Nocturnal Seizures

[neilB]

Ok, this may sound a bit silly but how do you know if you are having or had a nocturnal seizure? If you're sleeping how would you know?

Neil

[Nakamova]

Some folks wake up during/because of a nocturnal seizure. Others are semi-conscious or just awake enough to note that something's unpleasant or unusual is happening. And some can tell by how they feel the morning after. (See thread linked below):

How do you feel after a Noctunal seizure (tonic clonic)

[Endless]

Hi, Neil.

Nocturnal seizures are a tough one. It depends on what kind of seizures you have.

My most common nocturnal seizures are fear seizures, which are simple partials. Mine wake me up. Usually I wake up to an aura, which for me is a weird awful feeling in my head and body like a bad chord on a piano, plus the feeling that something is very very wrong, sort of like forboding. Then the seizure hits. I've had a couple of nocturnal complex partials where I've come to somewhere other than bed. Once outside in the pouring rain, no shoes and coat, and no idea how I got there. That one knd of scared me because it was before my diagnosis. I thought I was just sleepy and took a wrong turn (lol). Once I woke up in the morning to stuff broken, with no idea how it got that way. I've also woken up with very deep bruises or cuts with no idea how they got there, and a vague memory of going back to bed in the middle of the night. Who knows where I went during the siezure.

Other people in here have posted that they wake up to a chewed up tongue, injuries, drool all over their pillow, etc.

What kind of seizures do you have?

[neilB]

Hi Endless,
I have tonic clonic but lately I would also add partial to the list (sigh). The neurologist put me on Keppra 2500mg/day along with the Carbamezapine (200mg 2x day) that I've been on for about 7 years. My keppra levels are extremely low and I have to have blood tests once a week to check. It's been almost 2 months now with the keppra and nothing changed. ARGH.
Neil

[Cint]

Hi Neil,

I have complex partial and tonic clonic seizures and have experienced some nocturnal tonic clonic seizures. The only way I know is that they wake me, usually during the seizure itself or immediately after, with a tongue that has been chewed and a severe headache. One time, I had a bad nocturnal tonic clonic seizure and wasn't aware of it until a long time after I regained consciousness. My husband (at the time) and daughter were standing at the side of the bed at 2:00 am, ready to call 911, but I did come out of the seizure, so they didn't need to call. However, it took hours before I realized I was in my own bed at the time it happened and could remember my name, my husband's name or my daughter's name. Such an awful feeling of not knowing who/where you are! And it took 2 days to recover from the awful headaches I get when I suffer from these type of seizures.
I also take Keppra- 3000 mgs.