drop attacks (atonic seizures)

[Cinnabar]

Are you newly diagnosed with epilepsy? Here are some things which you should know:

• Types of seizures - there are many different types of seizures. Most people only know about grand mal (tonic clonic or tonic clonic) seizures, but there are actually many types from absences (staring spells with brief loss of consciousness - missing time), drop attacks (atonic seizures), myoclonic "jerks", auras and a whole spectrum of complex partial seizures where strange and mysterious experiences may be encountered. The more you know about the types of known seizures, the better you can communicate with your neurologist/epileptologist what is happening in your case.
• Your memory may not be as good as you think it is - Seizures can affect your critical thinking capacity and memory recall. If you are having uncontrolled seizures, it is a good idea to take someone who knows you very well with you when you see your doctor. They will be able to communicate details about your seizures that you simply don't know about (because they involve loss of consciousness). They can also help remember whatever the doctor says to you in the meeting if you don't have it all written down (and few doctors take the time to write everything down in a legible handwriting).
• The two most common seizure triggers are stress and lack of uninterrupted sleep. Most people do not get enough sleep. Many people with epilepsy don't get as much sleep as they think they do - they have sleep apnea.
• EEG tests - Can show epileptiform activity in the brain (confirming abnormal/seizure activity), but a negative result showing normal activity does not rule out the possibility of seizure activity. It just means it didn't happen in the short window of time that the EEG was recording.
• CT scans/MRIs - These are used to try and identify lesions/scar tissue in the brain that might be a focal point for seizure activity. If found, you might be a candidate for brain surgery.
• anti-epileptic drugs don't work like aspirins - they have to be metabolized in the liver and released into the blood stream. The body needs to maintain a steady blood syrum level of the drug to maintain therapuetic benefits. When starting or stopping an anti-epileptic drug, you need to ramp up/down the drug slowly as the drug titrates into the blood stream. The level of drug in the blood stream is not necessarily a 1 to 1 correspondence with the amount of drug you ingest (ie. double the dose from 100mg to 200mg and your blood syrum could potentially increase 10 times).
• Get a pill box - If you have a prescription for an anti-epileptic drug (anti-epileptic drug), you need to remember to take it every day. Missing a single dose could disturb the blood syrum level of the drug and put you in danger of having seizures. A weekly pill box (with dividers) can help you remember to take your pills (or if you have taken it if your memory can't always be trusted).

That's all I can think of for now. I'll add more as they come to me.

Hi Bernard - Do drop attacks (atonic seizures) happen before or after the jerking. In my instance I hyperventilate then drop to the floor. I've only been found on the floor jerking. Could I have experienced small jerking during the heavy breathing? It happens so fast so I can't tell if my body is going through slight tremors before the drop. Just feel faint in the head and the next thing I know the paramedics show up. Last time after the drop I was quickly aware that I hit my head against my book case and was screaming out in pain. I'm on 600 mg of Lamictal. When you say "increase or drop" I assume you're talking about medication. I was on 400mg then my dr increased it to 600mg. Are you saying that an increase could increase a seizure "10 times"? I know that reducing the med signifigantly could cause a seizure. Just not clear about increase affecting the seizure prone. Always - Laurie

[Bernard]

Hi Bernard - Do drop attacks (atonic seizures) happen before or after the jerking.

Everyone is different. There might not be any correlation between drop attacks (atonic seizures) and (myoclonic) jerks.

I'm on 600 mg of Lamictal. When you say "increase or drop" I assume you're talking about medication. I was on 400mg then my dr increased it to 600mg. Are you saying that an increase could increase a seizure "10 times"? I know that reducing the med signifigantly could cause a seizure. Just not clear about increase affecting the seizure prone. Always - Laurie

I was trying to illustrate that the amount of medication you take does not necessarily have a linear (or 1-1) correspondence with the amount of medication that will metabolize into the blood stream. It's different for each medication and the 10x was just an example. Your doctor should take blood tests to make sure your blood syrum level of medication is in the therapeutic range and not toxic.

[BuckeyeFan]

Last time after the drop I was quickly aware that I hit my head against my book case and was screaming out in pain.

I need to start an entire thread on this subject later. I am wondering if pain from injuries tends to bring us back to consciousness faster. I know the times that I have been injured (luckily very few), I seem to 'wake up' faster. Not faster recovery, just quicker time to respond.

[paradise survivor]

Boy that's some wake up call!