partial seizures

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Emee

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Is the amount of med's you take for your partials the same as for any other seizure? I'm between neuro's at the moment & my PC doc is managing my meds.

Do you feel lethargic the day after a seizure?

Also, do you find your family & friends don't take you seriously because you don't completely lose consciousness? It is hard to describe how I feel. I can't think clearly, thoughts are jumbled, what is happening is familiar yet I am frightened, don't know what I'm supposed to do or how to react, I just stand or sit in a stupor, feeling surreal. If I was driving I don't think I would know what to do or how to react. That's why I haven't driven for awhile. After it passes usually a bad headache, & fatigue.

I know that's a lot of questions. When trying to describe what my partial seizures feel like I've had my husband say "I do that all the time". or "I go into a room & forget what I went there for. I try to explain that's not how it feels at all, but I can see he doesn't understand. I told him I think if he experienced one he would call 911 if he could remember how.

Thanks for letting me vent & for your comments.
 
Hey Emee,

I've only had partial seizures so far and I feel really lethargic the day afterward, I also find it really hard to concentrate. Your description sounds like my simple partials-familiarity but a strong feeling of fear/like you're in danger, jumbled thoughts.

My friends and family are mostly supportive but there have been a few people who when they find out my seizure type say 'you shouldn't call that a seizure!' or 'Oh so it's not a bad one then?'. It's incredibly hard to explain to them the impact they have. I usually have a migraine afterwards and sleep for the rest of that day and through the night and am STILL tired the next day. With the seizure itself it is a horrible feeling to not have control over your brain and body, normal absentmindedness doesn't come close to the experience of a seizure!
 
Emee

You are having a hard time, try to relax a minuet and stop comparing yourself to others, the thing is we are all different irrespective of the seizure type we have and the amount of medication I take does not mean you will need the same amount or the same ones. You will need to figure out the correct amount for you, this will be done between you and your neurologist.

Do you feel lethargic the day after a seizure?

Yes I feel lethargic the day after the seizure and a few days more usually. Then there is the headache and no energy. It is hard to know how react and yes it is frighting.

It is hard to explain to family and friends just what you went through or how it feels, I honestly do not think they can understand and that is not their fault but their support can make up for a lot. In the mean time we have to look after ourselfs and try and get others to understand.

Ask all the questions you want the good people here will try to help and vent all you want.
 
Thank you. I feel fear because I'm always afraid my brain won't ever return to normal (normal for me) & I will be like vegetable with a scrambled egg for a brain. Excuse my attempt at humor. I know there's nothing funny about it.
 
I do take the same amount of meds for both partial and tonic clonic seizures. I think both to stop me from going into a tonic clonic and so I don't have as many partials.

During a complex partial I don't know if you want to say that I necessarily black out or not. I am 'awake' during them and I'll do things but not know that I'm doing them - talk but not really making any sense, walk around, play with things, I even loaded the dishwasher once. Since I'm not doing things in the right way everyone knows that I am having a seizure.

A simple partial is a little harder to explain to people because they can't see it actually happening. I'll get dizzy feelings, see things or not see things right, my lips or hands might tingle. I'm completely 'awake' during these and can answer questions properly. I didn't even know that these were seizures until I told my neuro that this was happening and he told me they were.

Luckily my husband knows about all the types of seizures and when I tell him that I've had a simple partial he will believe/understand me because he's seen every type I've ever had. When I tell a family member I had a simple partial they do believe me but they get sort of confused because they didn't see anything actually happening, I was just sitting there as normal as could be.
 
I've had simple partials, complex partials, and generalized (grand mal). The simple partials were occurring several times a day. I can't speak except for jibberish, and I can't understand what's being said to me. I can't read. Usually passes in a couple of minutes. I don't usually feel tired after but definitely do after a complex partial or a grand mal. I feel disconnected and can't think.
It's difficult having an illness that people can't see unless you're having a full blown grand mal. The meds make you feel awful... almost like the cure is as bad as the disease. Luckily my husband and family are supportive.
Good luck and hang tough!
 
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