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Carbon monoxide and epilepsy

Sun, 05/06/2007 - 21:47
Our family was exposed to low-level chronic carbon monoxide over this past winter. We discovered it when my 13-year-old son started having seizures. The rest of us were just experiencing heart palpitations, headaches, tiredness, and general dopiness. Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone had heard of carbon monoxide poisoning precipitating seizures, any outcome advice, treatment advice, or input on where to go for info on this? Thanks! Kim

Comments

Re: Carbon monoxide and epilepsy

Submitted by j4quick on Tue, 2010-12-21 - 13:34

I am just now learning our house may have been contaminated with carbon monoxide for months or maybe years.  We have a detector, but I discovered it was unplugged.  It is in an out of the way corner and I just trusted it to work and forgot about it. 
My son developed seizures 4 years ago and is medicated.  He has had 4 seizures in the last month.  
When I discovered our unplugged carbon monoxide detector and plugged it in,  it went off within 10 minutes with a reading of 99.  I too wonder if this my be a factor in my son's development or recent worsening of seizures.

Of course, I have call his Neuro, and we will call a specialist out to check our furnace and stove.  I would like to hear to hear how your son is fairing, Kim, and is anyone else has made this connection between carbon monoxide and seizures.

 

I am just now learning our house may have been contaminated with carbon monoxide for months or maybe years.  We have a detector, but I discovered it was unplugged.  It is in an out of the way corner and I just trusted it to work and forgot about it. 
My son developed seizures 4 years ago and is medicated.  He has had 4 seizures in the last month.  
When I discovered our unplugged carbon monoxide detector and plugged it in,  it went off within 10 minutes with a reading of 99.  I too wonder if this my be a factor in my son's development or recent worsening of seizures.

Of course, I have call his Neuro, and we will call a specialist out to check our furnace and stove.  I would like to hear to hear how your son is fairing, Kim, and is anyone else has made this connection between carbon monoxide and seizures.

 

Re: Carbon monoxide and epilepsy

Submitted by talithafreedman123 on Tue, 2011-01-25 - 05:45

Hi

I've recently discovered that our boiler had been emmiting graduarly increasing amounts of Carbon Monoxide for the last couple of months. Coincidenctly I started having breack through seizures around the same time. After been fit free for amolst 5 years this time round the seizures had changed pattern from 2-3 times a year to 1 every 10 - 14 days. It had reached mild poisening level (un beknown to us) when I three very violent seizures that put me in hospital. A few days after this I was back in hospital with mild carbon monoxide poisening. I really dont think this is coincidence. I just feel extreamly lucky that, that last week I was barly in the house....

Hi

I've recently discovered that our boiler had been emmiting graduarly increasing amounts of Carbon Monoxide for the last couple of months. Coincidenctly I started having breack through seizures around the same time. After been fit free for amolst 5 years this time round the seizures had changed pattern from 2-3 times a year to 1 every 10 - 14 days. It had reached mild poisening level (un beknown to us) when I three very violent seizures that put me in hospital. A few days after this I was back in hospital with mild carbon monoxide poisening. I really dont think this is coincidence. I just feel extreamly lucky that, that last week I was barly in the house....

Re: Carbon monoxide and epilepsy

Submitted by wldhrt13 on Tue, 2010-12-21 - 23:53

I am pretty sure that some kinds of epilepsy have no clear cut etiology. There are children born every year with epilepsy and no one understands why.  There are adults as well who develop a seizure disorder and there is no clear cut etiology.  

 However for others, their seizures begin and are directly correlated with neurological insult.  Many different kinds of situations can cause the brain trauma:

Tumor growth, TBI (traumatic brain injury)either from blunt force trauma to the head or a closed head injury, hemorragic or ischemic stroke, heart attack, chemical/substance abuse just to name a few.

 I am fairly certain that inhaling carbon monoxide could potentially cause a chemical insult to the brain because it deprives the brain of needed oxygen.  Any time the brain is deprived of oxygen, trauma can happen and the result may (but not necessarily will) produce resulting seizures.

 

I am pretty sure that some kinds of epilepsy have no clear cut etiology. There are children born every year with epilepsy and no one understands why.  There are adults as well who develop a seizure disorder and there is no clear cut etiology.  

 However for others, their seizures begin and are directly correlated with neurological insult.  Many different kinds of situations can cause the brain trauma:

Tumor growth, TBI (traumatic brain injury)either from blunt force trauma to the head or a closed head injury, hemorragic or ischemic stroke, heart attack, chemical/substance abuse just to name a few.

 I am fairly certain that inhaling carbon monoxide could potentially cause a chemical insult to the brain because it deprives the brain of needed oxygen.  Any time the brain is deprived of oxygen, trauma can happen and the result may (but not necessarily will) produce resulting seizures.

 

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