An age old ? Im sure, what Triggers?

[JLynn]

Im sure this has been asked/discussed before, but Im new here, and although not brand new to epilepsy, you'd think so, but I'm learning more here than I have anywhere else. I so.. appreciate sharing here, and the feedback has made me feel more at ease, realizing I'm not alone, and just maybe not a werido

Anyhow, I am wondering about triggers (for seizures), as I think I tend to have some odd ones, but really I am not sure if they are odd. I know everyone is different.

Here are a few of my triggers that seem really bizarre to me
If I am talking to someone (conversation) and I am standing especially and focusing all of my attention on that person and conversation, sometimes I will have a simple partial, and/or maybe I had a complex, as sometimes I get the "glitch" and not sure if I did anything Im unaware of.
So, I often avoid this, by continuing to have the convo with the person, but also doing something else at the same time, this seems to help keep it to a minimum, or stop it from happening altogether.
Like the other day I was out in the yard, and a neighbor stopped by to chat, as I was standing there just staring at her, talking, and listening, I started to feel weird (description too... long) as happens often in these situations. So I continuted the conversation with her, but bent down and began to weed my flower beds as we talked, this put a stop to my "jumps" and feeling weird.
I an not sure why focusing on one thing, such as this, can cause a seizure,
anyone else get this trigger, when they concentrate too much on one thing?
I prefer to multitask, for some reason it helps.
This occurs in other instances as well, like trying to focus on other single things, it depends on what it is thou, and how much of my attention it needs.
Hope that makes sense.
Next, is the "too much for my senses" trigger, like driving in the car with tonz of cars buzzing by, signs, buildings, yada, yada, and often I will bring a magazine in the car, and look down at that back and forth, or play a game on my cell phone to distract me.
This same things happens in areas like large stores or crowds with lots of stimuli, visuals, noise, and then my brain goes "weird" then also. But if I can find a place to sit down, and focus some of my attention to something else, it lessens or stops then too.
Less frequent is the computer, it depends on the website. Stagnant programs (not on the internet) do not seem to effect me. But right now as I write this, I am not having a seizure, but still the words seem to be jumping a bit, and there are some jumping colors and fading in and out of grey hughs that I am sure they arent really there, or maybe everyone see's that on some websites from time to time? This one usually doesnt bother me at all, unless I stayed on for a long... time, then I might get a jolt. But I figure it is from concentrating too much on it, and not the flickering of the screen itself really.

Alas, then there are things like lighting that Im not sure about. Bright light, like the sun creating bright glares off of metal, or quick flashes like shade to light, shade to light effect me also, but not always, usually I try to look away quick. Low blood sugar, lack of enough sleep, and "that time" also.

Sorry about some of my terminology. I dont know how else to describe somethings other than this, so hope it makes sense.

Anyone relate to these? Or have others of your own that are unique?

JLynn

[RobinN]

I think it is a very good discription and a great discussion. One that can't be discussed too much. A part of alternative therapy is to learn what these triggers are. "You have come a long way baby" (from a stupid cig ad, that I should not give presence to, but I love the saying)

How wonderful that you are able to abort your episodes before they take hold. This is what my friend Zoe has been able to do. She speaks of it often and I find this so very fascinating. It also is discussed in the book Epilepsy: A New Approach.

Since I don't have seizures I can't share any of the experience. Rebecca loses memory so discussion with her is not always possible. I just try to put pieces of the puzzle together. I would just want to understand the glitch if this were to be happening to her. Why is the brain overloaded at that time and what I can do to create better brain health.

I know I have seen some great videos on the inclusion of nasal mB12 in ADD situations.
See here for those videos:
http://www.autismrecoveryvideos.org/...tamin-b12.html

[Molly97]

JLynn,
I understand what you mean by system overload, just too much sensory information to process causing a seizure.
I use Bubble Breaker on my phone to divert seizures that about to happen. Doesn't always work, but it works often enough. I also find that watching a science tv program forces me to change gears; this is good after I've had a seizure. Grounds me in a weird sort of way that I don't really understand.

[Cint]

I used to have complex partial seizures at "that time of month". I could always plan around it. And they would always occur mid-morning to early afternoon. But that was before I had a lobectomy. After that,all hell broke lose for me. Now I've had them any time of day or night, and tonic/clonic seizures along with it. BTW, Robin, I've read "Epilepsy: A New Approach" and so far I haven't had any success with their approach. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Maybe I can't concentrate enough.

Cindy

[JLynn]

What is CWE? Ive seen it mentioned a few times now, and have no clue.

Going to look on overstock for that book too

I found 3 providers here in my state that do neurofeedback therapy,
two in my huge city. As soon as I can afford it, Im going to try it.
Going to call them in advance anyway, see if they my spot me some free sessions, HA HA HA, not but really ask some questions and see who might be best for me when time comes.

[RobinN]

CWE = Coping With Epilepsy.... this prize winning forum

Good idea to do some research before hand. Takes the pressure off.
Another book is: A Symphony in the Brain by Jim Robbins (a good prep course in NFB)

Cindy - Perhaps you could PM Zoe and ask her specific questions regarding the technique used in that book. She was very successful with it after two surgeries.

[Jemma_x]

This proberly wont be much help to you but i once read a story in a magazine about a girl ( i dont know what type of epilepsy she had ) but if she listened to one type of music she would have a seizure so i think there can be lots of different triggers

[Bernard]

JLynn, that sounds a lot like my wife over a decade ago. She would have problems with absence seizures ("the glitch") when she got excited (like when telling a story to friends/acquaintances).

The more focused she was on a task though, the more likely she was not to have an seizure activity.

EEG neurofeedback was a real miracle for her in breaking that pattern. She hasn't had any absence seizures since she used the neurofeedback the first time.

[brain]

Alas, then there are things like lighting that Im not sure about. Bright light, like the sun creating bright glares off of metal, or quick flashes like shade to light, shade to light effect me also, but not always, usually I try to look away quick. Low blood sugar, lack of enough sleep, and "that time" also.

Sorry about some of my terminology. I dont know how else to describe somethings other than this, so hope it makes sense.

Anyone relate to these? Or have others of your own that are unique?

JLynn

You can actually divert these! They have lamps which produces
natural lights. And they work great with those with Photic Epilepsy,
Light sensitivity, SAD (Seasonal Disorder), and other Light issue
problems.

I don't know if they're available in UK, or how they're called in
UK - but in the United States and Canada, they're available.

There is another trick you can play is instead of painting your
walls white or off white inside, have it accented with a slight
hue of yellow and instead of WHITE lampshades, use the antique
lampshades if you can't afford those nature lamps or try to find
one that's aged, where it has a brownish overtone, if you can
get an antique or vintage lamp, that would be great, it's not hard
to upgrade to be safe, to add a new socket and run a new cord
through it and add a new plug for safety reasons if one hadn't
been done.

I find 40 watt bulbs very easy for me, and use 60 watts when
I have to read. However, they now have available these new
spiral fluorescent lamps that have very low wattage, and I gave
one a trial run with the lamp shade and it actually worked, where
now I have it all around the house, except for the hallway and
utility room where there's the 60 watt (obvious reasons) and my
reading lamp. I do have the regular globe bulbs in the bathroom
but they are clear and not white or colorized. (I tried the colorized
ones and it didn't fare well with me, but that was just me; and it
actually made my (ex) husband and son sick - these are the globe
lights I'm talking about)

My son is also light sensitive as well. So people cannot understand
how we can live in a house like this but they aren't aware that
lights bother us, however, the sun, we love, natural light. If I had
the money, I would have installed skylights in my roof that would
have been tinted at 80% UV.

I actually rather read the newspaper outside in my back porch
in the sun (since the hammock broke). But as for glares, I have
severe problems in stores, offices, etc.

But that's changed big time over here, because a lot of people,
so it seems, have light sensitivity - and many buildings have
reverted or upgraded to divert such or modifying it. More places
have windows now and aren't using those "BRIGHT GLARING LIGHTS"
like they used to. Even in Libraries, there's a lot of skylights or
overhangs where natural light flows and you'll find a lot of people
over there reading than by a electrical light. I am taking this
that there may be far more people who are light sensitive
who are absolutely healthy.

I also notice this from my observation: People who are employed
in buildings that have been implied above, are more cheerful than
those stuck in the bright glaring white tubed lights all day long
and end up being moody, cranky, and often ill-tempered.

I may be wrong, but I see it in their attitudes when I see them
face to face and their body languages reflects it as well.

[CJR]

Thanks Brain for the heads up on the natural sunlight lamps. I wasn't aware that they could be used for Photic Epilepsy & Light sensitivity! I'll have to look into getting one or two for Shan!

JLynn~I remember seeing a recent study that linked mathematics (or concentrating on a difficult mathematical problem) to a higher incidence of seizure activity. I haven't been able to find the study again (and believe me I've tried). But it sounds to me like they are beginning to understand that concentration can play a role in seizure activity.

[JLynn]

Honestly, Ive thought about getting these lamps for a few reasons, one my birds need the light and their new bird room has an east window and only gets a bit of morning sun, second Ive heard they are good for SAD which I really get in the winter.
However, natural sunlight outside does a whammy on me sometimes, too many glares off of things really make me sick, and I have no clue why...
well really I guess I do, its this sensitive brain of mine
I love the summer and the sun, I just try not to look around too much as it will make me have an aura or simple partial sometimes. Im sure it is more from the way the sunlight is so bright and bounces off of everything shiny, etc.
Anyhoo, still think I will check into the lighting fixtures for indoors for the other reasons, as I doubt they are bright as the sun, and not a lot of metal and shiny surfaces inside for the light to create unbearable glares off of.
TY for the reminder,
JLynn