have to make the best of an unavoidable situation. For example, re-watching your favourite movies with the benefit of not remembering what happened the first time. Screaming in the face of close friends when you wake up from a seizure because you think there's an intruder in your house - and having a laugh about it with them.

Epilepsy is something to do with the brain and losing conscience - there's going to be memory loss. It's a matter now of dealing with it most effectively.

Thankyou for your comment shevin - it explains the exact problems I have had for many years

In terms of memory loss, you just have to make the best of an unavoidable situation. For example, re-watching your favourite movies with the benefit of not remembering what happened the first time. Screaming in the face of close friends when you wake up from a seizure because you think there's an intruder in your house - and having a laugh about it with them.

Epilepsy is something to do with the brain and losing conscience - there's going to be memory loss. It's a matter now of dealing with it most effectively.

Re: : Short-term memory loss post- seizure

Submitted by louquat on Tue, 2010-06-15 - 08:17

Hi MaryAnne, I am in Cape Town South Africa. I would like to know if your son has epilepsy from a trauma injury to his head or if it developed on its own? I am curious because I fell off a horse on the beach and had brain surgery, developing post traumatic epilepsy as a result of scarring on the brain tissue. I have 3 boys so I am on the other side of the spectrum to you and my boys have had to help me with various problems that I have had with memory loss and seizures. They can be quite inspirational I might add and they  have all learned many things that others would not normally have known at their age. But they are definitely worth sharing if it applies to your son and may help.

Lesley

Hi MaryAnne, I am in Cape Town South Africa. I would like to know if your son has epilepsy from a trauma injury to his head or if it developed on its own? I am curious because I fell off a horse on the beach and had brain surgery, developing post traumatic epilepsy as a result of scarring on the brain tissue. I have 3 boys so I am on the other side of the spectrum to you and my boys have had to help me with various problems that I have had with memory loss and seizures. They can be quite inspirational I might add and they  have all learned many things that others would not normally have known at their age. But they are definitely worth sharing if it applies to your son and may help.

Lesley

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