Only had one seizure, waiting to see specialist

[confused2]

My 20 year old son had a seizure for the first time two days ago. He just fell down, his muscles stiffened, he was staring straight ahead and his lips were tightly together, pulling to one side and he was making a slight strained groan. It was over in about 30 seconds. The seizure stopped, he looked confused for a few seconds, pale for about a minute or two, then he was fine, but tired. I checked his blood pressure and it was fine. I know that he hasn't been getting very much sleep, plus he was taking evening primrose, (which he told me after the seizure), for his acne. He stated that he had severe stomach pain, then became dizzy. He doesn't remember anything after that until I helped him up off the floor. He thinks he's fine and it was just due to lack of sleep and only a fluke, one-time occurence. I made an appointment for him with a specialist, but that is over a week away. I don't want him to drive until he sees the specialist. What experiences do others have on this forum with only one seizure? Is it okay for him to drive? Can a person have just one seizure that is not related to epilepsy?

[epileric]

It is very possible for someone to have a single seizure that is not related to epilepsy. Actually, medical professionals don't usually classify it as epilepsy unless the person has had 2 or more seizures.

I do think you're smart not to let your son drive. Kudos to you. Meanwhile, check out the site & see if we can answer any of your questions. I'd suggest trying the "search" option at the top of the page (3rd from the right) to help you find things.

[Nakamova]

Hi confused2, welcome!

One in 20 people will have a one-off seizure at some point in their life. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing if your son's seizure is a one-off "fluke" or something more serious. Because of this it's very important that he see a doctor as soon as possible, and in the meantime he should play it safe -- and that means no driving.

When I had my first seizure, it was (to my mind) caused by fatigue and low blood sugar. In theory, I had only had one seizure, so it was a one-off, right? But I happened to be in an office when it happened, and so an ambulance was called and I was taken to the ER, where testing was done right away.The EEG and the brainwave patterns were classic epilepsy. Even though I could point to particular triggers for the seizure, it was also the case that I had a lowered seizure threshold and was definitely vulnerable to having more.

I do hope that your son's seizure is a one-time thing, but until you and he know more he needs to be very careful. I hope he gets some sleep (and stays away from evening primrose oil!)

Best,
Nakamova

[Day]

I've read in a few places that evening primrose oil can cause seizures. As a rule, I've always stayed away from it.

Be sure to tell the specialist that he was taking it, though. I believe there are other cases of this happening to otherwise healthy adults. (Don't quote me on this, though)

I agree with the others here, you're smart not to let him drive, at least not for now.

[Endless]

Confused,

Welcome to the forum!

It could be a one-off thing, or it could be epilepsy. I'm glad your son has an appointment with a specialist, who should be able to get it all sorted out for him.

It is a bad idea, and is probably against the law in your state for your son to drive right now. I'm assuming you live in the U.S.? Here's a link where you can find the driving laws for your state:

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/rights_driving