 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Epilepsy / February 2007How bad do I have it?
I just had a grand mal on monday. it freaked the hell out of me because i had it out of the blue without warning. in the past i think i had auras or something. i could sense that something was wrong and i might have it. this time, once second i was getting ready to go out, next thing i know, i am having a seizure, and next thing i know, i see my co-worker standing above me with a glass of water in hand and worried look on his face. i had my first grand mal at 28. that was about 8 years ago. i then had another one 3 or 4 months later. they put me on Dilantin and suspended my license. after a year -- i got my license back. i stayed on daliantin for about 3 years. i did not have a single seizure in that time. the neuro said i can try to ween off dilantin and see how it goes. about a year after weening off, i had what i think is the begining of a seizure. but it never fully developed into grandmal. about a year later, the same thing happened. then a year went by without nothing. i thought i was home free. now a year later, i have my first grandmal since coming of dilantin. i am just upset and mad because it came without warning and i can't really see what i did to cause it. i got lots of sleep the night before. i am not stressed out. the only thing that happened the day before was we had my kids birthday party and i drank a little too much wine. now i am afraid to drive. i don't know if i should go to the neuro now or wait if it happens again. > <snip> > and i drank a little too much wine. There's your answer right there. > > <snip> > > > and i drank a little too much wine. > > There's your answer right there. really? i that a trigger? > > > <snip> > > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > really? i that a trigger? Alcohol will 'flush out' several of the anti-ep drugs, or interfere with their levels in your blood, including (my) Tegretol and formerly Dilantin. It might have taken a few hours from when you drank it to when it got to kidneys? where many of the AEDs are absorbed, but it's likely the cause of your seizure. Have you had any auras or other sensations since that happened? If it's been a number of days and you're still using the dose you were taking before the seizure, your body might be back in-synch. There's probably an advisory on the medications glossary under http://efa.org website, click to medications and type in Dilantin and 'go' or 'search' button and it will bring up a one page description of the pill, how to use it and what to avoid. (See if alcohol is there). I *think it was when I used it. G./ > > > > <snip> > > > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > use it and what to avoid. (See if alcohol is there). I *think it was > when I used it. G./ Thanks for the reply. I know what you are saying. Back when I was on Dilantin I did not drink because I know that they do not mix well. But I am not on Dilantin right now. I am not on any drugs right now. I was weened off, with my neuro's approval, back in 2004. I have not had grandmals since being weened off. Last Monday was my first grandmal since probably 2000 or 2001. I have not had any other seizures since Monday. >>>>> <snip> >>>>> and i drank a little too much wine. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Dilantin I did not drink because I know that they do not mix well. But > I am not on Dilantin right now. I am not on any drugs right now. Aside from any effects it has on the liver and drug metabolism, alcohol has effects on the brain. That's how it achieves its giving a glow or buzz and loosening of inhibitions. That's how it causes headaches and a general hangover the next day if you drank way too much, or not so much depending on your personal capacity. That's the alcohol at work in your brain, everywhere in your brain, the very source of your seizures. > I was weened off, with my neuro's approval, back in 2004. I have not > had grandmals since being weened off. But you've been walking a tightrope without the drugs. You weren't "cured". > Last Monday was my first grandmal > since probably 2000 or 2001. I have not had any other seizures since > Monday. Why not just ride it out. You may not have any more if you lay off the wine now that you know what it does to you and get your sleep and avoid stress. Howdy Jigetties! As far as "How bad do I have it?" is concerned it's all a matter of attitude. IMO the chief ingredients are: self-esteem and self-pity. Dave >> I was weened off, with my neuro's approval, back in 2004. I have not >> had grandmals since being weened off. I had a Grand Mal seizure on my trip to Brighton Museum last Tuesday with my husband. When we left the museum and walked on a this gravel pathway towards the beautiful Brighton Pavilion outside, he just turned his head for a second to take a photo' and Bang, down I went, no warning, nothing. I was taken to their Hospital, miles from my home. My right was shut for two days, and only opened up this morning, and I still can't see the whites of my eye - I look like somebody's stuck a fork in it. Even the rest of the right side of my face has ballooned out and has scabs all over it. Can't you see it could happen again to you too! > But you've been walking a tightrope without the drugs. You weren't > "cured". Agree completely! It's common sense that we aren't cured - I always take mine for that reason!! >> Last Monday was my first grandmal >> since probably 2000 or 2001. I have not had any other seizures since >> Monday. It doesn't mean you're never going to have another one again in your life! I look like a freak at the moment, but I know this wasn't the last time I'll have to look this way. Sofie PS. Happy at least to say hubby's taking care of me though!  SignaturePlease visit my deviantART page: http://sofen.deviantart.com/ I had my first grand mal about 35yrs ago and had about one a year for ages. Then they seemed to give way to a particular sort of minor ones - I would get a funny feeling in my tummy (like exam nerves) then my memory would stop recording. According to my husband and from the evidence remaining, I would gouge into my right index finger with my thumb nail, then I would go home if I were out or to bed if I was already at home. Sometimes I would sing and put things in odd places (eg make the bed with a blanket on top of the bedcover) before getting into bed and sleeping for a few minutes or an hour or so. When I woke up my last memory was the aura before the actual fit. When my anti-convulsant drugs were gradually adjusted (to 275mgms/day lamotrigine (Lamictal), 10mgm/day clobazam (Frisium)) and an anti- depressant (40mgm/day Citolopram) added when my bi-polar disorder was diagnosed, my epilepsy was giving me little trouble until last week when I had the first grand mal for about 5yrs. My fits used to be grouped round the middle of my menstrual cycles and although I had my menopause a few years ago, I am on HRT and still tend to have fits in monthly groups. A few years ago I had a minor stroke (so small it wasn't diagnosed as such until I had an Emiscan connected with my epilepsy months later) and have been taking Asasantin as a blood thinner ever since. I feel it may have assisted in keeping down my fits as well. It's ironic that I was beeing seen once every 6 months at a consultant neurologist's clinic but the last time he decided to sign me off ! Cheers, Chris By the way, the best help I've had has been from Occupational Therapists not medical staff - my husband found out more by exploring the web than we were ever told by doctors or Community Psychiatric Nurses. > >> I was weened off, with my neuro's approval, back in 2004. I have not > >> had grandmals since being weened off. > I had a Grand Mal seizure on my trip to Brighton Museum last Tuesday with > my husband. When we left the museum and walked on a this gravel pathway > towards the beautiful Brighton Pavilion outside, he just turned his head > for a second to take a photo' and Bang, down I went, no warning, nothing. > I was taken to their Hospital, miles from my home. > My right was shut for two days, and only opened up this morning, and I > still can't see the whites of my eye - I look like somebody's stuck a fork > in it. Even the rest of the right side of my face has ballooned out and > has scabs all over it. > Can't you see it could happen again to you too! > > But you've been walking a tightrope without the drugs. You weren't > > "cured". > Agree completely! It's common sense that we aren't cured - I always take > mine for that reason!! > >> Last Monday was my first grandmal > >> since probably 2000 or 2001. I have not had any other seizures since > >> Monday. > It doesn't mean you're never going to have another one again in your life! > I look like a freak at the moment, but I know this wasn't the last time > I'll have to look this way. > Sofie > PS. Happy at least to say hubby's taking care of me though! > According to my husband and from the evidence > remaining, I would gouge into my right index finger with my thumb nail, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > sleeping for a few minutes or an hour or so. When I woke up my last > memory was the aura before the actual fit. Hello Chris, these are "Complex Partials", a lot of us have them too - I know I can have approx 2-3 of them per day, where a have in the past made hubby's dinner, then thrown in all away in the dustbin, made the dogs dinner and gone to bathroom and flushed it down the toilet, stolen goods from supermarkets without knowing several times, woke up laughing at a dinner party in front of my mother-in-law - I know it can be terribly embarrassing, and it always gets worse during my menstrual cycle too. I don't know whether it's got anything to do with the female hormones or something, but I turned 41 years old on Jan 4, but doctors say anybody can get it at any age. I'm not sure you're allowed to even drive unless you've been cleared of a Tonic Clonic for 2 or 3 years, I'm not actually sure though. Sofie SignaturePlease visit my deviantART page: http://sofen.deviantart.com/ > > According to my husband and from the evidence > > remaining, I would gouge into my right index finger with my thumb nail, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > sleeping for a few minutes or an hour or so. When I woke up my last > > memory was the aura before the actual fit. > Hello Chris, these are "Complex Partials", a lot of us have them too - I > know I can have approx 2-3 of them per day, where a have in the past made [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > something, but I turned 41 years old on Jan 4, but doctors say anybody can > get it at any age. > I'm not sure you're allowed to even drive unless you've been cleared of a > Tonic Clonic for 2 or 3 years, I'm not actually sure though. > Sofie > No, you're not allowed to drive - I certainly wouldn't want to as it would be ridiculously dangerous. Especially as a major (tonic-clonic) fit can decide to show its face any time. I had one a week ago after at least a couple of years without any. WRT my complex partials if I manage to get my husband's attention while I'm still at the aura stage then he can sometimes get me to talk to him and we ward off the fit - I suppose it's using the mental energy that was about to overflow. Chris go to the neuro or at least call them get holt of a nurse tell the nurse and see if you can get an appointment. >I just had a grand mal on monday. it freaked the hell out of me because > i had it out of the blue without warning. in the past i think i had [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > now i am afraid to drive. i don't know if i should go to the neuro now > or wait if it happens again.
|
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.