Procedures and Seizures

[Ruth]

I had a procedure done. It was a colonoscopy. During the Prep, at home, I was allowed to take my morning medicine. The doctor said that after 12 noon I could not have anymore medicine.

I took the Prep medicine and got dehydrated. I was not allowed to drink anything. I could have tea, broth and anything else that was liquid. It would not stay down. That dehydrated me even more.

I called up the doctor who was doing the procedure and he told me to go to the ER. This was at midnight They gave me an IV to stop the dehydration and 2 mg of Lorazepam to stop my seizures. That did not cut it. I had been without meds for too long.

They took me upstairs for the procedure, where I had even more seizures. The nurse told the doctor. He said that I could cancel it. I had gone this far and wanted to get it over with.

I asked the nurse to ask the doctor if he could stop my seizures and still have the procedure. He had me take my medicines by mouth and rushed me into the colonoscopy room. I was given an anesthesia.

He wanted to get it over with before I had more seizures. He did it and there was nothing wrong with me. That was the last thing I remember. I think I went into tonic clonic seizures. I woke up with an IV and a nurse taking care of me. The IV was taken out and I was sent home.

Has anyone else have similar experiences with Procedures and Seizures?

[Meetz1064]

haven't.

But then again, the neurologist doesn't allow me to have surgery where I undergo anesthesia. Because of my t/c's. Even the root canals that I have had have only been using Novocaine shots. YIPPEE.

I did have to have surgery though, this past November--and my neurologist and another one of my doctors had to have some serious go-rounds about it. I had some cysts that had to come out (internally). It took them 3 weeks to get it settled.

In the end, the cysts were taken out, and my other doctor used a robot to get it done--in 15 minutes. Which made my neurologist quite happy, because normally the procedure, and another possible procedure that I faced, take an hour up to possibly two hours.

[Ruth]

My neurologist lives in another city. I asked him if he would come and he said, No.

This was the first time that I could not have my medicines on time before the procedure. I knew it would not work and I told the doctor. I told him that he would have to allow me to have my medicines.

Because of this, I had been cancelling it for over a year.

[PhylisFeinerJohnson]

My experience was sort of comical. I was 20 something, all alone in the hospital to have a cyst removed from the base of my spine. It couldn't be put off any longer and my GP had recommended a sugeon.

In walks this nice man who told me (English was his second language) that I was going to have a spinal. I screamed, cried and pleaded. He smiled.

I had forgotten to tell the anesthesiologist that I had epilepsy.

By some miracle, my GP appeared and straightened everything out. Whew.

[Ruth]

I was given an anesthia.

I was called on the phone today by a nurse who was there during the procedure. She was real concerned. She asked me how I was. She told me that I was having seizures during the procedure.

I did not know that. The doctor should have stopped the whole thing. I wonder how my colon really is. I am going to call the doctor tomorrow.

I found out about an alternative:

http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/...15/92301.shtml It is about having an MRI for a colonoscopy. I wish I had known that before.

[Endless]

Ruth,

I'm so glad you posted this. I'm due for some inpatient surgery, with general anesthesia. I can put it off for awhile longer if I have to. I'm going to talk to my epileptologist about it at my next appointment. I only have simple and complex partials, so I'm thinking my situation will be different from yours, but I'm still concerned. They'll be keeping me overnight +1-2 days - will they let me take my own generic Trileptal, or will they feed me their stuff?

If you had a colonoscopy they probably didn't give you a general anesthesia. They probably gave you concious sedation, which is a different thing altogether.

I'm very curious what my epileptologist will say about this. I'm guessing it'll be a "go."

[Ruth]

With my types of seizures, they should have had me as an inpatient. That would have worked out better.

I asked my neurologist, who lives in another city, to come and make sure that everything would go right, as far as my seizures were concerned. He said, "NO."

[Endless]

Wow Ruth. You've hit on one of my pet peeves.

Would our bleepin' doctors just TALK to each other once in awhile?~!

If they would have actual conversations and work together as a TEAM, they could create a game plan that takes into account our total health needs, not just the one thing from their little corner of the medical world.

I'm really glad you brought this up, too. I'll add it to my conversational topics for my PCP when I see her next. I need her to be the quarterback and make sure my surgery and my hospital stay takes into consideration my seizures as well as other health concerns. I'll need her to talk to my surgeon, my epileptologist, my anesthesiolgist. (How the heck do you spell that?)

[Ruth]

I also have diabetes type 2. Without food for a long time, my blood sugar must have dropped a lot. One of the complications of diabetes is seizures:

http://www.isletsofhope.com/diabetes...eizures_1.html

My GP just refers me to a doctor, then she is out of the picture. No teamwork with any of my doctors.

[Loopy Lou]

I've got to go soon to have some veins sorted in my legs under general anaesthetic, but my doc never indicated there could be any problems with that and my epilepsy.

Mind you, i've only got my consultation on the 2nd of August, could be ages before i actually get it done.

So is it actually safe to have a general anaesthetic whilst on anti-epileptic drug's? Or is it more to do with the actual epilepsy itself?

[Meetz1064]

I understand, it varies.

I was in a bit of panic still that day about the whole thing. And evidently the anesthesiologist had been in on the phone conversation(s) with my neurologist as well. He assured me that even though I have 4 types of nocturnal E, that what he was using would work in conjunction with my meds to keep the E at bay.

Then he started calming me down more by talking about his kids, whom I've had in class when I've subbed at the high school. The last thing I remembered was laughing with his hand holding mine.....

[Ruth]

I found two links about epilepsy and anesthesia. This one is about Anesthesia:

http://professionals.epilepsy.com/pa...nesthesia.html

This one is Surgery and Anesthesia:

http://professionals.epilepsy.com/pa...s_surgery.html

They are both excellent articles.