Need Help Understanding a Collegue With Epilepsy

[Raphael]

Hi

I am a appointed first aider and I know how to help with my collegue when he has a clonic seizure.

I have tried to make myself familiar with his medication, epilim, and I am on lamotrigine myself for affective bipolar disorder which seems to work as an effective mood stabiliser so I am well aware of the challenges my collegue faces.

I have located his seat somewhere safe and briefed collegues what to do and not to do and we just get on with it. Outside of work I have told him to contact me at home anytime if he is agitated or depressed or just wants to chat something which he has not done, that is his choice but he knows the support is there and I do care for him as a collegue and want to minimise any stress he has and help him where I can and eliminate any triggers.

The main concern I want to get my head around is that he seems to act quite 'odd' at times he will drum his feet or click his pen non-stop which is really annoying. He will also sing songs, bless him, quite out of tune. If he hears a song or a phrase he likes he will sing it. The other staff find this amusing and annoying at the same time, but we all have to get on with it and support him and minimise what distracts him. I have told staff if they dare wind him up or laugh they will have to deal with my wrath so we are all used to his quirks now.

There are other issues, sometimes he will say good morning, other times he will ignore you and walk past you like you don't exist. Sometime he comes out with comments that are not funny or appropriate and very graphic related to his sexual activities (or lack of them) and bowel movements etc..just some examples...sometimes he will stare at people for no reason but we just ignore it.

Sometimes he is really 'clued up' and has focus, other times he seems very vacant, sometimes his personal hygiene seems to be lacking.

There are also times when he comes really close to people and 'invades' the personal body space.

I have noticed certain short comings with his work but choose to ignore them and I am happy with what he produces when he has focus but hope that I can protect him long enough. If a new manager comes on board he/she might notice issues with focus and being productive.

He smokes the 'odd joint' I can't preach because I like the odd joint myself as I am one of the lads but for the most part have a drink.

What I want to know -

1) Are the above issues related to his condition? Is this what epilepsy does? I thought it might be bipolar he has as well but the epilim should help. He has been on an anti-d seroxat which made him worse, agitated and induced hypo-mania

I can work with him - I just want have an idea how I can best work with him and explain to others what is going on...without him driving everyone bonkers...when he is good he is good when he is bad (naughty) we want to kill him....

[Bernard]

Hi Raphael, welcome to the forum.

It's really hard to say from just a description, but it is possible that he is experiencing other types of seizures which could account for many of the behaviors you mentioned. It is also possible that he is post-ictal when he is non-responsive or acting oddly.

[Raphael]

Hi

Thanks for getting back so quick - I had a look here and it looks like you are right -

http://www.epilepsy.com/101/ep101_symptom.html

Chewing movements
Foot stomping
Hand waving
Lip smacking
Making sounds
Staring
Teeth clenching/grinding
Twitching movements

I can go to work this morning feeling a bit better with more understanding - so when people outside the department or company come in I can say look it's part of the parcel of being challenged with epilepsy

[Birdbomb]

Hey Raphael,

Even simple partical seizures can cause odd behavour. Strange emotions can suddenly occur like rages or an intense need to run away, or sudden fits of laughing/crying. I have experianced these and they are frightening to me when they happen because they are unprovoked.

Post-ictal can be a confusing time and very exhausting, like running a marathon wearing weights, kind of tired.

Depression can make you just not care about your appearance.

Many simple particals can not be seen by others, but we can experiance them and still go about our business. My boss can hear it in my voice and my best friend can see it in my eyes where others cannot. It all depends on the depth of the seizure and how much in tuned the witness is the the person having the seizure.

Have you ever spoken frankly to this person about his life with epilepsy? Asked him questions? So many people are afraid to ask and continue to live in fear/ignorance. Public awareness dispells ignorance ( and you will find out if he's playing you or if they are all symptoms of his seizure disorder)

[Bernard]

Yes, Raphael, that site is a good reference for reading about seizures and epilepsy.

Many simple particals can not be seen by others, but we can experiance them and still go about our business. My boss can hear it in my voice and my best friend can see it in my eyes where others cannot. It all depends on the depth of the seizure and how much in tuned the witness is the the person having the seizure.

I did not recognize my wife's simple partial seizures when I first met her, but as time went by, I got to recognizing them easily.

BTW Raphael, if your friend is showing signs of being post-ictal all the time, his seizures are not fully controlled yet. Hopefully he has a doctor/epileptologist working with him to get them controlled.