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Sleep Deprivation Grand Mal Seizures?
Mon, 12/13/2004 - 05:56I suffered a grand mal seizure a year ago, and following all the tests over the next six months, was diagnosed not to be epileptic. The diagnosis was clearly a relief but yet I'd still had a full on spell where I was out for at least twenty minutes and only due to a passerby suffered no injury with no reason why other than I should get more sleep.
I never looked at any of these sites as I was not diagnosed with epilepsy just a single seizure. I've found from looking at these sites that there is a huge amount support available and that some people who have had a single seizure as a result of sleep deprivation are actually put on medication (which sounds pretty tough going - respect to all of you who are on it and who you are around it - you are all so kind and compassionate)
Without an epilepsy diagnosis, I felt a bit at a loss how to proceed and terrified that I would get another one - I've mostly gone around scared of not getting enough sleep and taking on too much.
Would there be anyone who would like to get in touch around creating something around looking at ways of putting balance back into life? Was thinking of a practical site (or community within a site) with alternatives to getting into a healthy sleep pattern, courses etc where you can re-assess life and why you get stressed/keep so busy/staying in a job situation that's bad for your health, getting back on the road after not driving for xx months / years etc. For some people it might even be making the changes to enable you to come off the drugs.
Comments
RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Sleep Deprivation Grand Mal Seizures?
Submitted by Zoofemme on Wed, 2005-02-23 - 18:38
Adult onset E is not uncommon by any means as you will find as you read through the many posts on the BB...I was 34 yo when I had my first seizure 6 years ago.
I can understand reticents toward taking AED's (I hate taking them myself) but to set aside your Dr's recommendation regarding meds is risky. Just because you haven't had another szr yet doesn't mean you wont...it may not happen today or even a month from today (yes, maybe never) but it COULD and it is dangerous to treat it lightly. Ask anyone who has gone status or fallen and broken bones just how dangerous it is.
I have the regular gamut of tests done on a yearly basis (MRI every 2 years) and they come back "inconclusive". As I understand it, this is because at the time the tests are done my brain isn't displaying epileptic activity. It doesn't mean I DON'T have E though. Going status and ending up in the emergency room did a good job of convincing me otherwise.
There are any number of "causes" for E/seizures...that your dr couldn't give you one right away doesn't make him wrong. I suffered several instances of blunt head trauma when I was younger...these could be the cause for my E now or it could be due to the severe unknown virus I had right before I started having seizures. Other's here have a genetic predisposition, brain tumors etc. It is good that you are getting a second opinion but it sounds like you have pretty much dismissed what your dr has already said.
Sleep deprivation is the one KNOWN trigger I have have for a seizure. Severe sleep deprivation (in excess of 24 hrs w/out) is the only thing that has ever caused me to seize in my sleep. THis isn't the only time I seize though...just the one thing that will pretty much guarantee a seizure. Stress tends to increase the frequency of my seizures (I think that is true with many of us) so I make the effort to reduce stress in my life as much as possible.
FWIW...I didn't start having a bunch of seizures at once nor did they start out severe. I was misdiagnosed in the beginning and not treated correctly and as a result my seizures got progressivley worse. This went on for two years...I can't help but wonder, if they had treated me for E in the beginning would I not be better off now? I also ask myself how much my own denial had a role in all of this because I had a LOT of that in the beginning. I didn't want to have E so why question my dr about his diagnosis, ya know?
Regards,
Zoo
Adult onset E is not uncommon by any means as you will find as you read through the many posts on the BB...I was 34 yo when I had my first seizure 6 years ago.
I can understand reticents toward taking AED's (I hate taking them myself) but to set aside your Dr's recommendation regarding meds is risky. Just because you haven't had another szr yet doesn't mean you wont...it may not happen today or even a month from today (yes, maybe never) but it COULD and it is dangerous to treat it lightly. Ask anyone who has gone status or fallen and broken bones just how dangerous it is.
I have the regular gamut of tests done on a yearly basis (MRI every 2 years) and they come back "inconclusive". As I understand it, this is because at the time the tests are done my brain isn't displaying epileptic activity. It doesn't mean I DON'T have E though. Going status and ending up in the emergency room did a good job of convincing me otherwise.
There are any number of "causes" for E/seizures...that your dr couldn't give you one right away doesn't make him wrong. I suffered several instances of blunt head trauma when I was younger...these could be the cause for my E now or it could be due to the severe unknown virus I had right before I started having seizures. Other's here have a genetic predisposition, brain tumors etc. It is good that you are getting a second opinion but it sounds like you have pretty much dismissed what your dr has already said.
Sleep deprivation is the one KNOWN trigger I have have for a seizure. Severe sleep deprivation (in excess of 24 hrs w/out) is the only thing that has ever caused me to seize in my sleep. THis isn't the only time I seize though...just the one thing that will pretty much guarantee a seizure. Stress tends to increase the frequency of my seizures (I think that is true with many of us) so I make the effort to reduce stress in my life as much as possible.
FWIW...I didn't start having a bunch of seizures at once nor did they start out severe. I was misdiagnosed in the beginning and not treated correctly and as a result my seizures got progressivley worse. This went on for two years...I can't help but wonder, if they had treated me for E in the beginning would I not be better off now? I also ask myself how much my own denial had a role in all of this because I had a LOT of that in the beginning. I didn't want to have E so why question my dr about his diagnosis, ya know?
Regards,
Zoo
RE: RE: RE: RE: Sleep Deprivation Grand Mal Seizures?
Submitted by ldobbs1773 on Mon, 2005-02-21 - 18:32
My doctor hasn't determined anything yet. I imagine my MRI and EEG will come back 'inconclusive'; a lovely little term that doctors throw around when trying to appear as if they have insight into your problem and to keep you coming back and dropping co-pays on subsequent visits. Technically I cannot be diagnosed with epilepsy unless I have recurrent unprovoked seizures. I've only had one seizure, and I believe it was provoked by stress, sleep deprivation, etc. I'm planning on taking my test results to a seizure disorder expert and asking what he thinks.
As it stands with my neurologist, he was very excited to start me on pharmacotherapy (no thanks) and to schedule multiple follow-up visits, and he couldn't even tell me the neural mechanism of action of the AED's he was suggesting. He also told me there wasn't a cause to seizure disorder. Right...I informed him that "yes there is cause, we just don't know what it is yet."
I'm going to continue to research this topic and will hopefully one day come closer to an answer! ^_^
Just curious, how old were you when you had your first seizure? I'm 24, and I've never had anything like this happen. I've always been healthy. It just seems odd to develop epilepsy at this age. Did you have a partial seizure or are you on any other AED? (Keppra's indicated for treatment of partial onset seizures, or it's usually taken with another AED).
Take-care!!
My doctor hasn't determined anything yet. I imagine my MRI and EEG will come back 'inconclusive'; a lovely little term that doctors throw around when trying to appear as if they have insight into your problem and to keep you coming back and dropping co-pays on subsequent visits. Technically I cannot be diagnosed with epilepsy unless I have recurrent unprovoked seizures. I've only had one seizure, and I believe it was provoked by stress, sleep deprivation, etc. I'm planning on taking my test results to a seizure disorder expert and asking what he thinks.
As it stands with my neurologist, he was very excited to start me on pharmacotherapy (no thanks) and to schedule multiple follow-up visits, and he couldn't even tell me the neural mechanism of action of the AED's he was suggesting. He also told me there wasn't a cause to seizure disorder. Right...I informed him that "yes there is cause, we just don't know what it is yet."
I'm going to continue to research this topic and will hopefully one day come closer to an answer! ^_^
Just curious, how old were you when you had your first seizure? I'm 24, and I've never had anything like this happen. I've always been healthy. It just seems odd to develop epilepsy at this age. Did you have a partial seizure or are you on any other AED? (Keppra's indicated for treatment of partial onset seizures, or it's usually taken with another AED).
Take-care!!