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Dreaming and having Seizures

Sun, 12/10/2006 - 15:51
I am not sure where to even post this so I am just going to post this here and hopefully someone can help me with this... OK here it goes.. I have Epilepsy like everyone else here. Mine are Complex partial with Secondary. I am on Topamax 150 2x a day. I am still in the early stages of getting meds right so keep this in mind and not even sure if this med is even the "right" med for me.. But long story short, when I was a kid I had what was formally called "Petite Mal" seizures now called Absence seizures took Phenobarb several years and and lucky enough was OK for more than 25 years without meds. This Oct I had a Grand Mal seizure out of No where, landed in ER with and Abnormal EEG and normal MRI and on Topamax.. OK concerns this week I had 2 vivid dreams that I actually had a seizures in them. I was telling my husband this and now we are wondering if I actually had a seizer in my sleep.. Has anyone else experienced this, or is just my mind playing "tricks" on me or should I have one of those video sleep EEG's?? Side effect of the med?? any in site?? Even though I had Epilepsy when I was a kid, I am all new to it! Please help! Thank you!

Comments

Re: Dreaming and having Seizures

Submitted by craigory8 on Tue, 2006-12-12 - 14:53
I had my first seizure last spring while sleeping. Of the five total I have had four have been while sleeping. The four all occurred right after falling asleep. My wife was aware that I was having them each time. One she was awake on, two I woke her, and the other she was in the next room. I came too each time except after the first ten minutes after having it like normal. I was confussed and fuzzy headed. I felt hung over but in each case hadn't drank anything. None of those times did I have a dream about seizures. I however have had vivid dreams of having seizures when it was verified that I did not. (I fell asleep before my wife and she was still reading when I woke up.) I think the fear of having a seizure gets in our head and messes with us. Craig M.

Re: Re: Dreaming and having Seizures

Submitted by kimmarief on Tue, 2006-12-12 - 19:49
Thank You Craig for your reply... I do agree that it does get in your head about having seizures.. I know I am paranoid in a way; or afraid to have them again. It is weird for me to even have dreams, because I didnt really ever remember dreaming prior to taking meds, and here I am now, not only dreaming, but vivid dreams, and remembering them... I just didnt know if they were or were not actually a seizure or not. My husband sleeps so sound, so no help in this manner.. Thank you again for you input. It is extreamly valuable to me. Complex Partial with Secondary

Re: Re: Re: Dreaming and having Seizures

Submitted by forestams on Sat, 2006-12-16 - 15:09
Dear Kim- I have had many seizure while sleeping and while awake- partial complex and will be having a very vivid dream and wake myself up in the middle of the dream because I'll know smething isn't right and indeed be in the middle of a seizure- sometimes I think either the vivid dreams bring about the seizures or the seizures cause the dreams to feel more intense. The next time you feel or have a wierd dream try to wake yourself up! I'm hopefully getting a video camera this christmas and one of the first things I plan on doing it running my own little test of taping myself when I sleep and write down any crazy dreams I have- because I have more vivid dreams of anyone I know- who knows I might have seizres every night but am only told somtimes because my boyfriend has to sleep sometime too! I had a VEEG done last year and only had 1 sleeping seizure in the hospital- so who knows- the best you could do - and cheaper- is borrow a camera and make a dream journal- tape yourself while you sleep- I hate to say it but I think they happen to me more than I would like to think but if I don't wake up during the Seizures or if my boyfriend isn't still awake when they happen- i'm SOL! Good luck and take care! Amanda

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