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.

Mouthpieces

Wed, 03/17/2004 - 13:00
Hello there everyone, first post.I have been searching the Internet, and elsewhere, and I've heard anecdotal tales but no one has given me any solid evidence or word so I am hoping someone here has something that can help me.I have generalized tonic-clonic seizures and nonspecifically diagnosed epilepsy; it started at the age of 32 for no apparent reason and has been in abeyance thanks to Dilantin until just recently when I've been having grand mal seizures about once a month.The worst part about the whole thing for me (aside from the inability to drive) is the tongue injuries. Every time I have a seizure, I bite my tongue; leaving lasting injuries that take a while to heal, and make sleeping and eating a nightmare. I mostly eat yogurt and other soft foods but it's hard to get to sleep and it's a real painful experience.I tend to have a minute or two before the seizure to prepare; my aura has so far been pretty reliable as a predictor and I can get to a safe position on the floor before a seizure. What I want to know is, *can* I get a mouthpiece such as that used for football and other sports and place it in my mouth before a seizure without much risk? The "general wisdom" on seizure first aid is not to put anything in the person's mouth, and I can understand that--there are many things that would be very dangerous, that I might bite through. But I don't want these harsh tongue injuries, and am desperate to find a way to prevent them or ameliorate them in some way. A friend of mine who is a dental assistant got me a lidocaine mouthwash that I can use to dull the pain, but I'm looking to see if there's any way to PREVENT such injuries. Can anyone help?--Scott Roberts

Comments

Re: Mouthpieces

Submitted by j03 on Wed, 2009-09-30 - 17:36
J03 I see that this comment has been added some time ago but I too am desperate to find some way to protect my tongue during episode. If you are still situated here with epilepsy.com it would mean a great deal to me if you could share any methods or ideas with me, with us. Thanks Scott Roberts

Re: Mouthpieces

Submitted by phylisfjohnson on Wed, 2010-04-07 - 08:45

Here is a page on mouthpieces and epilepsy first aid.  http://snore.myweb.hinet.net/english4.html  If you click to the bottom, you'll see "buy".  Scroll down until you see English, click and you'll find the mouthpiece for "sale."  But you'll have to email them for the price.  (I think they're out of Korea.)       

Phylis Feiner Johnson   www.epilepsytalk.com

Here is a page on mouthpieces and epilepsy first aid.  http://snore.myweb.hinet.net/english4.html  If you click to the bottom, you'll see "buy".  Scroll down until you see English, click and you'll find the mouthpiece for "sale."  But you'll have to email them for the price.  (I think they're out of Korea.)       

Phylis Feiner Johnson   www.epilepsytalk.com

Re: Mouthpieces

Submitted by phylisfjohnson on Sun, 2010-04-11 - 11:58

Sign Up for Emails

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