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Is it possible to be awake during a Tonic-Clonic Seizure?

Thu, 08/23/2007 - 16:52
Something interesting happened to me. I was nauseous and took an extra strength Gravol and fell asleep. I woke up an hour later very, very confused. My head was spinning so I proceeded to lie down on my bed and see my legs convulse for what I can only assume was about 30 seconds. I knew I was having a seizure but I was conscious. I wasn't aware of my surrounds and I was home alone so if someone spoke to me I really can't tell if I would talk back to them. But after the convulsions stopped, I didn't go into a deep sleep as I previously did (when I had my 2 "Grand Mals"). So I am quite confused because I had the same confusion as I did when I had a Grand Mal and I was also scared afterwards. I immediately called 911. They were also confused because I showed symptoms of a Grand Mal, however, I was awake/"conscious" during the seizure. I could describe all the details of the seizure. It is almost as if I had only the "Clonic" portion of the seizure. Obviously I am back on Topiramate/ Clonazepam and feeling pretty bad. But I was hoping to see if anyone could give me their insight into whether they have had similar experiences. I am a 23-year-old female. I have been up to this point seizure free for 3 years. THANK YOU!

Comments

Re: Is it possible to be awake during a Tonic-Clonic Seizure?

Submitted by peppermintpatty on Thu, 2007-08-23 - 20:25
Hey! Finaly! sorry but it is nice to know somebody else has had one of those kind of siezures...not that I wish them on anyone cuz they scare the heck out of you. Yes I had 1 like that it happened when I was 3 months preg. with my first son.see I had taken myself off of my meds without my docs knowledge and in my third month I had just gotten home from work and I had an aura and I knew I was going to vomit but I wasn't going to make it to the bathroom so I went to the kitchen sink. Well I started to fall backwards and banged my head on the floor and I could feel lft leg hitting the fridg. the other hitting the table leg and the lft arm was banging on the floor and felt like it was wet and warm like it had blood running down it. The other arm was cluched so hard against my body that the hand was hitting my side.my head was turned to the rt so I couldn't turn it and see if my arm was bleeding and my teeth was clenched shut but not before I had bitten my tongue cuz when it was finaly over I wiped my mouth and and it was bloody foam and my cheeks and tongue was chewed up..when it was over I layed there for a bit waiting for my baby to move and when I felt that flutter I got up reached for the phone but I couldn't get it off the cradle.so I had to go outside and call for the nieghbor to help and call my father-in-law who was the cop. he took me to the hosp. any how it was a bit scary and no my arm was not cut it was just part of what the siezure felt like in that area. peppermintpatty (trish)

Peppermintpatty, yes it is

Submitted by Belinda on Fri, 2007-08-24 - 09:16
Peppermintpatty, yes it is possible to be awake during a tonic-clonic. I've been conscious during a few of them but mostly just when I had a SP that turned into a tonic- clonic. Belinda

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