simple partial with INTENSE smell

[jaysmom]

we have been a roll for a whole month with no seizure activity with jason!!! tonight doing his dishes after dinner he went barreling out the door with an extremely bad smell he could smell. i understand that it is a simple partial seizure for him ( as he has had a few like that ) but am baffelled by the fact that the smell can be soooo strong to him ? it lasted only 1-2 minutes and completely was gone.

is it common for this type of seizure to turn into generalized? his havent yet...
is it common to not be tired after this kind??? he is tired after most kinds...

does anyone else deal with these kinds of seizure symptoms?

[Ann T.]

Hello, Jaysmom,

Don't quote me on this, but maybe Jason had a seizure in the area of the brain that detects smell & taste. I know I've had a few of these, but mine have never generalized & I'm quite tired after I have these type of simple partials.

[k2s4ever]

I have simple partial seizures only, and my exclusive symptom is olfactory. I get a disagreeable burning type smell. I wake up in the morning in the clear, and then it turns on abruptly, just like a light switch. When it first happened in 2007, the smell would stay for an hour to two and go away, but now when the auras happen, the smell persists all day long. It was the increased duration and more frequent occurrences that led me to my primary dr, then to ENT, who then referred to neurologist this year and I am now on Keppra with the neurologist at this point sure that simple partial seizures is the issue. Mine is very narrowly focal to smell (and taste) only. I have seen modest decrease of the auras since the medication, but it started to bottom out and this month so far I was running 15/18 days with the aura, saw the neurologist this week and just got bumped up in dosage 2 days ago, and yesterday and so far today, I'm in the clear. (how long remains to be seen!) I do have a day or two or more clear, haven't found a true pattern yet. I do seem more fatigued when it's a "seizure day" for me. Goes to show that one does not have to "convulse" or lose awareness to still get exhausted from these neuronic firings!!
Mine have never gone generalized, and 2 years into the onset, I'm hoping that means they never will!! My neurologist says my simple partial seizures are in the mesial temporal lobe region.

[RobinN]

Can u have auras w/o having a seizure?
Not sure if this is relevant, but it is worth considering:
Seizures due to Ammonia