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COULD THIS BE ATONIC EPILEPSY OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF EPILEPSY?

Fri, 03/25/2011 - 02:23
Topic: Epilepsy.com Help
HI I AM WRITING FROM AUSTRALIA. OUR 11 YEAR OLD SON HAS BEEN HAVING DAILY FALLS (21 ONE DAY). FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS.SINCE HIS FIRST FALL HE HAS HAD ALMOST DAILY NAUSEA, A LOT OF DIZZY SPELLS AND HIS APPETITE HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME. THESE FALLS ARE PRECEDED BY A REALLY BAD TASTE IN HIS MOUTH. HIS LEGS GO WEAK AND YOU CAN SEE HIS KNEES BUCKLE AND HE FALLS TO THE GROUND. 9 OUT OF 10 TIMES HIS HANDS OR KNEES TAKE THE BRUNT OF THESE FALLS. HE IS ALWAYS CONSCIOUS AND ALERT ALTHOUGH OBVIOUSLY DISTRESSED IF HE HAS HURT HIMSELF. HE HAD ONE EEG. NEUROLOGIST SAID IT WAS NORMAL, THEREFORE NO EPILEPSY. I HAVE READ EPILEPSY IS NOT ALWAYS DETECTED ON EEGs. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD BY NEUROLOGISTS THAT IF OUR SON WAS HAVING A SEIZURE HE WOULD DEFINITELY LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS. HE ALSO HAS SWALLOWING DIFFICULTIES. CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS ARE CONSISTENT WITH ANY TYPE OF EPILEPSY PLEASE. WE SEEM TO BE 100 YEARS BEHIND AS FAR AS NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS GO. MY SON ALSO HAS SEVERE TOURETTE'S SYNDROME BUT HE CAN EASILY TELL A 'LEG' TIC WHICH CAN PROPEL HIM FORCEFULLY TO THE GROUND AND WHAT WE CALL A 'TASTE' TIC WHERE HIS KNEES JUST BUCKLE AND HE FALLS FORWARDS. HE HAS NO LOSS OF MUSCLE TONE IN ANY OTHER PART OF HIS BODY. THANK YOU

Comments

Re: COULD THIS BE ATONIC EPILEPSY ...EPILEPSY?

Submitted by Massey on Fri, 2011-03-25 - 11:11

My son has Drop Attacks. He is completely conscious but looses muscle control and free falls backwards. Tho he is completely aware he cannot control movement and gets no warning. Some of the other things like the bad taste is known symptom of seizures.

This week his meds were being adjusted and he started having seizures that affect his left side while watching a movie. He was having about 1 ever 20 seconds to 1 minute and it lead to several dozen of them over an hour before we got them stopped with emergengy medication but he was talking and commenting on the movie during that all. The next day we had an entire conversation about the movie.

I think your son should have a video EEG. That gets done in the hospital and on video. It offers alot more time to observe and record them. And you need to get him to a Neuro that specializes in epilepsy.

My son has Drop Attacks. He is completely conscious but looses muscle control and free falls backwards. Tho he is completely aware he cannot control movement and gets no warning. Some of the other things like the bad taste is known symptom of seizures.

This week his meds were being adjusted and he started having seizures that affect his left side while watching a movie. He was having about 1 ever 20 seconds to 1 minute and it lead to several dozen of them over an hour before we got them stopped with emergengy medication but he was talking and commenting on the movie during that all. The next day we had an entire conversation about the movie.

I think your son should have a video EEG. That gets done in the hospital and on video. It offers alot more time to observe and record them. And you need to get him to a Neuro that specializes in epilepsy.

Re: COULD THIS BE ATONIC EPILEPSY ...EPILEPSY?

Submitted by Allina on Sat, 2011-03-26 - 00:39

What neurologist would say that you are not conscious during Atonic seizures?!

http://my.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_atonic

and I quote: "The person usually stays conscious during."

I have had docs tell me the same thing; oh you aren't having a seizure if you're conscious. I'm actually baffled that your neurologist said that.

Some people have tonic-clonics while conscious.

My best suggestion to you is to find a different neurologist, and ASAP. I suggest a seizure specialist like mine. Just because they have the title "neurologist" doesn't mean they know anything about seizures. I am not sure if atonics will show up on the EEG so Massey has a good point in getting a VEEG. I also suggest recording your son. Try to pick a day where he has them a lot, and just video tape him for an hour or so, when/if he has a "drop" then you can show that to your doctor.

I urge you to get a different opinion, and soon, because atonic seizures can be very dangerous.

AJ

What neurologist would say that you are not conscious during Atonic seizures?!

http://my.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_atonic

and I quote: "The person usually stays conscious during."

I have had docs tell me the same thing; oh you aren't having a seizure if you're conscious. I'm actually baffled that your neurologist said that.

Some people have tonic-clonics while conscious.

My best suggestion to you is to find a different neurologist, and ASAP. I suggest a seizure specialist like mine. Just because they have the title "neurologist" doesn't mean they know anything about seizures. I am not sure if atonics will show up on the EEG so Massey has a good point in getting a VEEG. I also suggest recording your son. Try to pick a day where he has them a lot, and just video tape him for an hour or so, when/if he has a "drop" then you can show that to your doctor.

I urge you to get a different opinion, and soon, because atonic seizures can be very dangerous.

AJ

Re: COULD THIS BE ATONIC EPILEPSY ...EPILEPSY?

Submitted by perth on Sat, 2011-03-26 - 19:28
Thank you for the information on your son. How horrible to be watching your son have these seizures at such a frequent rate - it must me so distressing for you to see. Has you son ever fallen forwards? My son has always falls forwards and takes the brunt of the majority of his falls on his hands and knees. I have video of my son falling for neuro and we will insist on more testing until we know what is going on with him on top of the Tourette's.

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