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New here. Thought my son was having absence seizures, but maybe it's more?

Wed, 11/14/2007 - 09:30

Don't know if this is the place to start, but here it goes.

My name is Beth. I have two children, Kyle (8) and Katie (6 on 12/31). About a year ago, my husband and I started noticing that Kyle would "zone out" during normal conversation. It wasn't that he was distracted or daydreaming or just not listening. It was like he left us for about 10 seconds. When he'd come back, he didn't even know what had happened or why his dad and I were yelling his name.

My daughter had an undiagnosed hearing loss that led to a speech delay, so my first thought was that Kyle had a hearing problem. I took him to the audiologist in February and he passed all hearing tests with flying colors. So then I assumed that he just wasn't paying attention to us. I can't remember the frequency of episodes throughout the spring, but I know he had them. He plays baseball and when my daughter and I would meet my husband at the ballpark, he'd tell me that Kyle was in his own little world that day.

I intended to bring it up at his ped check-up in the summer, but for some reason, the incidents didn't seem so plentiful then. Maybe he was having them and we weren't noticing them because the summer is low-key around here. Maybe he wasn't having them as much because he wasn't as tired as usual (he tends to have them in the afternoon/evenings). So I didn't say anything to the ped.

When school started this year, he started having a lot of them. My mother-in-law picks the kids up from school in the afternoons and she noticed him having two or three most afternoons while she was working with him on his homework. When I went for a report card conference two weeks ago, I mentioned them to his teacher. She said that she hadn't noticed them, but that it sounded to her like a petit mal seizure.

I'm not this teacher's biggest fan, so I just filed this away. That weekend, though, Kyle had several episodes, so I Googled 'petit mal seizures.' That led me to 'absence seizures.' All of this sounded exactly like what was happening to Kyle.

I called the ped and he had an EEG yesterday. He was sleep-deprived, and had one episode before the test began. During the sleeping part of the test, I know he had at least one that I could see (the room was dark and I really couldn't see him that well at first). He makes these chewing/smacking movements with his mouth when he has them and that's what I noticed. Then they did the hyperventilation part of the EEG. Not only did he have an absence seizure, but he also had what I would call a classic seizure -- his back started arching and his hands were shaking.

We have at least two days before we get the results of the EEG. I'm fairly certain that our pediatrician will refer us to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, since there are no pediatric neurologists in our area.

My question is, from what y'all know, does the more violent, convulsive nature of the seizure during the hyperventilation part possibly mean that Kyle has more than just absence seizures?

Just for more background, he is a healthy kid. He rarely gets sick -- during the summer, he usually gets an ear infection from all the swimming he does. He makes all As in school and is in the gifted and talented class. His behavior is good. He has never had any major head trauma that I know of. He is a boy, though, and plays outside all weekend long. But I believe that if he were ever hurt that badly, I would know about it. He doesn't complain of headaches, although he told the tech yesterday that he does get them. His birth was normal and he was full-term. To my husband's and my knowledge, no one in our families have had any sort of epilepsy or seizures on a regular basis.

This is very scary, as I'm sure y'all know. Any experiences or advice is much appreciated!!

Comments

other seizures

Submitted by eanj on Wed, 2007-11-14 - 13:35

Hello and welcome!!  I am a mother to two children with Epilepsy.  My daughter was labeled with classic absence seizures at two and a half. Just recently, based on observation and another EEG she has been labeled as having "generalized seizures".

 I really hate to say this but if he is only having absence seizures, then you should not see any type of tonic clonic (jerking or stiffening) movements.  It sounds as if there is something else going on.

With that being said however, it is my understanding, according to our neuro, that children with absence seizures that are not controlled by medication have a 50/50 shot at having a tonic clonic seizure. This could be a one time thing that may never be seen again in your son once the absences are controlled by medication.

You would be amazed at what sleep deprivation or illness can do to seizures. It may very well be that this occured soley on the fact that he was overtired. My son who is eight only has seizures at night only if he is overtired or getting sick. No other time. His are the big ones and I can relate to how you must have felt seeing your son have that seizure.

This is a GREAT place to discuss, vent, and ask for prayers when you need somewhere to go. The wonderful parents on this site have helped me deal with my feelings regarding having two with E.

Take care!

Jean

 

Hello and welcome!!  I am a mother to two children with Epilepsy.  My daughter was labeled with classic absence seizures at two and a half. Just recently, based on observation and another EEG she has been labeled as having "generalized seizures".

 I really hate to say this but if he is only having absence seizures, then you should not see any type of tonic clonic (jerking or stiffening) movements.  It sounds as if there is something else going on.

With that being said however, it is my understanding, according to our neuro, that children with absence seizures that are not controlled by medication have a 50/50 shot at having a tonic clonic seizure. This could be a one time thing that may never be seen again in your son once the absences are controlled by medication.

You would be amazed at what sleep deprivation or illness can do to seizures. It may very well be that this occured soley on the fact that he was overtired. My son who is eight only has seizures at night only if he is overtired or getting sick. No other time. His are the big ones and I can relate to how you must have felt seeing your son have that seizure.

This is a GREAT place to discuss, vent, and ask for prayers when you need somewhere to go. The wonderful parents on this site have helped me deal with my feelings regarding having two with E.

Take care!

Jean

 

thanks for the support

Submitted by scotting on Thu, 2008-01-10 - 11:21

Jean -

Thanks for the feedback. I feel a little at ease now that there is a posssiblity that medication may not be needed.  I'm just going to take it one step at a time

Thanks again

Sue

Jean -

Thanks for the feedback. I feel a little at ease now that there is a posssiblity that medication may not be needed.  I'm just going to take it one step at a time

Thanks again

Sue

For anyone who has posted on this thread...

Submitted by Angel30 on Wed, 2008-04-02 - 19:41

Have any of you had your childs chromosomes tested, lots of illnesses like epilepsy and ADHD or disorders are related to chromosome abnormalities - if they are overlooked you can go on obliviously without information which might help and explain your childs problems.

My daughter has been diagnosed with myoclonic,clonic,tonic and clonic tonic, and febrile seizures and absences. Although my son also has epilepsy nothing showed on his EEG - even though myself and my Mum and the neurologist saw him have a myoclonic seizure and some absences during the EEG. EEG's are not always as informative and useful as we would like them to be and interpreting them is even harder - my daughter's EEG - showed activity that she had 100s of seizures of varying types on a daily basis. It was that severe they even thought she had a tumour - but her MRI was clear apart from a diagnosis that her petruitary gland doenst work properly.

Have any of you had your childs chromosomes tested, lots of illnesses like epilepsy and ADHD or disorders are related to chromosome abnormalities - if they are overlooked you can go on obliviously without information which might help and explain your childs problems.

My daughter has been diagnosed with myoclonic,clonic,tonic and clonic tonic, and febrile seizures and absences. Although my son also has epilepsy nothing showed on his EEG - even though myself and my Mum and the neurologist saw him have a myoclonic seizure and some absences during the EEG. EEG's are not always as informative and useful as we would like them to be and interpreting them is even harder - my daughter's EEG - showed activity that she had 100s of seizures of varying types on a daily basis. It was that severe they even thought she had a tumour - but her MRI was clear apart from a diagnosis that her petruitary gland doenst work properly.

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