Any ideas?

[MMaslek]

Hi All,

My 14 yr old daughter has been having drop attacks for 3 weeks. Started out as happening every other day progressing to 4 yesterday. The pediatric neurologist that I took her to said she's too old to be having (new onset) atonic seizures which is what they are closest to. He sent us to a psychologist for stress induced episodes (psychogenic seizures). Her psychologist who she saw last spring for "girl world adolescent issues" & who know her well said there is no sign of a trigger or any excess stress at this time (other than these seizure things) & told us to try a different neurologist for a 2nd opinion immediately. She's had a cardiac workup, ENT work up, neuro workup, MRI CTScan & EEG, all with no answers. The ENT found a weakness in her inner ear (balance center) but said that would be associated with dizziness issues which she has no symptoms of. She's trying to find a link for the inner ear & these attacks but so far has none. She's starting to become injured in these falls so I need to find some answers but don't know where to look. I'm really at a loss. My DD is in her freshman year of high school, popular, on the cheerleading & swim teams. Right now she's on home tutoring under house arrest because she falls without warning so I can't send her about her business. It's very frustrating for her & me. Has anyone dealt with anything similar & how did you go about finding the culprit? Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[Meetz1064]

Honestly, you

need to get a 2d, 3d or even a 4th neuro's opinion, if needed. Seizures of different types can show up at any time of life, it does NOT matter what age you are.

Give your daughter hugs for me. Atonic seizures are a pain in the arse. Any seizure is a pain in the arse...*sigh*

BTW, I do want to welcome you to CWE. There's lots of information to be had here, especially in the Kitchen and the Library. And the Padded Room is great for venting on the really bad days...

Have you, by chance, started keeping track of her seizures as well as what she eats, her sleeping pattern et cetera? E journas are great for figuring out the possible triggers to seizures, and when you and your doctors go through them, you can usually find a pattern.

 

[hootie]

I was wondering if she started eating something new or taking something new in the last three weeks.onder:

 

[MMaslek]

Thanks for the support. We started logging them as soon as they escalated. She just started a food diary but hasn't added anything new to her diet. She was tested for Celiac a few years back but was negative. I'm going back to the cardio as well to request a tilt table test but from everything I've read she is having textbook atonic seizures. The neurologist just said outright, "No she's too old". She gets a blank expression (she says the room waves) & she drops. She rouses within seconds, 15 at most & gets a headache afterwards. I'm just not sure what to request at this point. We just want them to stop. No one has tried any medications (except an antidepressant that has done nothing) because the neurologist said it psychogenic but every other doctors she sees disagrees with him. He also said its no big deal but he's not the one at the xray place every other day and he's not the one whose school put them on medical tutoring because the liability is to great for her to be in school right now until there is a diagnosis. My frustration is showing... Thanks Again.

 

[Meetz1064]

Request an

EEG that is a MINIMUM of 48 hours long, preferably an ambulatory one. When I have them done, they're done for 96 hours *eyeroll*

By making sure that she's given an ambulatory one, she can be exposed to her regular environments, and increase the likelihood of making sure that her seizures are recorded on the EEG, and it can prove your point to the neuro, IF the EEG catches seizure activity.