Hello everyone. My son is 11 years old, and has been diagnosed with possible seizures. It all started last May. He began fainting and getting what he called "lightheaded". The episodes went away for a few months, and have now come back FAR WORSE. Here is a quick description of what he experiences.
He says that he gets a funny taste in his mouth. Not a taste per se, but a sensation that runs through his head and settles in his mouth. A bitter taste. He then gets tunnel vision (to the point that he loses vision). From here, one of two things can happen.
1. His arms will get tingly/numb and he passes out completely for about 6 seconds. He hits the floor/desk pretty hard. He has hurt himself during a pass out. When he awakes he is confused for a very short time. Then regains his composure.
2. If he doesn't completely pass out, he will have a black-out spell. This lasts about 10 seconds. He does not lose consciousness, and continues at whatever (simple) task he is working on. But his awareness is totally gone. He is conscious but not aware. Confused briefly after the event.
The thing that makes me wonder if these are actual seizures, is that he says that he can sometimes "stop" the event if he "catches it as soon as he gets his first sensation". He puts his head down and breathes really heavy. So, I have to wonder if this is just syncope? Or, I fear it is a heart problem. What led the doctor to think seizure was the loss of awareness, funny taste in his mouth and confusion.
This happens while he is either sitting or standing.
We have lots of testing this week. We have an EEG, EKG, Echo and neuro consult scheduled. What do you think? I really appreciate your feedback. Thank you.
He says that he gets a funny taste in his mouth. Not a taste per se, but a sensation that runs through his head and settles in his mouth. A bitter taste. He then gets tunnel vision (to the point that he loses vision). From here, one of two things can happen.
1. His arms will get tingly/numb and he passes out completely for about 6 seconds. He hits the floor/desk pretty hard. He has hurt himself during a pass out. When he awakes he is confused for a very short time. Then regains his composure.
2. If he doesn't completely pass out, he will have a black-out spell. This lasts about 10 seconds. He does not lose consciousness, and continues at whatever (simple) task he is working on. But his awareness is totally gone. He is conscious but not aware. Confused briefly after the event.
The thing that makes me wonder if these are actual seizures, is that he says that he can sometimes "stop" the event if he "catches it as soon as he gets his first sensation". He puts his head down and breathes really heavy. So, I have to wonder if this is just syncope? Or, I fear it is a heart problem. What led the doctor to think seizure was the loss of awareness, funny taste in his mouth and confusion.
This happens while he is either sitting or standing.
We have lots of testing this week. We have an EEG, EKG, Echo and neuro consult scheduled. What do you think? I really appreciate your feedback. Thank you.
