Night time seizures?

[dfwtexas]

Christmas day will be 4 months seizures free, but I am afraid I am having seizures while I am asleep. A couple of months ago, I had 2 mornings when I woke up with bad headaches, but nothing else. In the past week, I have 4 mornings that I wake up with the bad headache, my arms/shoulders are sore like someone has beaten me up and I just feel bad. Does this sound like night time seizures? My pharmcy changed me to generic keppra a few days before this started so I wonder if that is connected? I had called my doc last week and asked to be put on list to be called if there is a cancellation before my January appt, still waiting. I just feel like crap on these mornings.
I know someone had suggested getting a video camera to record myself...but no one I know has one.

[Bernard]

Sounds like a definite possibility to me.

Do you have any friends who you would feel comfortable inviting over to monitor you overnight as an experiment? Maybe just set up an audio recorder and hope for clues?

There is always a possibility of seizure activity in response to a change in medication - even from brand name to generic. With generics, the binders and fillers can be different and this can affect the way your body metabolizes them (although they aren't supposed to, it's clear that it happens for a lot of people).

Also, if you take too much vitamin B6, it can interfere with Keppra's therapeutic effects. If you are taking B6, did you increase your dose lately? You could also experiment with reducing the dose.

[dfwtexas]

Thanks, Bernard. I don't take b supplements, my doc is very much against it, said it can do permanent damage.
The only thing that has changed since this has started is the generic keppra. I know my doc has suggested doing a sleep study before, but said as long as I was doing ok, he would hold off. It may be time to do one.

[Bernard]

see also: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/...c-keppra-5136/

[Cint]

jgb,

There is a possibility the change to generic Keppra could cause nocturnal seizures for you. Or maybe, like Bernard has stated, the fillers that they put in the generic meds could be causing the headaches and other pains.

I had posted a message on the other site "question about the new GENERIC Keppra" and I originally said I was having no problems. That was several weeks ago. I called my neurologist yesterday and asked to be taken off the generic because now I amexperiencing more headaches, shortness of breath and want to sleep more. She tried to tell me I need to see a heart dr. because of the shortness of breath, but I know it is the medication, since it started shortly after I started the generic Keppra. I know my body better than any of the doctors. I've been thru so many unnecessary tests in the past because of stupid side effects of medications and the doctors refused to LISTEN to me, the patient!

I hope you can get in to see your dr. soon!

Cindy

[dfwtexas]

Thanks Clint...I think it is the generic Keppra doing this to me. I am still waiting to hear from Dr's office, but I talked to pharmist, she checked with my insurance company and they will alllow me to have Keppra (how kind of them to allow me to get proper meds! uggh)
My head is just killing me...I hate this!

[hawke86]

I know what nighttime seizures are like. I hope you feel better soon.

[dfwtexas]

Doc doesn't think I am having nighttime seizures...thinks it the generic Keppra. He put me back on real Keppra and no more problems!

[Danie]

I believe I am going through the same thing. Some mornings when I wake up, I have a really bad headache. I asked my Grandmother to watch me a few nights while I sleep and she said I was have petit mals. This scares me because I would hate to home alone and have a really bad seizure. I don't know what to do to stop them.

[RanMan]

jobmartin:

If your brain isn't getting enough oxygen due to mild Sleep Apnea, and you find yourself waking up in the morning in a "postictal" state (out of it, confused, angry or over agressive or still feeling tired and not rested) you should get your Doctor to refer you to a sleep specialist. They will do an EEG while you sleep.
You may find out that you have seizures during your sleep as a result of you stopping breathing and possibly reduce your medication.

This could cure other health problems as well.

Maybe it's worth checking into.

Randy

[nibiru2012]

Randy:

Hi. They´re trying to rule out sleep epilepsy on me.

So i posted this video of me sleeping on you tube, but this forum didn´t let me post the link for it.

I jump or have this myoclonia all night during my sleep, so i wanted poople from these forums to watch it and help me tell.

I am seeing a neurologit and taking tests, but they take forever, so i tought i´d do this in the mean time.

I´ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, and you mentinon night seizures can be related to sleep apnea. How is this? How do you know this? What do you know about this?

My sleep doc says the same thing. That sleep apnea can be related to sleep epilepsy.

So, if you want to, please reply privatly or here and i´ll give you the link for the video.

Thanks,

john serrano.

[Bernard]

You can post the link if you replace all the periods in the address with spaces. A moderator will fix it for you after checking it.

[nibiru2012]

ok so the link for the video is

Sleep seizures? Sleep myoclonia? Sleep twitches? Sleep apnea? Sleep epilepsy? Narcolepsy?... - YouTube

Sleep seizures? Sleep myoclonia? Sleep twitches? Sleep apnea? Sleep epilepsy? Narcolepsy?... - YouTube

Sleep seizures? Sleep myoclonia? Sleep twitches? Sleep apnea? Sleep epilepsy? Narcolepsy?... - YouTube

Sleep seizures? Sleep myoclonia? Sleep twitches? Sleep apnea? Sleep epilepsy? Narcolepsy?... - YouTube

thanks for any input.

John.

[Meetz1064]

frank with you. I went and viewed the video. You REALLY need to go get an EEG done that is at LEAST 24 to 48 hours long to determine what's really going on. The reason for that is to track all or any possible seizure activity going on in that time frame. Keep in mind that an EEG is a "snapshot in time" of the activity going on in your brain for a specific time frame. And if you don't have a neurologist already, PLEASE GET ONE!!

IF the EEG shows seizure like activity during that time, then the docs CAN prescribe you anti-epileptic drugs. OR you can choose to use alternative treatments such as neurofeedback, or diet to aid in the treatment. OR combine those alternative treatments with anti-epileptic drugs.

I have nocturnal seizures myself, one of them being myoclonic, so I understand where you're coming from.

And NO, the video does NOT represent apnea or narcolepsy. I've had apnea--it went away after I dropped 100 pounds. Narcolepsy is something that typically occurs when one is awake, and falls asleep briefly in the middle of doing something. I've dealt with a couple of students with it.

I wish you the best of luck, and welcome to CWE!!

Meetz

[Meetz1064]

I enabled the link for you, and replied to you as well about the video in another post that you had up.......

[nibiru2012]

Meetz:

So you watched my video (thanks) and myoclonic night time seizures can look like the ones I have?

Could they still be sleep apnea related? Or epilepsy related? Or both?

My sleep doctor says sleep apnea and epilepsy are conditions that may be connected. That many people have both. Is this true?

If it is, what´s frist? The apneas cause the seizures (from lack of oxigen then the brain wakes up) or the other way around?

Thanks,

John.

[Bernard]

I'm not an expert, but those didn't look like seizures to me. Your arms/extremeties did not move as I would have expected during a myoclonic seizure.

I would *highly* recommend sleeping with the TV turned OFF.

I did see you scratch your nose at ~2:54 of the video. Check this out:

Nose Wiping Identifies Origin Of Epilepsy

[Meetz1064]

wanted to do some double checking before I answered you.

Mr B is right, those are not myoclonic SEIZURES. Those are myoclonic JERKS/TWITCHES. They do not last as long, or involve both sides of the body which is fairly typical of myoclonic seizures. Also, when having a myoclonic seizure during sleep, some people will also have the feeling as if they're falling off a cliff.

In regards to whether or not they are tied to sleep apnea: It's a possibility, but that would be a stretch. Myoclonus are a muscle contraction as you obviously know. But if you go look at Mayoclinic.com, you will see that one of the possible causes is oxygen deprivation. Whether or not that's due to sleep apnea is not discussed, though.

Mayo Clinic Myoclonus Causes

Personally, I have had sleep apnea before, and had myoclonic E at the same time. However, I dropped over 100 pounds, and the apnea went away. And, I still have the myoclonic E now.

Hopefully this has helped and not confused you more. I do STRONGLY feel that you need a long-term EEG so that the neurologist can rule one way or another what's actually going on.....

Take care,

Meetz

[Danie]

Well I've been told I do have sleep apnea but I never thought it could be the cause of my night time seizures. Thanks guys. I'll definitely talk to my doctor about this

[Bernard]

FYI Danie: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/...p%20apnea.html