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.

8 year old with first time seizure

Fri, 12/15/2017 - 17:05
My son had a tonic clonic seizure lasting about five minutes Tuesday evening. He then had another seizure at the hospital that was only about a minute long. They sedated him using Ativan which knocked him out until the next day but he was still wobbly when walking and acted like he was drunk. He had a MRI but had a panic attack halfway through. The radiologist said even know it was a little blurry they did get enough of an image that everything looked normal. He was released from the hospital two days after the seizure. The night before he had a stomach virus. The doctor said the seizures were probably due to the stomach virus he had. About 3 weeks before the seizures he had a bad migraine. He’s never had one before. A couple months before he got a few heachaches. He also started complaining of his stomach hurting. Im not sure if these symptoms are related. We are meeting with the neurologist next week. Has anyone else experienced this? I want to make sure he gets all the tests he needs.

Comments

Did they run an EEG?

Submitted by Ani’smom on Sat, 2017-12-16 - 23:25
Did they run an EEG?

The main tests done are an

Submitted by just_joe on Sun, 2017-12-17 - 13:33
The main tests done are an EEG and a MRI. the EEG shows the electrical activity coming from the brain. The MRI shows the brain as it is. The radiologist may be wrong. Can a blurry image show the brain cells correctly or can they see any and all cells perfectly so they can see cell formations or some that grew wrong. Could they see scar tissue? With the MRI they see anything different on the brain.The EEG is a brain wave test showing the electrical activity as it happened when the test was done. What a seizure is is an electrical impulse hitting wrong in the brain causing chain reaction.  Some people have EEG's that come back normal but still have seizures. I had 20-25 that did. I had one that was a little longer in which I fell asleep in that came back with abnormalities, spikes, waves aka seizure activity or epileptiform. By knowing where they came from the neurologists then went to the MRI of the 1960's and looking closer in that area of my brain they found scar tissue.Migraines and head aches and even upset stomachs can be parts of seizures. Answer all the questions they ask. Do ask questions. About the seizures he had and do take the paperwork from the hospital so they can look at the MRI. If medications are prescribed then do ask how they are to be taken and by that I mean times they should be taken. During the first 3 weeks is when the side effects will show up. They generally go away after a short period of time. Seizure medications are not like aspirin where once taken it goes away after a few hours. Seizure medications build up in the body to the therapeutic levels wanted by the neurologist which is what takes time to do. That therapeutic level is there to stop breakthrough seizures if a dose is taken late or even missed.I hope this helpsJoe

He needs an EEG, perhaps

Submitted by mereloaded on Wed, 2018-02-07 - 18:32
He needs an EEG, perhaps several of those.Yes, acting “drunk” is normal after having a seizure. The brain has gone through a traumatic event and it takes sometime to get back to normal. Sometimes a couple of days is all it takes, sometimes a week or two, sometimes more. In my sons case, all he needs is a couple of days In Which he sleeps 22 hours a day. Then he is fine. One time he got left over facial tics and a droopy eye which lessened as the days went by. So don’t be a,armed if he is wobbly to walk, talks nonsense or slur his words, it is expected and it will go away as he revivers, usually after a good night of sleep.

Sign Up for Emails

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