Could this have been a seizure?

[MichelleMC]

Hello,
The same year I developed epilepsy(although I didn't know until 6 years later that I had it because I just had the simple partial seizures which are twitches), when I was in the 5th grade, I might have seen someone have a seizure. I say might because I asked someone later on after I knew I had epilepsy and they said it didn't sound like a seizure. Well anyway here is what happened and it was in school . I was in music class, and all of a sudden a classmate started kicking and moving his arms and making some kind of sound, then he got up and ran up and down the auditorium(where our music classes were held). I don't think he fell on the stairs at all. Anyway, when he calmed down, someone brought him to the nurses office. The teacher explained that he had a seizure. I've been scared of them ever since. Then I think it was my stepmother who told me it didn't sound like a seizure because he didn't fall. Anyway, the same year I saw that was the same year I developed epilepsy(without knowing it) due to hormonal changes. I was so scared though. I wonder if I scared myself into developing this or maybe it was just a coincendence that it all happened in the same year, which I tend to think it's the latter. Thanks in advance.

[darkmarkshark]

many people react in similar ways to a seizure. Its called postictal psychosis, and happens after the seizure is over. So if this were a seizure, the twitching screaming would be the seizure, and the running would be the postictal state

The running is a response to what their mind tells them is happening when they come out of a seizure. So if he had a hallucinatory seizure, he could have been running from men chasing him with baseball bats, and if he had thought that you were one of the ones swinging a bat at him, he might have even hit you to defend himself

There was a story in the news not to long ago where an epileptic was being tasered by police because he was trying to swat away a swarm of wasps while they were confronting him about his strange behavior

and thank god you don't need to fall to have a seizure. I likely wouldn't have a skull left if that were a requirement. There are seizures where you just end up stumbling because you only temporarily lose control, others where your arm, leg, stomach etc just twitches, and still others that you can have in a middle of a conversation with neither you nor them knowing that you have had a seizure

[MichelleMC]

many people react in similar ways to a seizure. Its called postictal psychosis,

The running is a response to what their mind tells them is happening when they come out of a seizure. So if he had a hallucinatory seizure, he could have been running from men chasing him with baseball bats, and if he had thought that you were one of the ones swinging a bat at him, he might have even hit you to defend himself

There was a story in the news not to long ago where an epileptic was being tasered by police because he was trying to swat away a swarm of wasps while they were confronting him about his strange behavior

and thank god you don't need to fall to have a seizure. I likely would have a skull left if that were a requirement. There are seizures where you just end up stumbling because you only temporarily lose control, others where your arm, leg, stomach etc just twitches, and still others that you can have in a middle of a conversation with neither you nor them knowing that you have had a seizure

Thank you for your response. Will you explain what postictal psychosis is? I've never heard of that. Thank you.

[Meetz1064]

that will lead you to a more thorough explanation of it.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...?artid=2265810

And YES, that was a seizure. Your stepmother didn't know about other types of seizures, and that is pretty typical. NO, you did NOT scare yourself into the E. It just happened....

have you checked out the Epilepsy 101 thread? It's full of great information....if not, check out this link....

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/...lepsy+101.html

Take care,

Meetz

[darkmarkshark]

I recommend you read this thread: You know you have epilepsy if...
A lot of the things posted there really did happen as a result of seizures that people without epilepsy may never think would happen as a result of a seizure. and you'll likely get a good laugh out of some of the things too

Post ictal psychosis is the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms that occur after a seizure - i believe anywhere up to 3 months after actually. Though most people have them between 2 hours and 2 days later -basically after they recovered from the exhaustion the seizure occurred and most frequently after 1 or more secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures

There is also interictal psychosis in epileptics that involves repetitive movements but the timing doesn't coincide with seizures, and alternative psychosis which is when psychosis occurs when the seizures have been stopped (perhaps as a side effect of medicine as it goes away when the seizures are allowed to return)

This is likely a major part of the reason why epilepsy is frequently misdiagnosed as mental illness, especially if one of your first stops isn't a neurologist

I believe its complex partial seizures where there is a good chance you will have an outer body experience - either that or its any in the temporal lobe. I have to check to make sure.

[MichelleMC]

Thank you, dark, and Meetz for your responses.

[RobinN]

Some very good threads to consume:

Can you 'will' on a seizure ?

NES vs PNES

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

TLE Complex Partial NEAD, NES - PNES including PTSD

new here i have epilepsy & i have non epileptic seizures

[RobinN]

Another good article:
Natural approaches to epilepsy

[MichelleMC]

Robin,
Thank you for the links. I'll read them and if I have any questions, I'll ask.