Son has epilepsy

[dduff]

Hi,

I am a mother of an eight year old boy with epilepsy. He was seizure free for over 2 years and then in November, he got the flu and the seizures started again. Since November though, he has been sick regularily. He feels perfectly fine before he goes to bed, and about an hour later, he wakes up vomiting excessively. It lasts for several hours to a day, depending. After he finally stops vomiting and gets some sleep, he wakes up perfectly normal. It happens almost weekly. Has anyone heard of this, his doctor didn't seem too concerned, but could this be related to the epilepsy? He just started meds two weeks ago but this has been going on for months, so I don't think it is that.

Any help would be appreciated, we are still waiting to see a neurologist, so I don't really know too much about it.

[epileric]

We've got a lot of parents here whose kids have epilepsy so you're in good company.

Something I've learned is that epilepsy is very unpredictable, it can leave and come back with no obvious reason. The type of seizures can also change ina a seemingly random manner.

I'd be curious what medications your son is on. Have you checked their side-effects to see if that's the possible cause? I'm on Tegretol & they recommend taking it with milk or on a full stomach to avoid stomach upset.

[dduff]

He is on Lamictal, but we haven't gotten up to his full dose yet. The vomiting started over 2 months ago, and the meds just started two weeks ago, so I don't think that it is a side effect of the lamictal.

[Nakamova]

Yup, vomiting can definitely be a kind of seizure. The Lamictal may help control it though, once your son gets up to the full dose. I would let your doctor know if the vomiting persists, not only because it may be seizure-related, but also because of the irritation to you son's throat and stomach that can occur.

Best,
Nakamova

[skillefer]

Hi duff! Yes, the vomitting can be a type of seizure...I think it's referred to in the library as gut something....

[hootie]

It might also be a sign of a food allergy. It would be a good idea to keep a food diary along with a seizure and vomiting diary to see if you notice a pattern.

[Deb12345]

Hello dduff,
I am quite new to epilepsy but woke up one morning feeling extremely sick and could hardly walk / focus properly. Nothing I have felt before. I just knew I’d had a seizure of some kind. Mom called an ambulance and I was given 3 bags of fluid in my arm. Then had to be observed in hospital for 4 hours. I hope this information helps. I am glad you have joined this site. The people on here are very friendly.
Best Wishes
Debbie