Does this sound like a seizure?

[KellyD]

Hello
I was just laying in bed trying to go to sleep, it's late here and I have been in and out of a light sleep for a few hours. My husband is away and I never sleep well when he is gone. I have a bit of light shining into my bedroom so it's not pitch dark in there and I just had several episodes of everything going very dark as if the light had been switched off and I was unable to move or roll over or do anything. My brain was completely aware of everything so I wasn't asleep or in a dream like state. My breathing was still steady but seemed different somehow. It probably lasted no more than 10 seconds each time and it happened about 3 or 4 times. The first time I was thinking what happened to the light, maybe the bulb blew and I wanted to get up to check if that is what happened but I couldn't get up. When I got back to normal I thought it must have been a little dream I had as I was dozing off but it happened a couple more times and each time I was more aware it was happening and was a bit panicked after because I didn't know what it was. I'm 6 months pregnant and home by myself and now I'm too scared to go to sleep in case I have a seizure and something happens to me and hurts the baby or I can't get up to my son. I know that's stupid because a seizure will happen if I am asleep or awake and not sleeping just increases the risk. I've been really lucky with my epilepsy and have had no troubles since starting medication so I'm not even sure what my seizures would be like before they happened. Am I just having little dreams while I'm dozing off or do they sound like partial seizures?

[Meetz1064]

sounds like some partial seizures, dear. Sorry, but it does.. You might want to call the OBGYN AND your neurologist a call to let them know.

[KellyD]

it's 1.30 in the morning here, I don't know how to get hold of them. My OB is a little scared of my epilepsy and wants my neurologist to deal with it

[Meetz1064]

then. Call your neurologist in the morning. Unless things progress a lot, you don't need to now. And then have your neurologist notify your OB about what's going on... if you need to increase meds or whatever.

People that don't understand things are always afraid of what they don't understand--or so I have found from past experiences...

[KellyD]

Yes that is why he is a little scared. He hadn't even heard of lamictal until I came to see him and he doesn't know what the levels should be or how to increase it if necessary. I wasn't too worried about any of it until now!

[Meetz1064]

can find out, easily, what the levels should be. All he has to do is look in the same book that all other meds (hormones, antibiotics, yada yada yada) are in. Good grief. What a turkey.

If you have to increase, it has to be done slowly.

[KellyD]

I'm only on a low dose at the moment, I was hoping it wouldn't have to change. I've been so scared of this happening the more pregnant I get when my husband is away. The only grand mal seizure I had was in my sleep which led to my epilepsy diagnosis and the further along I get in the pregnancy the more it plays on my mind what if it happens again when I am by myself. there was talk early on in my pregnancy that the hormones can interfere with the meds but at my last appt my neurologist said there isn't enough evidence to show what happens with the newer meds in pregnancy so he was inclined to leave things as they were.

[Nakamova]

Hi Kelly --

I would recommend that you keep a health journal (if you're not already). It's a good idea to record anything out-of-the-ordinary (including potential seizures) so you have the info handy when you check with your doctor. It's also good to keep track of sleep, diet/metabolism/hydration, hormones, general stressors, etc. so that you can get a sense if there's a particular trigger or time of the month when you're more vulnerable. If your seizure-like episodes seem to be increasing either in duration or frequency that's important to note when considering upping your dose.

[Meetz1064]

neurologist was right in that respect, there is not enough evidence about the newer meds. However, speaking from PERSONAL experience. During my first pregnancy, I know (now, I didn't until recently) that I had NINE grand mal seizures during the entire pregnancy. My daughter (she's 23 now, and I'm only 21 lol ) kept pulling my meds from me.

By this time, I actually HAD a neurologist, which I hadn't before, and he was keeping a close eye on the meds, and the OB was comfortable with the e, but Abby just kept wreaking havoc on my levels.

The neurologist had me on only one med at the beginning of the pregnancy, I can't remember what it was, but started to ramp me up on Dilantin in addition to it--by the end of the pregnancy, I was at 300 mg--3 100 mg pills a day. Abby came out perfect except for a couple of missing nails, and the others are just a tad bit small, but not too much smaller that anyone really pays attention to it. That's called HYDANTOINISM, by the way.

I had no problems that I know of during the second pregnancy, and that labor was more than twice as long. The third one---no seizures either, and that one was 18 hours versus Abby's 4 hours. URRRGGGG. *eyeroll*

IT WILL BE OK. Now take a deep breath, listen to a soothing CD, and RELAX, OK?

((((HUGS))))

Meetz

[RobinN]

I've been so scared of this happening the more pregnant I get when my husband is away.

Perhaps this is what needs to be worked on. You mention this a few times.
It is my belief that at times when the body is at its weakest, seizure triggers can be put into play. One of those is cyclical thinking, emotional upsets, stressful situations.

Have you read Epilepsy: A New Approach? She talks about finding positive smells, visuals, places to circumvent the seizure trigger.

[Loudmouth]

I would see your neurologist ASAP. Don't leave it, and if your OB-Gyn isn't well versed with epilepsy - FIND ONE WHO IS! It's better to be safe than sorry, if you need to take a slightly higher dose of meds or add in another, yes there may be some small side effects with the baby, but that's better than the alternative. By 6 months almost all of the baby's development is done, it's just getting bigger now, so more meds shouldn't affect the baby with developmental disorders, but having a bad seizure is much more likely at the stage of pregnancy you are at to cause problems. I'm begging you, please please please go see your neurologist as soon as you can, and get your neurologist to discuss your care with the OB-Gyn at the very least.

[KellyD]

Thanks to everyone for replying to me when I was freaking out a little. Today I was thinking maybe I just jumped to conclusions and made it seem worse than it was but decided to call my dr and let him decide. I've been seeing him for 18 months or so and every few months go in and give him my $125 to tell him i'm fine no seizures and he says ok see you in a few months. There is only 2 times I have actually needed to speak with him, today and 1 other time that wasn't about a seizure but was important to me and both times his receptionist has turned me away. I explained what happened and that I'm pregnant and was just a bit concerned and wanted his opinion and she told me to go to my gp, who I can rarely get in to see either. I'm so upset right now, what the hell am I paying this guy for! He is the only private neurologist in our town and he is supposedly the best but I wouldn't know. I know if I call by OB he will tell me to go to the neurologist. So frustrating!!!

[epileric]

Thanks to everyone for replying to me when I was freaking out a little. So frustrating!!!

Try not to worry, I've found (through experience) that a common side-effect of most anti-epileptic drug's is anxiety. It seems I can be very laid back at times but I've found that I would often get extremely anxious about small & irrelevant things.

At least you're freaking out over something very important like your health.

I do relate to your frustration though.... Boy do I relate to that!

[Meetz1064]

demand to speak to the office manager, and explain what's going on. You shouldn't EVER be treated like that by a receptionist, and it needs to be reported to someone higher up. You pay good money to this guy for a reason.

And THEN, DEMAND to SEE or TALK to the neurologist IMMEDIATELY so that you can put your mind at ease. Pregnant women do NOT need to be upset!!

Geez Louise! What is wrong is that receptionist?? *eyeroll*

[KellyD]

She actually is the office manager. She was trying to sound sympathetic but it wasn't really working for me!

[Nakamova]

I have the same problem trying to get through to my neurologist. The world's longest office tree, with me leaving messages, getting reassured that someone will get back to me, then no one does, then I call again... it can take a week.