Community Forum Archive

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.

Is it normal to stop breathing and for your heart to stop?

Tue, 03/13/2018 - 15:58
Hi, I know this is an old thread but i was hoping to get some thoughts from you all had a grand mal seizure 2 weeks ago. I have never had seizures and all of my blood work, eeg ekg Ct scans came back completely normal. So i(this is where I was hoping to get some feedback and opinions) i had the flu for 2 weeks before I had the seizure and I had been on 2 rounds of tamiflu. I had the seizure 2 days after I finished the antibiotics - and 4 weeks before my psychiatrist switched my antidepressant to cymbalta and put me on seroquel for my insomnia. I don’t remember any of the seizure, is that normal? And this is what really scared me I stopped breathing and had no pulse/my heart stoppped beating. My mom had to have 911 walk her through the chest compressions and mouth to mouth and finally I think after 4 rounds I jerked my head and my eyes were going wild and I become combative and was confused, she said I looked like a wild person. So now I am scared to death to be alone and make my parents check on me in the middle of the night and first thing in am bc I’m so scared it will happen again and I’ll be alone. Also, so it’s been 2 weeks since the seizure and they are saying they don’t think it’s epilepsy but was probably an episodic seizure. But it’s been 2 weeks and I am still so tired. I sleep almost 20 hours a day, just getting up to use the restroom or walking down the hall exhaustes me and I lay down and will sleep for hours? Is that normal? Even after 2 weeks? And I’m not really sore anymore but my body is so achy all over I pulled the muscle in my left calf so it is still a little sore but really I am just exhausted and achy. So my main questions are why did I have this seizure what made it happen? What are the chances of it happening again? Is that common for people to stop breathing and have their heart stop? How long does it take to recover from this? My parents think I need to start getting more active again and not sleep all day, but I feel like they don’t understand the reality of how truly and utterly exhausted I am? And I don’t know how to get them to understand that I’m not just being lazy that o am Genuinely the most tired I’ve ever been, and it’s a different kind of tired. I would love any feedback, opinions, Thoughts. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and hopefully I can get a better understanding of all this for me and my parents.

Comments

It’s not common but does

Submitted by Amy Jo on Wed, 2018-03-14 - 10:21
It’s not common but does happen, people can die during a seizure. You need to get some follow up care, get checked out and get a referral to a neurologist for additional checks. While the seizure could be from your illness/med change or other odd event combo, can’t be sure. And yes, you had a huge hit to your system, it can take time. Just get checked out to be sure.

There is also something

Submitted by endosunshine on Tue, 2018-04-17 - 22:52
There is also something called cardiogenic syncope, it is related to cardiac arrhythmia and can be confused with an epileptic seizure.   You should get an appointment with a cardiologist ASAP.  

Sign Up for Emails

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