how many types of seizures

[bazpa]

Today my family packed up my office. For the first time in 25 years I am unemployed. I am unbelievably sad and stressed out. My seizures are not exactly under control, and I hate the side effects of these meds. I have not seen my neurologist in 4 months, which I think seems odd since I have yet been stable on any one medication since October. It is an act of congress to get through his nurse, and getting an appt takes months. I am curious-the last time I had an appt he had told me that most people usually only have one type of seizure. I don't know how that can be true. Over my last several years of going to doctors and feeling awful, with now answers, finally getting a diagnosis, and researching, I am seeing that I have had maybe 3 or 4 kind. I know I fell out of a bar stool on to the concrete one night 3 time, before I decided that I should go lie down. The whole thing was so odd! I lost all control of myself, have no idea if I fell, and popped back up or what happened, why I the first thought I had was "wow that didn't even hurt!", and proceeded to do it 2 more times before having enough sense to go in and lie down! It hurt the next day!!!! My eyes flutter and I nod out. The dr told me I was having complex partials when I drove for 25 minutes with no memory. Then there are the ones where I would try to watch a movie, and the next thing I would remember would be the credit rolling, and I have no idea what had happened. All the times I ended up outside in the middle of the night, and have no idea how I got there. Are these all seizures? or is something else going on?

 

[survivor]

Well if the doctor says that there is only one type of seizure than he is definitely wrong. There are 7 different types of seizures-

1)Absence (Petit-mal seizures) ,

2) Atypical (Eye blinking or slight jerking movements of the lips may occur for 5-30 sec),

3) Myoclonic(meaning muscle jerking or twitching),

4) Atonic (drop attacks),

5) Tonic (muscle stiffening movements, normally in sleep, if person stands he falls),

6) Tonic (repeated jerking) and

7) Tonic-clonic (Grand mal).

 

[bazpa]

What he was saying was that people usually only have one type. I actually convulse in my sleep, however I did not know that until recently as I had slept on the couch for the last 3 years.

 

[Dutch mom]

While there are over 40 types of seizure, most are classed within 2 main categories:

• 
  Partial seizures occur when the excessive electrical activity in the brain is limited to one area. The 2 most common forms are simple partial seizures and complex partial seizures.
  
  Generalized seizures occur when the excessive electrical activity in the brain encompasses the entire organ. The 2 most common forms are generalized absence seizures and tonic-clonic seizures.

27 types of seizures are explained in the menu here http://www.epilepsyontario.org/client/EO/EOWeb.nsf/web/Seizures

My son has (had) myoclonics, partials and complex partials, atonics, tonics (stiff cramps, usually awake, not in his sleep like survivor mentions) and tonic-clonics.
Many people do have more than one type of seizure, in epilepsy syndromes more types are common.

 

[Cint]

Bazpa,

I've had SP, CP and TC seizures. Mine started out as SP where I just thought I needed more sleep and progressed to CP. At that point I did go to a dr. and was diagnosed as hypoglycemic. But a month later I had my first TC seizure in the shower. That was over 30 years ago. To this day, I've tried many meds, have the VNS and still have some CP seizures. Mine is refractory epilepsy. I agree with Dutch mom, there are 27 types of seizures.

Another website explaining seizures: http://www.epilepsy.com/EPILEPSY/types_epilepsy

 

[RobinN]

My daughter had many different types of seizures while on meds. In fact each trial of a drug came with it's own type of new (to her) seizure.

After doing neurofeedback, and changing her nutritional choices, she remains seizure free.

 

[paradise survivor]

Aloha Bazpa, You are not alone, weird, crazy, or any other negative. E can be daunting so find a doc that listens ( I have had 6). Know real life examples of medication side effects, learn your auras and triggers (they are there) share your questions and fears with those you feel safe with. This site is wonderful for fulfilling the much needed support and education, but most of all be your own advocate! If it does not feel right, question it! :e:

 

[bazpa]

Thanks to all of you. I love that you all are so open and willing to answer any question, and let me vent without judging me. Since it has only now been about 10 months since I was diagnoses, even though I have been dealing with this and fighting some unknown terrible thing for years, I still have a lot of questions, and when you look up epilepsy it appears that you just take a pill, and all will be fine. I again for the last several months thought I was losing my mind until I found this sight, and realized that there was a lot more to this than taking a pill, however my friends and family have not realized this yet. I have sent them web sights that you guys have shared, and hope they will soon understand the reality of epilepsy, and the medication side effects. I am sure all of the above that I have written in my previous post were seizures, but did not quite understand what my dr was saying. They don't seem to have much time to explain things. He told me none of the things I have learned on this sight. I thank you all so very much for sharing what you know-from the bottom of my heart. I know that with losing my business, and not having a job, that I am bound to have my ups and downs in the next few week. I am glad that my office is packed up. Yesterday when they started bringing my stuff home-it was awful. I think I cried, or tried not to cry most of the day. Anyway-I appreciate all of you, Patty

 

[paradise survivor]

Think of this site as your vitual tissue, and with all the different time zones at play here , you are not alone!

 

[paradise survivor]

P.S. We don't 'take off' for spelling (virtual):woot: