Seizure after 5 years

[Lynda1]

Hi
I'm new to the group, right now I'm really angry with myself, I used to have grand mal seizures nearly every week without warning, I broke teeth bones- I'm sure u know all about it so i decided it was my lifestyle that had to change, I was in bed by 11 every night, don't drink alcohol, no clubbing & sure enough my seizures stopped until 2 nights ago when I had a grand mal seizure without warning. I was in bed! I'm so angry- it's 5 yrs since the last one, I'm even beginning to drive. I haven't gone back to my doctor, I don't know if I should. I have been on my medication the whole time, I never came off it

[Silat]

Sometimes these things happen... there's no point in being angry at yourself over it. It's not like you could stop the seizure from happening.

What you can do is contact your doctor about it. Likely you've become tolerant to your dose and a seizure broke through... if that's the case, one visit and some medication adjustment should put you back on the path of being seizure-free! Five years is a very long time to not have a seizure! All you need to do is get some adjustments made to your dose, and then things should get back on the right track. Beating yourself up won't help that process along

[jackier]

Lynda1, Silat offers very good advice.
Be nice to yourself, it's not like you asked for it to happen.
Good luck!

[Cint]

Hi Lynda,

There is absolutely NO reason to be angry with YOURSELF! Angry, YES! But please do not blame yourself. Sometimes these things happen and we do not know why. Like Silat said, you have become tolerant to your medication and need to have it adjusted or changed, so please do yourself a favor and DO call your neurologist ASAP. And let us know how you're doing.

[qtowngirl]

Lynda, everyone's right. To be angry with yourself there would have to be a reason, and there isn't. If you drank and partied and didn't look after yourself those five years then yeah maybe, but if you did what you could and it still happened, that's just the nature of good ol' E.
I too went five years (11 days shy of) and bang, there I was in the ditch. And I WASN'T looking after myself properly, but the only thing I got mad at was the E. How could it let me go so long and feel so confident then in a heartbeat take it all away? Again, that's just the nature of E. A breakthrough seizure as Silat says only requires a simple change in medication, whether you up the one you're on or you and your doc choose to go with a different one. And then you start over.
You can do it. And when you're feeling low and don't know if you can, that's what we're all here for. Glad you joined, keep us posted on how you're doing...

[Nakamova]

Hi Lynda --

As folks say above epilepsy is just a contrary beast, and as unpredictable as the weather. But I know how annoying/depressing/distressing it can be to have one come out of the blue just when you think you've got it under control. Sometimes an underlying infection can temporarily lower your seizure threshold. Another possibility is that changes that due to aging have affected your metabolism, and have made the current dose of medication less effective. If you can't put your finger on a specific reason for the breakthrough, it's best to contact your neurologist. He/she may do a blood test to check the levels of your medication, and make a recommendation as to whether you can stay put or need to make changes.

[Bathtub]

Yes E is unfair, you didn't deserve that and here's praying the docs can get it back in the box.

Well done for staying on top all those five years Lynda, Here's to the next five.

And thanks for showing that it really works - You're an inspiration!

[Lynda1]

Thanks, it was great being seizure free for so long but honestly right now I'm after falling into a pit of depression after that one little seizure. That seizure has knocked me down in ways I wasn't before.

[DadofTwins]

Lynda,

Now is not the time to get down on yourself. Five years is a LONG time. Silat and Nakamova know about what you are dealing with.

Please be kind to yourself, because if you beat yourself up, you will not be able to help yourself.

I am sorry that this is happening to you, but you must seek out a positive attitude.

E is not your fault, but it is something you have to adjust to.

Tom

[Lynda1]

I know that E is not my fault but I've sacrificed so much because of it. My memory is gone, I've lost friends, I don't have the same sort of life as my peers because of it, I've had to give up alot of stuff or stop doing stuff because of my E & now its seems it was all for nothing. It's hard not to get down about it