Sweet, now I am having new types of seizures....

[wowthissuxass]

Yesterday I was talking on the phone with my mother for quite a while. I hung up the phone, felt a twitch seizure in my leg that traveled a bit, and thats the last thing I remember. I woke up in the typical dazed and confused post seizure haze, but I dont think I had a T/C. No tongue bites, etc. Instead it felt like I had just woke up from a 5 hour nap. I was confused, and called my mother and asked how long since we hung up.....30 minutes!! I told her what was going on, then hung up.

Almost right after that I started to get a weird feeling. I could tell something was going to happen, I would blank out, and when I came out of the haze, I just remember the strangest thoughts being in my head, for no reason. I would come out of the haze within a minute or two, and then almost right away get that weird feeling that it was coming back. This went on for at last an hour. I am not exactly sure as I was pretty out of it during this time.

A little while later, after a kepprage incident, I felt 100% better and all was well.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before??

[Wally]

So maybe the Keppra is working huh? At least it kept you from having a full blown T/C?! Are you keeping a log with careful notes? Keep track of all possible triggers. Stress, lack of sleep, nutrition, dehydration, etc. That hazey feeling you describe sounds similar to the way the Keppra makes me feel when I don't eat very well. Especially the first few months! Definately worth calling your Neurologist with this info. Hang tough bro!

Wally

[Bee91]

Maybe it is a side effect of the Keppra? I know that sounds strange, but I know on Tegretol, a side effect of it is small seizures That happened to me. So it may stop the big seizures but you could have little ones instead, which I found absurd. What's the point? You still can't drive. You still are having seizures...but I guess they are better than having tonic clonic seizures all the time...

I don't know about Keppra. I've never been on it. But that might be a possiblitly?

[RobinN]

Yup... some medication causes seizures. On tegretol Rebecca had seizures that took her eye sight away. On trileptal she had seizures that made her legs twitch a lot.
I agree... what is the point.

You could be having a simple partial that is generalizing. It sounds like you also had a bit of a status thing going... one to the next to the next.... I don't think that a messed up tongue is 100% proof that you have had a tonic clonic. Rebecca's tongue isn't chewed up, and her rigidity isn't as stiff as others "expect" it to be. Raises a lot of eyes, but darn... there is nothing about this disorder that is "normal".

Simple fact is ... you are having seizures and your medication isn't controlling it 100%.

I agree with Wally, keep a journal, and make note of everything. You will begin to connect the dots.

Glad you are better.

[Wally]

It takes me a few days to recover from my T/C's. I usually have black eyes and splotches all over my face, neck, and shoulders. Very weak, sore and brain won't work. I'd do almost anything to avoid any more of those...................... So a less severe seizure is definately progress.

[brain]

Actually you 'may' be experiencing a side effect
of Keppra or may not be. anti-epileptic drugs
do not erase out seizures entirely, while some
people are lucky where anti-epileptic drugs
have the ability to control the seizure(s) all around,
pretty much some folks will experience a seizure now
and then, but not a full blown one. But as Wally implied
it is a good idea to keep a journal / log / diary - and to
keep a record of what you know or remember and felt.
It does help if there were any witness(es) around you
at that time; and if you were on the phone with your
mother - did your speech change during that time, such
as become slurred, disorientated, incoherent, et cetera?
That itself would help as well. But from the way it sounds
from your post - it sounds like Keppra did its job, but its
still wise to keep what Wally implied.


When I was on Keppra, it worked to a degree, until the
Epileptologist kept the dosage titration upwards until I
was at 3000 mg daily with the primary side effect was
pure state of psychosis! I had other side effects with
Keppra, but it was absurd! Keppra is a wonder drug for
some people who can tolerate it and a nightmare to
others. There's anti-epileptic drugs that works for
some and not for others - so it's a trial and error and a
lot of patience going through the medication(s) to find
the right one(s) that will work for you. It's all because
our body chemistry is different, so what works for so
and so doesn't mean it will work for you. The titration
levels and meds that so and so takes doesn't necessarily
mean it will work for you; even though you and so and so
may have the exact same similarity of seizures!

[brain]

In addition if I had a Tonic-clonic, I'm one heck of a
mess! Tongue biting is a rarity, however, my teeth would
be cracked, split, broken, chipped, or even so far as being
knocked right out of the socket from the force. I would be
bruised and banged up depending on how severe the seizure
was, since most of mine are during nocturnal (sleep), I don't
get injured as much unless I have a major attack.

It's very rare I ever have a Tonic-clonic during awake or
daytime hours, and if so, I would sustain pretty serious
injuries as a result from it whereas I've had to have stitches
sewn in, as well as half cast (they can't put on full cast) or
immobilizer(s). It's very humbling, for I would look like I had
been in a bad car accident or had a fight with Muhammad
Ali or Sugar Ray Leonard and they knocked me out in one
blow and made a laughingstock out of me.

However, there's been times I've had back-to-backs or
went Status, and there had been a couple of times where
the sides of my tongue was nailed down, and never mind to
the fact how painful that is. And even so far as vomiting
and so much more - but I don't even want to sound gross.

Depending on the severity of the Tonic-clonic, it takes me
awhile to get back in sync - but it takes me longer to get
back in sync when I've had a Complex Partial seizure which
I have more of.

I do not get Tonic-clonics that often and am grateful for that.

[wowthissuxass]

a had the slurred speech and disorientation for sure. The reason I mentioned the tongue is that all 4 documented t/c's tat I have had have resulted in severe tongue biting. The one thing I know for sure is that it wasn't your garden variety simple partial, there was much more going on.

[Loudmouth]

sounds like you were in non-convulsive status epilepticus, if it happens again and goes on for longer than 10-15 mins ( 10 mins for you as its very new to you) YOU SHOULD GO TO A&E/ THE EMERGENCY ROOM......I get this quite a bit, what it is is that the anti-epileptic drug medication you are on is preventing you from having a full blown tonic clonic seizure, but your brain & the meds are having to 'fight' it.

[stringbean]

I have been wondering about the same happenings.
I can be wide awake working on one of my crafts and watching TV and then the next thing I remember is coming awake in a very dazed and confused mode.
I have been sitting at the table talking to my two oldest daughters and some others at one of my grandchild's birthday parties and I just kept wiping out no matter how hard I was trying to stay awake I coldn't. My sis ended up having to help me to the car and bring me home and I was very confused and dazed.
so these happenings could be seizures? I have always thought it was happening because of all the meds I am on, however my hubby has to wake me up, after such happenings and can have a very difficult time getting me to stay awake long enough to get me to take them and this has also happened when I am eating I can not stay awake to eat, I have dropped my food and even woke up with my face in it or it spilled all over me.

[morgan381]

Wow...--what you're describing does sound like a non-convulsive status, as LM pointed out. That's what I have. Everyone who has been around when it happens to me says I sound and act like a drunk--slurring, staggering around, obnoxious, etc. I was directed by my doc to go to the ER if it continues more than 10 minutes. Since then, I was prescribed ativan to be taken at the onset of these to stop it. If I go untreated, it leads to a generalized t/c--not to mention the possibility of dain brammage

Stringbean--it sounds to me (in my non-professional opinion) that you may be having complex partials. If they happen in rapid succession, you should probably go to the ER as it could be status...

[Loudmouth]

I personally have been advised to wait 15 minutes but that is because I have at least 1 episode of NCSE every 2 days...if i went each time i would live in A&E!! but you REALLY should go to the ER if it goes on for more than 10 mins...i can probably gather that you don't live a 2 minute drive from there like I do!! (that's how quick the ambulance can get here, the hospital is 0.7 miles away from my house!). i find the headaches after are EVIL as well!! it feels like an alien has tried and failed to suck out what is left of my brain after drilling holes in my skull.And I have been soooo sleepy after that I have fallen asleep in my plate of dinner before...AND on the PC keyboard..(key imprints in the forehead...NOT a good look!)