Just Had Grand Mal First Seizure Ever

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agober

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Hi guys I just had a seizure this weekend on the way to my grandparents house for Easter dinner. Luckily I was not driving but I went to the hospital and they diagnosed it as a grand mal seizure. I went to get an eeg and the results came back normal as well. Now they started me on keppra and I have this strange metallic taste in my mouth. I was wondering if anyone else has had this side effect from this medication or what is this taste. It is driving me nuts lol. Thanks guys I appreciate any input.
 
Hey sorry you've had to find us, but welcome!

I haven't taken it myself, so sorry for the non first hand experience (I know others will get back to you in a bit) but wanted to give you an answer in the meantime. Did a search and found that its a pretty common side effect. Said that it often goes away over tins, but sometimes does not. That's something those with experience can speak to!

Hope all is good beyond the annoying weird taste!
 
I know the taste you mean except i get it off zopiclone sorry this has happened and good luck on your epilepsy journey :hugs:
 
Hi Agober,
Welcome to CWE and I also am sorry that you had a clonic tonic. For me, when I have a cluster of seizures or an unusually bad one I have a metallic taste in my mouth for a few days. It may be linked to the Keppra for you or it may be due to the seizure that you experienced. I remember reading other friends on here saying the same thing about experiencing a metallic taste after seizure activity, and perhaps they will share as well. I just came out of a 3 week cluster of seizures and for the last of it I had the taste of tin in my mouth, which drove me nuts. Nothing tasted good to eat or drink.
I hope you start feeling better soon and again, I welcome you to the family even though I'm sorry for what brought you here.
 
Thank you guys for the feedback! I am also curious about my eeg results to because they came back normal. Has that happened with you guys as well to?
 
Hey ago it probably happens with 8/10 ep sufferers diagnoses more made on ep fiarys witnesses and your own words
 
Hi there, I'm quite surprised they put you straight on to an aed. My daughter didn't start them until her third bout of seizure actibity, four years after her diagnosis, two occurences of tonic-clinics having come and gone. Welcome to CWE though.
 
They put me on it because in Indiana when you have a seizure you can't drive for 6 months from the date so it's better to be on it and not happen again.
 
Hi Agober, and welcome!

It is relatively common to have a normal EEG, even if you do have a seizure disorder. A positive EEG can definitely help to confirm an epilepsy diagnosis, but a negative one can't rule it out.

I hope your seizure is a one-off. Any sense of what might have triggered it?
 
Nakamova no idea was just on the way to my grandparents house for Easter and it just happened while I was riding in the car.
 
Hi

Like Jane, I too find it odd that you are on meds after just one seizure simply because of the driving situation. Would've thought it was more important to make sure you weren't going on powerful drugs unecessarily as opposed to simply try and minimise the time you are off the road.

Have you had a proper consultation with a neuro0logist as opposed to being treated by the hospital?
 
Cardones said:
Like Jane, I too find it odd that you are on meds after just one seizure simply because of the driving situation. Would've thought it was more important to make sure you weren't going on powerful drugs unecessarily as opposed to simply try and minimise the time you are off the road.
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I think it's great they did the EEG right away and put you on seizure medication after only one TC (grand mal) seizure. Mine started out as CP seizures and slowly went into TC's. They only took me seriously after a serious injury because of my 1st TC.
Better safe than sorry!
 
I was prescribed keppra after my first seizure, but only started taking it after my second as I thought it was a freak incident of sorts. My EEG was normal too. It comes back negative for a surprisingly high number of people with epilepsy. Have they scheduled you for an MRI? If you haven't had any partial seizures beforehand, it could also just be a one time thing? Fingers crossed it is!
 
Cint said:
I think it's great they did the EEG right away and put you on seizure medication after only one TC (grand mal) seizure. Mine started out as CP seizures and slowly went into TC's. They only took me seriously after a serious injury because of my 1st TC.
Better safe than sorry!
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I'm guessing as he has seen a neuro there must have been another reason to start meds. I was only saying that after just one and with no other symptoms or adverse test results, I would prefer not to go on meds and see if it happens again. I had a seizure when I was younger and was so terrified of another I went on meds for 6 months. The side effects were awful and the neuro talked me into coming off them as he wasn't convinced I needed them. I was nervous but did so and have not had another seizure for 18 years. I could have another tomorrow which would put me back on meds but that wouldn't change the fact that if I had stayed on meds I would've taken 18 years of powerful drugs for no reason.

As no one knows if a second will happen (ie you have epilepsy) I have always been told that after a first seizure treatment is usually by a wait and see approach with obviously a second being proof meds are needed.

I just think I'd rather not go on meds and find out if I have epilepsy than just take drugs that I might not need.
 
Of course it's up to the individual but I see it the same way as you Cardones. My daughter had one TC, was diagnosed with epilepsy via EEG the next day. she had another TC six months later and even then neither we nor her consultant wanted to rush into meds. We then had four and a half years with no seizure activity before she finally went on meds last summer. I understand where Cint is coming from but I am glad we waited. Luckily my daughter's SEs aren't bad but they do exist. IIRC in the UK you can't drive for a year after a seizure. You also have to wait six months after coming off AEDs so unless you're happy to be on them long-term there's not a lot to be gained by rushing on to them. But each to their own.
 
Cardones said:
I was only saying that after just one and with no other symptoms or adverse test results, I would prefer not to go on meds and see if it happens again.
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I would have preferred that to happen, also, but wasn't so in my case.

Cardones said:
I had a seizure when I was younger and was so terrified of another I went on meds for 6 months. The side effects were awful and the neuro talked me into coming off them as he wasn't convinced I needed them. I was nervous but did so and have not had another seizure for 18 years. I could have another tomorrow which would put me back on meds but that wouldn't change the fact that if I had stayed on meds I would've taken 18 years of powerful drugs for no reason.
Click to expand...
I had been having CP's for months prior to my 1st TC and the dr. told me I was hypoglycemic. Then when I had my 1st TC seizure, I had it in the shower and suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my back and right arm. I spent 2 1/2 months in the hospital and had numerous debridement surgeries and skin grafts. So that is why I think it is good to go on meds until they can rule out the cause.
Plus after trying numerous meds, having brain surgery and my 3rd VNS surgery, I've never gone 18 years seizure free! That would be nice!!

Cardones said:
As no one knows if a second will happen (ie you have epilepsy) I have always been told that after a first seizure treatment is usually by a wait and see approach with obviously a second being proof meds are needed.
Click to expand...
No one knows, so like I said before, better safe than sorry!
 
Meds increased my daughters seizures, or perhaps caused many of them.
If I knew then, what I know now, I would NOT have approved the medication so quickly.

There are many reasons that being medicated won't solve.
Being put on them after the first and only seizure is not recommended by most medical information I have read. In fact UCLA says they give everyone two off hand seizures before they discuss medication.
 
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