Adult Onset with Fever

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My husband had his first seizure approximately 3.5 years ago at age 53. He had another just over 1 year ago. And a 3rd this past May, 2014. Each time he's had a fever leading up to the seizure. He was started on Keppra after the first seizure.

After the 2nd seizure, the neurologist mentioned that we should call him when my husband has a fever, something that had rarely happened in our 25 years together. I called the on-call doctor after the 3rd seizure and he called in 3 days worth. My husband had a fever for 4 days, stayed home for 1 additional day of rest without a fever, and then returned to work for 1 day before we left for vacation. He had the last seizure while we were on vacation, thankfully after a long day of driving and safely in the hotel. I gave him 2 Ativan afterwards and 1 the next day before taking him to a walk-in clinic where we got enough to last the rest of our vacation. His neurologist added Lamictal after this last seizure and is weaning on them at one half twice a day now.

Now, he's has a fever again. He stayed home Monday after waking in the middle of the night with a fever. He returned to work, but came home yesterday and today feeling blah. He had a fever again tonight. So, we treat the fever with acetominophen or ibuprofen and lots of fluids.

The neurologist thinks that these fevers may be genetic. His brother is a full-fledged epileptic with seizures after a head injury in his teens. His father had seizures beginning in his 40s due to stress and probably drinking 3 or 4 glasses of wine each night after work. He still takes phenobarb daily.

I'm so confused by the fever issue here. Is is causing the seizure? It's never anything more than minimal. Usually less than 100 or 101. However it did hit 103 before the 1st seizure only. Can anyone give me insight as to what might be causing the fevers? Any help at all? My husband is riding the bus now until he's weaned on the new Lamictal med. He's frustrated and probably as scared and nervous as I am.

Thank you so much!

Sandy
Sandy's P.O.V.

Comments

For some people all it takes

Submitted by just_joe on Sat, 2014-08-30 - 15:42

For some people all it takes to have a seizure is getting sick period. For me if I feel sick I know I need to get looked at by my PCP. If I sneeze or cough hard I call him or see him and I get medication or the next day I get pnewmonia (spelling). Anytime I an sick in any way it affects my medications. Whether it is a fever or a bad sprain. So I watch myself carefully. So yes fevers can make a person have seizures As for his brother having epilepsy because of a head injury. I can see that without any problem. His father having epilepsy may not be due to his stress or his drinking. Been there done that Stress is a trigger and for many drinking too much can also be a trigger. But the cause may not be either drinking or stress. Lamictal is a good medication and it is controlling seizures for many people. You might check with his neurologist and ask about a recovery medication which can be used to keep him from having seizures. He could use it along with his other neds when he gets a fever. They have several that are used by people who have cluster seizures. I take one if I have a second seizure which stops the clustering. The clustering caused me to get taken to a ER when all I neded was to go home and lay down. I knew what was going on but the EMT's wouldn't let me go home. Some seizures cause a person body to get hotter. Other ailmentrs can cause a fever. Sandy you are not the first nor will you be the last person that has questions and wants answers. My mother had many as did I. Most people who have epilepsy have questions. I have always had questions and at first they were not answered because I was a teen. That changed when I got here to Dallas and needed a new neurologist. Since I would be 21 in a month or 2 I was the person that found the neurologist. I have been with the same group of neurologists since 1970. For every questions they ask me I have at least 1 for them. Ask the neurologist questions Do you have any other patients that have seizures when they get a fever? Is this medicatin the best medication for his seizures? Is th dosage to high or to low? I have asked them and my oc has answered them and by doing that we have gotten my seiozures reduced and the time in those seizures is seconds now rather then the minutes they used to be.. I hope this helps and he gets seizure free

For some people all it takes to have a seizure is getting sick period. For me if I feel sick I know I need to get looked at by my PCP. If I sneeze or cough hard I call him or see him and I get medication or the next day I get pnewmonia (spelling). Anytime I an sick in any way it affects my medications. Whether it is a fever or a bad sprain. So I watch myself carefully. So yes fevers can make a person have seizures As for his brother having epilepsy because of a head injury. I can see that without any problem. His father having epilepsy may not be due to his stress or his drinking. Been there done that Stress is a trigger and for many drinking too much can also be a trigger. But the cause may not be either drinking or stress. Lamictal is a good medication and it is controlling seizures for many people. You might check with his neurologist and ask about a recovery medication which can be used to keep him from having seizures. He could use it along with his other neds when he gets a fever. They have several that are used by people who have cluster seizures. I take one if I have a second seizure which stops the clustering. The clustering caused me to get taken to a ER when all I neded was to go home and lay down. I knew what was going on but the EMT's wouldn't let me go home. Some seizures cause a person body to get hotter. Other ailmentrs can cause a fever. Sandy you are not the first nor will you be the last person that has questions and wants answers. My mother had many as did I. Most people who have epilepsy have questions. I have always had questions and at first they were not answered because I was a teen. That changed when I got here to Dallas and needed a new neurologist. Since I would be 21 in a month or 2 I was the person that found the neurologist. I have been with the same group of neurologists since 1970. For every questions they ask me I have at least 1 for them. Ask the neurologist questions Do you have any other patients that have seizures when they get a fever? Is this medicatin the best medication for his seizures? Is th dosage to high or to low?  I have asked them and my oc has answered them and by doing that we have gotten my seiozures reduced and the time in those seizures is seconds now rather then the minutes they used to be.. I hope this helps and he gets seizure free 

For some people all it takes to have a seizure is getting sick period. For me if I feel sick I know I need to get looked at by my PCP. If I sneeze or cough hard I call him or see him and I get medication or the next day I get pnewmonia (spelling). Anytime I an sick in any way it affects my medications. Whether it is a fever or a bad sprain. So I watch myself carefully. So yes fevers can make a person have seizures As for his brother having epilepsy because of a head injury. I can see that without any problem. His father having epilepsy may not be due to his stress or his drinking. Been there done that Stress is a trigger and for many drinking too much can also be a trigger. But the cause may not be either drinking or stress. Lamictal is a good medication and it is controlling seizures for many people. You might check with his neurologist and ask about a recovery medication which can be used to keep him from having seizures. He could use it along with his other neds when he gets a fever. They have several that are used by people who have cluster seizures. I take one if I have a second seizure which stops the clustering. The clustering caused me to get taken to a ER when all I neded was to go home and lay down. I knew what was going on but the EMT's wouldn't let me go home. Some seizures cause a person body to get hotter. Other ailmentrs can cause a fever. Sandy you are not the first nor will you be the last person that has questions and wants answers. My mother had many as did I. Most people who have epilepsy have questions. I have always had questions and at first they were not answered because I was a teen. That changed when I got here to Dallas and needed a new neurologist. Since I would be 21 in a month or 2 I was the person that found the neurologist. I have been with the same group of neurologists since 1970. For every questions they ask me I have at least 1 for them. Ask the neurologist questions Do you have any other patients that have seizures when they get a fever? Is this medicatin the best medication for his seizures? Is th dosage to high or to low? I have asked them and my oc has answered them and by doing that we have gotten my seiozures reduced and the time in those seizures is seconds now rather then the minutes they used to be.. I hope this helps and he gets seizure free

Joe, thank you! You've made

Submitted by sandysandmeyer@yahoo.com on Sun, 2014-08-31 - 19:10

Joe, thank you! You've made me feel so much better. I know we have a good neurologist. He's an epilepsy specialist and has even done brain surgery to help those with seizures. He has had a fever on and off all week and the Keppra and the new Lamictal seems to have done the job. We have Ativan for those times when he has a fever so that we can try to prevent them. My husband doesn't always handle stress well and I've tried to explain that his over-thinking about having a seizure may in fact bring them on. When he thinks a lot, he stops engaging in conversation and becomes very withdrawn. We are really trying to see if he has any symptoms that tells him that he's going to have a seizure as well. He hasn't always been in-touch with his symptoms. I am going with him to his next doctor's appointment, so I will ask questions and see if we can get any answers. Thanks again!

Your very welcomeI come on

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2014-09-01 - 17:57

Your very welcomeI come on here to se if I can help others answer questions they might have. I am not a doctor nor have I read alot of the new information. I speak from what I have gone thru and I have dealt with. Seizures can be controlled. With alot of people controlled completely. With someone like me I may never be controlled completely. But I also know the seizures I was having years ago were minutes long and those same seizures and now seconds long. That is due to the newer medications and getting questions answered. Doc has a brain surgeon that he works with so I do know he is one of the best in the State. Questions are always beneficial. I also have my other half go when I have an appointment since they can tell doc what they are seeing and the time limits in my seizures. Be doing that and asking the questions I have gotten a better response. As his medications he is taking some good ones. I took lamictal for a period of time. I still take Keppra or it's generic and it is the best medications I have used in the 50+ years I have been living and dealing with epilepsy. As for him and handling his seizures. Welllllll he has only been dealing with them for as you posted 3.5 years. It took time for me to look at my seizures differently. To me a seizure is a blip in time. I don't like them but they are a brief period of time in my long life. You might want to read some of the information on this site since in learn they have triggers. Oh they have a list of them just like the lists of seizures and medications. Stress and lack of sleep are 2 biggies for many people. It doesn't bother me much since I tear things apart and put them back to gether to get rid of built up energy. Moms car finally got th overhaul Pete kept saying we were going to do on it. Hey I got really ticked off and I had to do something to get rid of the anger. I have been gettin gup around 430-5 daily since I was about 13 since I delivered papers and I had homework to do which lasted until 130-11. Please go with him and do ask questions. His neuro can see things from another angle other then your husbands and his. what you do say and ask can make a big difference. Oh and please keep a good relationship with him since most of my questions I have gotten answers in a phone call. Yup Doc came into the group back in the late 1980's. I have been with the same group of neurologists since 1970. So 41 years isn't bad I have seen mu neuros come and go. One retires the next took his place he specialised and I got the next he moved and I got the next He retires and I got hte next he retired and I got the next he moved to Seattle and I got Doc. I do hope he gets the assistance he needs and yalls next appt goes well. He needs to look at his seizures as little blips in time. Kinda like a flat tire. You hate them but you put on another tire and keep going on the trip.. Joe

Your very welcomeI come on here to se if I can help others answer questions they might have. I am not a doctor nor have I read alot of the new information. I speak from what I have gone thru and I have dealt with. Seizures can be controlled. With alot of people controlled completely. With someone like me I may never be controlled completely. But I also know the seizures I was having years ago were minutes long and those same seizures and now seconds long. That is due to the newer medications and getting questions answered. Doc has a brain surgeon that he works with so I do know he is one of the best in the State. Questions are always beneficial. I also have my other half go when I have an appointment since they can tell doc what they are seeing and the time limits in my seizures. Be doing that and asking the questions I have gotten a better response. As his medications he is taking some good ones. I took lamictal for a period of time. I still take Keppra or it's generic and it is the best medications I have used in the 50+ years I have been living and dealing with epilepsy. As for him and handling his seizures. Welllllll he has only been dealing with them for as you posted 3.5 years. It took time for me to look at my seizures differently. To me a seizure is a blip in time. I don't like them but they are a brief period of time in my long life.   You might want to read some of the information on this site since in learn they have triggers. Oh they have a list of them just like the lists of seizures and medications. Stress and lack of sleep are 2 biggies for many people. It doesn't bother me much since I tear things apart and put them back to gether to get rid of built up energy. Moms car finally got th overhaul Pete kept saying we were going to do on it. Hey I got really ticked off and I had to do something to get rid of the anger.  I have been gettin gup around 430-5 daily since I was about 13 since I delivered papers and I had homework to do which lasted until 130-11. Please go with him and do ask questions. His neuro can see things from another angle other then your husbands and his. what you do say and ask can make a big difference. Oh and please keep a good relationship with him since most of my questions I have gotten answers in a phone call. Yup Doc came into the group back in the late 1980's. I have been with the same group of neurologists since 1970.  So 41 years isn't bad I have seen mu neuros come and go. One retires the next took his place he specialised and I got the next he moved and I got the next He retires and I got hte next he retired and I got the next he moved to Seattle and I got Doc. I do hope he gets the assistance he needs and yalls next appt goes well.  He needs to look at his seizures as little blips in time. Kinda like a flat tire. You hate them but you put on another tire and keep going on the trip..  Joe

Your very welcomeI come on here to se if I can help others answer questions they might have. I am not a doctor nor have I read alot of the new information. I speak from what I have gone thru and I have dealt with. Seizures can be controlled. With alot of people controlled completely. With someone like me I may never be controlled completely. But I also know the seizures I was having years ago were minutes long and those same seizures and now seconds long. That is due to the newer medications and getting questions answered. Doc has a brain surgeon that he works with so I do know he is one of the best in the State. Questions are always beneficial. I also have my other half go when I have an appointment since they can tell doc what they are seeing and the time limits in my seizures. Be doing that and asking the questions I have gotten a better response. As his medications he is taking some good ones. I took lamictal for a period of time. I still take Keppra or it's generic and it is the best medications I have used in the 50+ years I have been living and dealing with epilepsy. As for him and handling his seizures. Welllllll he has only been dealing with them for as you posted 3.5 years. It took time for me to look at my seizures differently. To me a seizure is a blip in time. I don't like them but they are a brief period of time in my long life. You might want to read some of the information on this site since in learn they have triggers. Oh they have a list of them just like the lists of seizures and medications. Stress and lack of sleep are 2 biggies for many people. It doesn't bother me much since I tear things apart and put them back to gether to get rid of built up energy. Moms car finally got th overhaul Pete kept saying we were going to do on it. Hey I got really ticked off and I had to do something to get rid of the anger. I have been gettin gup around 430-5 daily since I was about 13 since I delivered papers and I had homework to do which lasted until 130-11. Please go with him and do ask questions. His neuro can see things from another angle other then your husbands and his. what you do say and ask can make a big difference. Oh and please keep a good relationship with him since most of my questions I have gotten answers in a phone call. Yup Doc came into the group back in the late 1980's. I have been with the same group of neurologists since 1970. So 41 years isn't bad I have seen mu neuros come and go. One retires the next took his place he specialised and I got the next he moved and I got the next He retires and I got hte next he retired and I got the next he moved to Seattle and I got Doc. I do hope he gets the assistance he needs and yalls next appt goes well. He needs to look at his seizures as little blips in time. Kinda like a flat tire. You hate them but you put on another tire and keep going on the trip.. Joe