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Absence Siezures and Behavioral Problems
Tue, 09/19/2006 - 15:38Topic: Parents & Caregivers
My son(now 10)was diagnosed with absence siezures in Dec.2005. He is now taking Depakote. His teacher is telling me that he is much slower than all the other kids in his class and he is still drifting off. When I address his doc. with this, he says that his seizures are controlled and he has most likely always been this way. Now the teacher is suggesting that I put him on another medicine to control his behavior. I just don't believe in making my kid a zombe with these meds and isn't there a way that I can control both. Please help me with this I am just lost......
Comments
Hi, I just read your post on
Submitted by jmccand on Sun, 2006-09-24 - 15:18
Hi,
I just read your post on Emily Klair's tantrums. That is very interesting. My daughter is now 8, (her name is also Claire) but when she was that age she was the same way. I felt I could not get her behavior under control. Emotionally, she also has been 1-2 years behind her peers. We even sought help to assist us in knowing how to help her, because I was invisioning a nightmare in the teenage years. She is much better as far as tantrums, but I would say she still seems immature for her age. She is a very sweet girl today. She was diagnosed, mistakingly with ADD (inattention type). We just recently realized she has been having seizures, I know at least as early as 1 1/2 she was probably having them. I remember a time when she was about 6 months old she cried literally for 24 hours straight, with out taking her bottle. The doctors ran tests, but never figured out what was going on. I have wondered if the time when she was 6 months, and all the uncontrollable outbursts were seizure related. I guess we may never know for sure, since she is older, and can now voice how she feels. But I can definately see a small child that does not know how to describe how they are feeling with a seizure, would have an emotional outburst.
Lori
Re: Absence Siezures and Behavioral Problems
Submitted by lloveemom on Mon, 2006-10-09 - 00:12
I also have a 10 yr. old son with absence szs. He is completely misunderstood in school. He has serious anger issues and we have him in therapy. Have not been going long enough to make a difference yet. I am so afraid because his anger is getting worse. Sometimes nothing sets him off. It is really affecting school and our homelife. We do not know (and probably never will know) if it is due to the szs or the meds or a combination of both. No matter what the cause I need to do something and feel utterly helpless. I wish I had some words of wisdom. I, like you am just so lost (and so exhausted) Good luck to you and please let me know if you come up with anything!
Re: Absence Siezures and Behavioral Problems
Submitted by EKlairsmom on Thu, 2006-09-21 - 08:28
HI!! I am sorry that you are having a difficult time with your son and his behavior. I feel really sorry for these kids.. I have a 3 almost 4 year and she is an angel one day and the devil the next. I do not think that you need extra medicine for the behavior. We to have had people tell us that we need something for Emily Klair but we just had another veeg of her and most to the times that she was acting out she was having spikes and pre seizure activity. I think that especially with absence sz the kids feel so funny and can kinda tell something is not right that it sometimes comes across as bad behavior. I am not a Dr. but I know what our expericence has been.On the veeg I was auctually sitting her in time out during one of the epioside talk about feeling like mother of the year...it is just so hard to tell sometimes you know. Our Dr. also told us that she is not behind the other kids as far as intelligience goes but emotionally she is about 1 1/2 yrs behind that makes a big difference in the behavior department. I wish you all the best of luck and hope that you all find something that works. Check into a occupational therapy we are in it and it has helped so much it teaches her coping mech. for when she is feeling a little off. Hope this helps alittle... Emily Klair's mom....Kari