Need some answers

[Shellyedmb117]

Hello everyone-I'm new here and hoping for some answers. I'm a 26 year old female. To give you some background..I had gastric bypass in December of 2011, then had my gallbladder out in January of 2012. Seems as though I have not been in very good health since. Anyways, a few weeks ago, I was out at a restaurant w/ my boyfriend. I noticed that my head felt funny. It felt as though I was on laughing gas from the dentist's office. I didn't know what the feeling was, of course. I have never had a seizure before. We got our food, and I remember staring at it for a while, just trying to figure out why my head felt so funny. That's when I lost all memory. My boyfriend said I looked up and I had a very surprised look on my face. He said I threw up my hands and at that moment, I fell out of the booth and had a grand mal seizure. He stated I woke up afterwards, but wouldn't respond to anyone. My memory returns to me once I was on the ambulance. I remember asking them "What happened?" and they told me. This is the first time in my entire life I've ever seized. The ER did an MRI and blood work, all which came back normal. After the seizure I had a terrible headache and nausea.
The week before my seizure, I did have some kind of viral illness. They tested me for mononucleosis which was negative, but I had every symptom of mono. They said sometimes viral illnesses can cause some brain swelling, which could have led to my seizure. Otherwise, they have no clue why I seized. I'm just very worried about having another one, and worried as to why I had this one to begin with. Any thoughts? Thank you all!

 

[Nakamova]

Hi Shelleyedmb117 --

All the aspects of your tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure were "normal" -- that is, you shouldn't be worried about the memory loss, the nausea, and the headache. Those are all part and parcel of having a seizure, regardless of the cause. And as to the cause: There are plenty of folks who have one-off seizures, especially if they are suffering from a virus at the time. Lets cross our fingers that that's the case for you!

But just to be on the safe side, I recommend you take extra care of yourself in the next few days and weeks. Make sure you eat and drink properly, and get plenty of sleep. Avoid things that stress you out. And make a note of any things that don't feel right? Are there any times in the past when you've felt "funny" or out of it? If so, then you might ask about having an EEG done just to make sure there's nothing going on.

I also recommend that you make sure you are getting plenty of magnesium. You probably are taking a supplement already (because it's recommended after gallbladder removal), but if you aren't definitely talk to your doctor about doing so. Magnesium plays a big role in brain health, and a deficiency in it could potentially put you at risk.

Best,
Nakamova

 

[Bluesbrkr]

I would agree with Nakamova. Sounds to me like the seizure was a one-off situation due to all the other health issues you have, especially any with brain swelling involved. I would keep a daily log for a while just to keep track of any thing that might be a precursor to setting off another seizure, but I think it is unlikely. EEG is probably a good idea as well. Definitely get plenty of rest... especially if you DO have mono.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Blues

 

[qtowngirl]

Welcome Shelley!

The following list is a breakdown of the four main categories of what is called a Simple Partial seizure (though not usually 'dangerous' they can be unbelievably frightening or uncoordinating). Sometimes they are on their own or can preceed a larger seizure such as the one you had. Take a look and see if any of this is how you felt when you felt so weird, and if so let your doctor know. And definately make note if this feeling happens again but you stay conscious; all of this can help weed out possibilities.

Motor seizures:
These cause a change in muscle activity. For example, a person may have abnormal movements such as jerking of a finger or stiffening of part of the body. These movements may spread, either staying on one side of the body (opposite the affected area of the brain) or extending to both sides. Other examples are weakness, which can even affect speech, and coordinated actions such as laughter or hand movements. The person may or may not be aware of these movements.

Sensory seizures:
These cause changes in any one of the senses. People with sensory seizures may smell or taste things that aren't there; hear clicking, ringing, or a person's voice when there is no actual sound; or feel a sensation of "pins and needles" or numbness. Seizures may even be painful for some patients. They may feel as if they are floating or spinning in space. They may have visual hallucinations, seeing things that aren't there (a spot of light, a scene with people). They also may experience illusions—distortions of true sensations. For instance, they may believe that a parked car is moving farther away, or that a person's voice is muffled when it's actually clear.

Autonomic seizures:
These cause changes in the part of the nervous system that automatically controls bodily functions. These common seizures may include strange or unpleasant sensations in the stomach, chest, or head; changes in heart rate or breathing; flushing or sweating; or goose bumps.

Psychic seizures:
These seizures change how people think, feel, or experience things. They may have problems with memory, garbled speech, an inability to find the right word, or trouble understanding spoken or written language. They may suddenly feel emotions like fear, depression, or happiness with no outside reason. Some may feel as though they are outside their body or may have feelings of déja vu ("I've been through this before") or jamais vu ("This is new to me"— even though the setting is really familiar).