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Need help very badly, please!
Mon, 10/07/2013 - 17:47 Let me start by saying that neither I, nor my husband have epilepsy. neither of us had ever had a seizure before 2days ago, so I apologize if I am posting in the wrong place, but I need help. 2 days ago, my husband had a bad reaction to the prescription drug, tramadol. he had a tonic-clonic seizure right next to me in our bed while we were watching tv. it was absolutely the most terrifying thing I've ever seen in my entire life. I can't still hear the noises he made. the images of his body seizing and his eyes rolling in the back of his head will not leave my mind. Within 20 minutes after having the seizure, he was 100% back to normal, besides being a little stunned by what I explained to him had happened. and since then, he's been totally fine, back to normal. no headaches. no cloudy, fatigued feeling. no muscle aches. nothing! but I have been a hot mess to say the least. I'm driving him crazy because I've been following him around like a puppy dog, afraid to ever leave him alone because I'm scared that he'll have another one when he's standing and I want to catch him if he does. I even made him let me stay in the bathroom while he took a shower last night. he doesn't understand what I witnessed, because he doesn't remember it. I'm constantly crying. I can't eat. I can't sleep. I constantly feel like I'm on the verge of a panic attack. I feel incredibly paranoid, not just about his seizure but about everything. I just have General, intense feeling of impending doom. I don't know how to get over this. he's no longer taking the tramadol, so intellectually I know that he's not gonna have another one, but that isn't stopping me from feeling this way. Will I ever be ok? will I ever recover? will I ever be normal and carefree again? I don't know how long I can live like this, in constant fear and panic. I just feel so lost. does anybody have any advice as to how I can pull myself out of this? or at least any encouragement that is will subside eventually?? I'm desperate...
Comments
Re: Need help very badly, please!
Submitted by mereloaded on Tue, 2013-10-08 - 15:48
It is been said that you have to have at least two unprovoked seizures to be considered epileptic and start medication.
Many people have just one seizure and does not mean they have a seizure disorder. yes, prescription and street drugs can cause seizures.
Yes, it is also common that family members and care takers get PTSD after witnessing a seizure on their loved one. It is a disconnected feeling, fear and the paranoia that follows.
The good news is that it goes away. You do not have to spend the rest of your life waiting for the next seizure to come. That is no way of living. It is what it is.
Now, he may or may not have a seizure disorder and only time will tell, whether or not he has another one. And yes, people can snap back to normal after having a seizure.
Yes, your post offended me a little, but life is too short to be mad or offended, so no worries. Perhaps this experience will give you a sense of compassion, understanding and consideration for those that have to suffer this condition forever. I would like to add that epilepsy can appear at any age and most of the time is NOT inherited and it can happen to anyone.
I wish you the very best and to your husband a prompt recovery and that he never have a seizure again. Best wishes.
Re: Need help very badly, please!
Submitted by wellsmegan on Tue, 2013-10-08 - 16:16
again, I apologize for offending anyone. in retrospect, I can understand how my post seems incredibly trivial to people in your situation. I have an insane amount of compassion for all of you and what you struggle with on a daily basis. I also have compassion for you families, who have to witness their loved ones in such a state on a daily basis. I don't know that I could be so strong. I have never had a seizure and have never witnessed a seizure, so it's not something I'm used to and not something that was expected, so that's why I overreacted. I had no idea that seizures were so violent and scary looking. I have looked up TC seizures on YouTube since this all happened and have come to realize that as scary add my husband seizure was to me at the time, it could've been much, much worse and that his was mild comparatively, but it was no les terrifying to be faced with the idea of him dying, which in my mind, was a real possibility, not having much knowledge of seizures. I have now educated myself and understand that the seizure by itself was not fatal.
Thank you for responding and reassuring me that I will get better. I've come to realize that with each day, I do feel better, so I am confident that I will be fine. and again, I apologize. I really wish I would've thought about what other people with epilepsy would think while reading this post, before I posted it. I guess my hope was to get advice from epileptics on how their loved ones cope with the trauma of seeing someone they love so much in such a helpless state. as I said before, if anything good came from this, it brought me awareness of epilepsy and an incredible amount of respect for all of you who suffer with this horrible disease. you and your families are all much stronger than I could ever be.
Re: Need help very badly, please!
Submitted by pgd on Tue, 2013-10-08 - 11:31
You might read the Wikipedia educational article on Tramadol; the article may provide insights into some of your questions (a medicine possibly causing a seizure). Best wishes.