Prediction

[Deb12345]

Hello all, just a quick question. Do you think you can predict in advance (i.e. days, couple of weeks) when you are going to have a tonic clonic? Not a precise date of course.
It’s ok, the last few weeks I haven’t been feeling very good and each day seems to be getting slightly worse. I have been stressing a lot and been quite depressed (i.e. my pet passed away on Friday – so sad ) which is a big trigger for my tonic clonics. Typing this is causing my head to feel woozy – on dinner break. I remember before being diagnosed with epilepsy, for a few weeks before having a big tonic clonic I felt like I am now / had similar systems. Just getting a bit concerned. My next appointment with my Neurologist is April 1st. What do you recon? Thanks. Debbie

[Nakamova]

If there are no warning auras, then the next best thing is to be alert to any triggers, patterns, or sensations that might indicate a seizure is on the way. I do think that stress can build up over time, and then result in a seizure. If you think this is happening for you, be proactive -- take a sick day, and/or make sure you are sleeping and eating properly. It's also possible you have a low-grade infection (which can be a seizure trigger too), so make sure there's nothing else going on with your health. Try and take time out each day to check in with yourself -- close your eyes, breathe slowly, calm yourself down. It's okay to think about your pet (I'm so sorry about that, hugs to you), don't try and keep anything in.

[Deb12345]

Thank you, Nakamova. My little pet meant the world to me and now his brother is left on his own too. I feel as though I am grieving for the two of us.

Yes I have been getting auras most days. Night times being the worst, especially the night of my little one passing away. The aura lasted for around an hour. Not good. My night time pattern is very strange. I would like to say I am getting enough sleep, though know I’m not i.e. I go to bed around 10.45pm (tried going to bed earlier). I seem to be in a daze up until 12 midnight. I can’t believe every time I look at the clock its bang on 12 midnight. Then I seem to wake up at 1am or/and 2am and that’s when I get the weird auras. I then wake up at around 5am. Just lately I seem to be getting auras whist getting ready, the normal bright light (e.g. zig zag but mine are more like a mini hurricane at the side of one of my eyes which lasts a few seconds). During the days I am just not feeling right especially my eyes even though my eyesight is good - still get the odd aura. My head just feels out of it / slightly giddy. I find concentrating is hard. I am doing things at work which I swore I did but haven’t i.e. on Friday I left the fan heater on which I swore I turned off (even have a big notice on my desk to remind me) so walked into work this morning to find a telling off letter on my desk from my manager. I went to my monthly epilepsy group on Saturday and they told me how tired I looked. Just not sure what all this means. To me it means a tonic-clonic is on its way but on the other hand I could just be worrying over nothing because I am now on tablets.

Thank you for your advice. My family have told me I should have a day off/sick but I am worried what work will say. There are already roomers going around about other people have time off sick and the comments aren't nice.

[Nakamova]

Did your meds change from something else to tablets? Sometimes that can actually make a difference in terms of absorption rate. If your auras are escalating, it may be worth calling your doc to talk about adjusting your dose.

In terms of sleep, have you tried taking a melatonin supplement, or trying a relaxation exercise before going to sleep?

[Deb12345]

Hello again, regarding tablets; I was on Keppra tablets but came off them because they were causing my hair to fall out and made me moody (Eek! ). However I have been on Lamotrigine for a while now. What I have just noticed is, during the last 4 weeks I have been feeling really bad I was taking a different brand of Lamotrigine (Neolab) to the one I normally take – chemist keeps giving me different brands. Grrh! I started taking my normal brand (Dr. Reddy’s) again on Monday evening and found it very strange that today and yesterday I have been feeling pretty much myself and have slept better. It may just be a coincidence. I have also booked an appointment to see my GP / doctor today to make sure I haven’t got an infection - don't think I have. My Neurologist is going to increase my Lamotrigine next month to 75mg x 2 a day. I have tried relaxation but that doesn’t really help me to sleep better. Plus what’s a melatonin supplement? Thank you. Snow all gone.

[Nakamova]

Given that there can be a lot of variation in the strength of active ingredient in different manufacturers and batches, it's not surprising that one brand works better for you than another. It could definitely be the reason for the change in the way you've been feeling! Other folks here at CWE have noticed the same thing. See if you can get a note from your neurologist for the pharmacy to always use the same brand.

Melatonin is an over-the-counter supplement (at least here in the U.S.) that can help you sleep better. It's often used by travelers to help with jet lag. It's considered quite safe, but if you're seeing your GP, you can ask him or her about it.

[Brent]

My service dog can tell up to two days in advance sometimes. She becomes very restless. In this way I can predict that a major seizure is coming, but I don't know when. It may be in the next few minutes or the next couple of days. Fortunately, when it is imminent (within 30 seconds) she makes it very clear.