Community Forum Archive

The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.

Epileptic attack or something else

Tue, 01/24/2017 - 15:46
My brother (22 years old; 180 cm, 6 feet; 90 kg, 198 lbs) and I returned in the gym after 2 weeks absence due to flu. He ate around 5 hours before the gym. He lifted weights of 60 kg (132 lbs) and this weight is not something that he usually lifts. He felt dizzy, was very pale and was breathing shallow and frequent. After few minutes he lost conciseness, his eyes went up and started to shake. I dropped him at the floor and I tried to get his tongue with my hand, but the jaws were immovable. After 10-20sec his eyes went back on the place, he looked really scared and started to scream. He regained consciousness, but after 3-4 minutes he lost consciousness again with the same cycle as previous (except I didn’t notice the shaking). He took Isotonic drink, some bar and he was much better. The emergency came and told me that most probably was hypoglycemic seizure. The shake during the first seizure lasted 2-3 seconds; I think that only his torso shook. There wasn’t any white fluid coming of his mouth, there wasn’t urine and he wasn’t sleepy, quite opposite, he felt more energetic after the isotonic drink and chocolate bar. Regarding the screaming - My brother told me that when he started to regain conscience thought that he was in a nightmare and started to scream to wake up. We consulted three different neurologists. The MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the head was perfectly fine. My brother did two ordinary EEG and one EEG with deprivation of sleep (30 minutes long). Two of the neurologists say that there is epilepsy on basis of the EEG with deprivation of sleep (paroxysm with bilateral and synchronous character). These two neurologists have different opinion on the therapy and dose (one prescribed valproate, other lamotrigine). The third neurologist explains that there aren’t any certain signs of epilepsy and suggested that we should consult endocrinologist for this issue. I personally am not convinced that this was an epileptic seizure and the doctors’ conflicting stances makes me difficult to properly evaluate my brother’s situation. We live in a country with health system that is not on the high level and prescribing unnecessary medicines is not uncommon. Besides the fact that my brother’s seizure scared me to death, I am really afraid that he might start unnecessary therapy. I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to anybody that will share its experiences and thoughts on this issue.

Sign Up for Emails

Stay up to date with the latest epilepsy news, stories from the community, and more.