Seizures while sleeping~

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Hello everyone,

I am new to this site... It is late, but I thought I would throw this question out -

Anyone have grand mals only while sleeping?

My apologies if I'm not using the correct verbiage (grand mal, to me, meaning the 'generic' seizures 1 hears about mainly throughout life - full body convulsions lasting a couple of minutes, eyes rolling, etc.).

This encompasses my seizure history, mainly. Quick summary: If I have a petit mal, it starts in my right arm, electric feeling, tone in the ear, still have full control. When sleeping, many times I wake up w/ what seems to have started as this right arm petit mal, but has 'spread' into my chest. Most of the time I can wake myself up out of them...seems if my level of awake/self-awareness is high enough, I can stop a grand mal from happening. However, there are times when I can not wake up enough. I then lapse into a seizure, experiencing/remembering far too much (scary!), & then next thing I know I am waking up very groggy, & so on.

Some may see this as a blessing in disguise, as I have never had a grand mal when I've not been asleep first. I suppose it is, but the experience is no less terrifying.

Thanks for the feedback,

Ache

Comments

RE: Seizures while sleeping~

Submitted by batman on Fri, 2005-01-21 - 14:16

Ache,

Any seizure can happen at anytime. I myself, had several grand mal seizures [officially called Tonic-Clonic] long ago, along with those called complex partial seizures, both either awake and asleep. The petit mal seizures [officially called Simple Partial], I believe happen when the person is awake, whether it's just going to sleep or just starting to wake up. I've had these now for 18 years. What you explained that's happening in your 'right arm, electric feeling, tone in the ear, still have full control' are called 'auras', which are simple partial seizures. Now with what you're feeling being on your right side, the location inside your brain where the problems connect at are most likely on the left-side of the brain. Most commonly in the temporal lobe, which is above your ear.

Got any more questions, please post them and maybe I, or someone else too, can help share helpful answers because of their experiences with epilepsy themselves.

Bruce J

Ache,

Any seizure can happen at anytime. I myself, had several grand mal seizures [officially called Tonic-Clonic] long ago, along with those called complex partial seizures, both either awake and asleep. The petit mal seizures [officially called Simple Partial], I believe happen when the person is awake, whether it's just going to sleep or just starting to wake up. I've had these now for 18 years. What you explained that's happening in your 'right arm, electric feeling, tone in the ear, still have full control' are called 'auras', which are simple partial seizures. Now with what you're feeling being on your right side, the location inside your brain where the problems connect at are most likely on the left-side of the brain. Most commonly in the temporal lobe, which is above your ear.

Got any more questions, please post them and maybe I, or someone else too, can help share helpful answers because of their experiences with epilepsy themselves.

Bruce J

RE: RE: Seizures while sleeping~

Submitted by ellgee on Sun, 2005-03-13 - 07:56

"The petit mal seizures, are "Absence Seizure", NOT simple partials."

Although I haven't read through all the replies, I just want to add my 2 cents worth.

Staring spells are often called "absense seizures", this is based on the years of clinical correlation with the generalized 3 per second spike and wave seen in true Petit Mal. Staring spells are a manifestation of partial seizures as well.

Although I haven't read through all the replies, I just want to add my 2 cents worth.

Staring spells are often called "absense seizures", this is based on the years of clinical correlation with the generalized 3 per second spike and wave seen in true Petit Mal. Staring spells are a manifestation of partial seizures as well.

RE: RE: RE: Seizures while sleeping~

Submitted by batman on Sun, 2005-03-13 - 10:34

I want to thank you for your reply ellgee,

But I also want to say that since you did not read over all of the posted replies, especially my own [message #8] for this one topic, you didn't see my 'edited reply' of correcting myself for the mistake I made in message #2.

I have epilepsy myself, and am trying hard to remember everything I have learned, and everything I am still learn day by day about seizures and epilepsy.

I am not a professional editor of a newspaper, etc. and if I was, then I, just like the professional editor, would probably still be making mistakes every so often.

Please, if you would, take a little extra time to read over all of the replies people post, before you post your's.

Thank you.

Bruce K