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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Epilepsy / September 2006Complex Partial Seizures - Brain Damage
Does anyone here know if repeated ( couple a day) complex partial seizures will cause brain damage? I have not seen anything on this and always forget to ask my Doctor. I am getting worried. Thanks. > Does anyone here know if repeated ( couple a day) complex partial > seizures will cause brain damage? I have not seen anything on this > and always forget to ask my Doctor. I am getting worried. > > Thanks. Someone else might know, or there might be some (mostly non-medical) information on the U.S. Ep. Foundation site http://efa.org If you're already having CP seizures I assume you know there is probably damage already (usually in one of the Temporal Lobes). Do you get an aura like Deja Vu, or sensation of Lemon taste or aroma before onset? Or feeling of Jamais Vu (where your own place may feel strange to you), or taste/aroma that's Acrid or Eggy? Those are respectively indication that the seizure focus (where it starts) is either in the *Right Temporal Lobe or *Left Temporal Lobe. Tests like MRIs or EEGs would confirm extent of any damage, but the Aura is a non-invasive clue to where the electrical firing could be starting from. Are you already taking any Medications for this? If you mention any here, others who take it can tell you which areas of the brain it might be prescribed for. I think above site also has a Medications Glossary, that tells more detail about the most commonly used pills. (I don't recall though if it would tell stuff like I did in Paragraph 2 wrt. which of the Temporal Lobes is involved. Note too that you could search on Complex Partial Seizures or Temporal Lobe seizures. The latter is the *older term for what is now included within CP Seizures. There may be other areas of the brain that could cause CP seizures, but I haven't seen any mentioned here in last few years. If you've not been tested, or your Doctor doesn't know about these, you should make sure you tell them so tests can be run. It's better to *know and treat it with medications than risk losing consciousness near Machinery or areas that require attention (like Driving, Swimming, etc.) Usually uncontrolled CP seizures end in loss of consciousness. If that's not happening, you could also look at Simple Partial Seizures under above site also. Howdy Dave and Julie have older posts that include websites at end --to his extensive site, and the Idaho Website respectively. Both should be bookmarked for reference if it appears that this is what you're having. Let me know if you can't find those links and I'll look up an older post I did that lists the www addresses of these. G./ Thanks for the fast response. In answer to your questions, my epilepsy is the result of a head injury that I had as an adolescent. I take 800 mg of carbamazapine daily. I switched from tegratol about a year ago to the generic to save money. My auras used to be the 'déjà vu' variety but they have recently advanced into something much more complex. (is this the Jamais Vu that you were refering to?) There are times when I feel that I am in a dream state. I took my daughter to a friend's house the other day and became completely disoriented on my way home. I was lost for a while. The other night, while I was at a rehearsal 30 miles away from where I live, I had an aura/seizure and decided to walk home because I thought my home was just down the hill. As a matter of fact, I thought that I saw it when looking out of the window. My friends, knowing me well, sat me down to play some more and I eventually came out of it and realized where I was. There are no tastes or smells associated with my auras. I am not sure that I always remember what I do during these episodes. Thanks for the link to Epilepsy Foundation. I was unable to find the links from Howdy Dave and Julie. It would be great if you could provide them. I am determined to find out if these seizures cause further damage. Sorry if this post is too long. I am new to news groups so if there is any etiquette that I need to know about, please inform me. Thanks G. ~jc >> Does anyone here know if repeated ( couple a day) complex partial >> seizures will cause brain damage? I have not seen anything on this [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] >look up an older post I did that lists the www addresses of these. >G./ > Does anyone here know if repeated ( couple a day) complex partial seizures > will cause brain damage? I have not seen anything on this and always forget > to ask my Doctor. I am getting worried. There have been various discussions on that topic and as to whether the repeated seizures are beating a path or trail in the brain. It's known that the non-stop seizures during "status epilepticus" do kill brain cells. So the answer to your question is a cautious yes and it's always best to avoid seizures in order to avoid that possibility. Here is an article on the topic: http://www.epilepsy.com/articles/ar_1064856376.html > Thanks for the fast response. In answer to your questions, my > epilepsy is the result of a head injury that I had as an adolescent. I > take 800 mg of carbamazapine daily. I switched from tegratol about a > year ago to the generic to save money. That dose doesn't appear to be giving proper control. Have your blood serum levels been within proper range? A dosage increase may be necessary or another drug may need to be added to the mix. > My auras used to be the 'déjà vu' variety but they have recently > advanced into something much more complex. (is this the Jamais Vu that [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > my auras. I am not sure that I always remember what I do during these > episodes. That's sounds as though you've been having Complex Partial seizures and are not controlled by your meds. For one thing, you should NOT be driving as you could lose control during one of those seizures and kill yourself and/or someone else. Your neurologist needs to do something about your meds as soon as possible. > Thanks for the link to Epilepsy Foundation. I was unable to find the > links from Howdy Dave and Julie. It would be great if you could > provide them. I am determined to find out if these seizures cause > further damage. http://www.epilepsyidaho.org/ is Julie's site http://www.howdydave.com/ is Howdy Dave's and http://www.epilepsy.com/ is very good. > Sorry if this post is too long. I am new to news groups so if there > is any etiquette that I need to know about, please inform me. You're doing just fine. Welcome to the group! > > Does anyone here know if repeated ( couple a day) complex partial seizures > > will cause brain damage? I have not seen anything on this and always forget [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > > You're doing just fine. Welcome to the group! Howdy! I don't know how you are defining "brain damage" but every time you have a seizure you burn out synapses. Dave Hi JC, Just want to let you know that cp szs cause No Harm to the brain. As i asked the same ? yrs ago to some top epileptologists, and have had szs for over 40 yrs so no need worry and just relax. kti~ Thank you Dave and KI for the links and information. I feel somwhat better about the damage that these seizures may cause the brain. I do think that I will get with my neurologist and switch meds though. A problem that I have is, I sort of enjoy them. I feel very good that I've found this group btw. > Thank you Dave and KI for the links and information. I feel somwhat > better about the damage that these seizures may cause the brain. I do > think that I will get with my neurologist and switch meds though. A > problem that I have is, I sort of enjoy them. I feel very good that > I've found this group btw. Howdy! How is this a problem -- especially if they reduce your seizures? Do you "enjoy the meds" or are you just feeling better about YOURSELF (a very good thing)? Dave > Thank you Dave and KI for the links and information. I feel somwhat > better about the damage that these seizures may cause the brain. I do > think that I will get with my neurologist and **switch meds** though. A > problem that I have is, I sort of enjoy them. I feel very good that > I've found this group btw. Hi, achieving control doesn't necessarily mean to discard all meds. you use and starting from scratch on a new one (**s above). I used Tegretol CR (Controlled Release) for a year or two before we slowly reduced the night dose and *added a newer different pill, that had been approved for adjunctive use, for Complex Partial type seizures I was having in Canada. Each time I had another seizure (they were becoming farther and farther apart now), we added half a tablet of the newer one to AM or PM dose, and reached control about *1996. That only matters as they had told me in 1993 to 'hope for' 2-3 seizures per month, as an Acceptable Target (!!) based on MRIs and EEGs I had at the time. It's important with Tegretol CR and XR (and other generics of Carbamazepine) to take the dose at the rate the Doctor suggests, as you change doses or add other pills. First, prompt stopping or missing doses of that can trigger (what I called) recoil seizures -- similar to withdrawal, and the Controlled Release helps maintain the target blood level the Doctor is seeking, by taking it as often as prescribed. If they add a second med., they will slowly (likely) reduce some of the Tegretol seeking a balance with the *2 meds. I keep a 'pill log' where I record the time I took the AM and PM doses, and got a 7-day pill case at the pharmacy I use. That way I can't accidentally take *2 doses, or miss one, and I also know a week in advance when I'll have to call for Repeats to the Pharmacy. That little pill case was invaluable as we reduced my night dose of Tegretol over about *8 weeks, and gradually added the newer pill (Frisium) that was prescribed for my type of CP seizures. Also if the Dr. is doing bloodwork etc. to see how pills are being absorbed, and if your dose is correct for you, they are assuming that the dose rate they set is being followed. So long as you're able to do that, they have a better chance of finding the balance of meds. that work for you. (As you can see from above, I haven't needed a dose change now for 10 years.) I hope that longwinded essay was some help. :-< G./
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