Does this sound like a grand mal seizure?

[mommieinmi]

My daughter had her second seizure today. Well, I don't think it's her second seizure but it's the second one that I've witnessed. I think she's had quite a few now that we haven't seen.

She was watching TV on the couch. When I went into the living room I saw her convulsing. Her eyes were rolled back and she was just convulsing, her whole body. Last time she had one it only affected one side of her body. This went on for what seemed like forever. It was at least 3 minutes but I think it was 4 or 5. My husband and I were about to call an ambulance because we didn't know what to do but then she finally started to come out of it. When she stopped convulsing she was making a weird snoring noise but still out of it. When she finally came to she was not coherent. She finally was able to get up and come lie down in my bedroom. She said she didn't feel well and went to sleep. She's been sleeping ever since.

I talked to her pediatrician when this happened and told him I needed him to get me into the neurologist sooner. He's going to call the neurologist and see if they can work me in sooner. But what does this sound like to you? Does it sound like a grand mal?

I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. I don't know how to manage this. I don't even know what's going on with her. I hate feeling so in the dark and not knowing what to do.

[Nakamova]

Yes that absolutely sounds like a grand mal (also called a tonic-clonic). A grand mal usually starts with a few seconds of tensing (the "tonic" phase). There might be a sound like a scream (it's actually a very sharp intake of breath) and lips and hands can turn blue as all the oxygen is sent up to the brain. Then come the convulsions (the "clonic" phase) with loss of consciousness. These usually last for a few minutes. If they last for longer than 5 minutes, call for an ambulance. After the convulsions are over, it's not unusual for breathing to be a little labored and strange (the snoring you heard), and for there to be confusion after regaining consciousness. Afterwards there's definitely the need for sleep.

If it happens again, go ahead and bring her to the ER -- that will get you in to see at least the on-call neurologist even sooner.

[mommieinmi]

Yes that absolutely sounds like a grand mal (also called a tonic-clonic). A grand mal usually starts with a few seconds of tensing (the "tonic" phase). There might be a sound like a scream (it's actually a very sharp intake of breath) and lips and hands can turn blue as all the oxygen is sent up to the brain. Then come the convulsions (the "clonic" phase) with loss of consciousness. These usually last for a few minutes. If they last for longer than 5 minutes, call for an ambulance. After the convulsions are over, it's not unusual for breathing to be a little labored and strange (the snoring you heard), and for there to be confusion after regaining consciousness. Afterwards there's definitely the need for sleep.

If it happens again, go ahead and bring her to the ER -- that will get you in to see at least the on-call neurologist even sooner.

Thank you so much for the information. That's what I thought too after looking at videos of grand mal seizures. It looked just exactly like one. I just didn't know what I was supposed to do when it happened and how long I should just sit by and watch this.

Her breathing was very labored afterwards and it sounded like snoring. It took a while for her to come out of it and she's been sleeping most of the afternoon now. She got up to eat and went back to sleep. She was also complaining about a headache afterwards.

[Nakamova]

Yes, it's normal to have a headache too. It's like being really hungover.

There are a few things you can do while she's having the seizure:
-- Move things out of the way so she won't injure herself.
-- Loosen any tight clothing especially around the neck.
-- Put a pillow or something soft under her head.
-- Put her over on her side.

You don't need to hold her down, and you shouldn't try to put anything in her mouth.

When she comes out of it, help her to understand what happened and move her to a comfortable place to lie down and recover. You don't have to go to an ER unless any of the following apply:
-- She was injured during the seizure.
-- She may have inhaled water.
-- The seizure lasted longer than five minutes.
-- There is no known history of seizures.