Hello, my name is Blake and I had a seizure...

[broberts]

I have only had a single seizure, and it has been over a month ago. From what I can tell, I had a Tonic-clonic seizure. It hit me from out of nowhere. I was just watching television, relaxing, and began convulsing. My friend was with me and said it lasted maybe a minute. I don't remember anything about it, but I had bitten my tounge quite badly, and I was very disoriented and just out of it afterwards. I felt a little sluggish the next day, but since then, I haven't had any problems. I am to see a neurologist shortly. Untill then, can anyone give me some advice on what to do or is there anything else I should know?

[RobinN]

I would look at what has been different in your life.
How is your nutrition? Doing anything abusive to your body that might cause a neurological episode like you had? Stress levels? Any other indications why this might have occurred? Recent illnesses? Intestinal issues?

My advice, not knowing age or background, would be to start looking at what you are consuming. I have realized over my 2.5 yrs of research is that there is a lot of evidence that this is the cause of many neurological disorders, and other illnesses.

[broberts]

I am 24 yrs. old and as far as I can remember, the only thing different I did was take a couple Ultram for a terrible backache. I am also prescribed Celexa for anxiety, which does run in my family, other than that, I believe I am in good health. My father also suffers from epilepsy which was caused by a head injury about 30 years ago.

[skillefer]

Hi br! Welcome to CWE. I agree with Robinn's advise. Definitely consider what you are consuming. Also, you should start looking at other things like sleep and stress levels. While you wait for your appt., try keeping a journal. In it, write everything you eat and drink (when, where, and how much), sleep (how much and when), stress (any new stresses? illnesses?colds/flu?), odd feelings (odd smells/tastes/sounds, migrines, deja vu, prickly feelings, numbness, etc...), if your a female your time of the month, and seizures (where, when, how long it lasted, what you were doing prior.). I know, it seems like a lot.... Take the journal with you to your appt. The reason being, that the more information your doc has, the better they can develop a treatment that will work for you.

Now, make sure you remember to tell the doc every med you are on, including vitamin supplements. Ok? All this info will give him a better picture of what's going on. You might want to write down any specific questions you have for him/her. Also, keep going with the journal...even after your appt. The reason for keeping such a detailed journal is to see if you can find a pattern..a reason for the seizure..a trigger. For example, common triggers are :lack of sleep, too much stress, too many stimulants (these can be found in cold medicines, coffee, tea, sodas, energy drinks most commonly....). Others include flickering lights or patterns, certain foods/drinks, food allergies, certain smells and sounds, etc. As you can see, triggers are incredibly varied.

Now, to give you some basic info.... Everybody can have a seizure. And there are lots of people who only have one seizure in their entire lives. Ok? For person with epilepsy, it just doesn't take as much to trigger a seizure. Your father's was due to head injuries. But you might not actually have epilepsy. What the doctor will want to do is run some tests....EEG, MRI, etc. Also, seizures are not always due to epilepsy. Other things like low blood sugar and low blood pressure can trigger them too. so your doc will probably want to rule out those causes. Be cautious if the doc just writes you a prescription and doesn't really order any tests. A good doc will want to rule out any other possible medical conditions before he diagnoses you with epilepsy.

Check out the info in the Epilepsy 101 link in my signature...and check out the info on the alternative treatments as well. You've gone 24 years without seizures...who knows, this may be your only one. However if the test results come back and you are diagnosed with epilepsy, then you'll need to decide whether you want go with meds, or try alternative treatments, or maybe use both, and talk over the options with your doc. There will be some lifestyle changes, and you may find that you lose your driver's license for a little while. (It's hard to say for certain, as each state is different.)

As I said, welcome to CWE. Feel free to ask questions, vent in the padded room, or just chime in. You're not alone.

[LivingFruity]

Welcome Blake

My advice, not knowing age or background, would be to start looking at what you are consuming. I have realized over my 2.5 yrs of research is that there is a lot of evidence that this is the cause of many neurological disorders, and other illnesses.

I agree with Robin's suggestions. My son has seizures, and we found that we can control them by adjusting his diet. It's much more pleasant than the side effects to medications.

While you're waiting to see the neurologist, research all of your options. This forum is full of great information. Be well informed when you walk into that appointment. It's been my experience in the past, that we've learned next to nothing from the neurologists who have seen my son. Many of them don't even explain half of what my options would be.

Pull up a seat and make yourself at home

[dfwtexas]

Welcome! Lots of caring people here with good information.
Another thing to keep in mind, is something a year or two before the seizure could have caused it. Think back to meds, etc from that time up until the seizure. My seizures started a year ago but were related to infections and/or IV meds that I was on a few years prior to my seizures starting.
And you may be one of the ones that never have another seizure. To you for taking the initative to learn about seizures!

[Bernard]

Hi Blake, welcome to the forum.

I would suggest you spend a few minutes reading about all the different types of seizures. Many people who discover the world of epilepsy after experiencing a tonic clonic seizure later realize they had been experiencing simple partial seizures or other types of less obvious seizures for years. The more you know about them, the better you will be able to relate to your doctor what you have and have not experienced in the past.

Your neurologist will likely end up ordering some tests - EEG, MRI and possibly others. Hopefully, they will yield some useful information.

Have a look here: Epilepsy 101 - Part FAQ, Part tips and advice