Preventing tonic/clonic seizures while they are still partial?

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RunningGirl85

RunningGirl85

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My title probably makes zero sense, but I'm wondering if anyone has done this... There have been a few times where I felt a T/C coming, and it lasted for awhile - similar to what happened before the T/Cs I have had in the past. I knew what the feeling was so I got up (both of my other ones were when I was sitting) and took some breaths, went into a quiet room... paced back and forth, etc. I know it seems counterintuitive and I should have sat down, but I felt worse sitting than standing. Eventually I felt better before it progressed. Maybe it was never going to get that far, or maybe I was able to help stop it from happening?

Just curious if anyone else has done the same thing, or if there is any evidence that this works?
 
I have woken to auras and I think I've been able to prevent, or at least delay, the progression to a more involved seizure. Or like you say, maybe it would have never progressed anyway. But what I think has worked sometimes is getting up and walking, as you mention, or rolling over to a different position in bed, and consciously tensing up all the muscles of my body. Sometimes, though, I'll fall asleep happy it didn't progress, only to wake up minutes or a couple of hours later to the actual seizure.
 
During a simple partial, I would breathe slowly and yawn. I felt like this made a difference. I don't now and will never know if it was true or not, but it made me feel better about things.
 
RunningGirl85 said:
My title probably makes zero sense, but I'm wondering if anyone has done this... There have been a few times where I felt a T/C coming, and it lasted for awhile - similar to what happened before the T/Cs I have had in the past. I knew what the feeling was so I got up (both of my other ones were when I was sitting) and took some breaths, went into a quiet room... paced back and forth, etc. I know it seems counterintuitive and I should have sat down, but I felt worse sitting than standing. Eventually I felt better before it progressed. Maybe it was never going to get that far, or maybe I was able to help stop it from happening?

Just curious if anyone else has done the same thing, or if there is any evidence that this works?
Click to expand...

I read somewhere that it is possible to stop a seizure by smelling an odor that you find pleasant. I keep a bottle of essential oil that I really like in my desk drawe at work and another at home. Unforuantely I didn't thin about it when I had my last seizure. Frankincense is suppose to be good for stopping seizures.
 
I've read that some people have been taught to do the opposite of what they naturally do prior to the seizure--like if their arm goes up during the aura, for example, to push it down suddenly. Also imagining a calming positive scene. I've been doing the latter and slow breathing when I feel the 'strange feelings' that preceed my SPs and haven't had them progress since (did that this morning), but who knows. I started a new med too!
 
I understand your title. I thought I was the only one who tried to prevent them from happening. If I pace around, I am more likely to fall. What I usually do is clench my fists as hard as I can. or I also squeeze my thigh...why? Well because when I get an aura, I feel this weird sensation in my thigh area, and weirdo me thinks that If I squeeze my thigh it will stop the seizure from happening. Sometimes It does and sometimes it doesn't. But if you got something good going to prevent them from happening, keep doing what you're doing!

Hugs,
Janellie
 
I had the same thing this morning and last night. I thought I was about to have a seizure so I took a few big breaths and stood up and then laid down slowly and rested calmly, making sure I stayed awake. I also do the clenching of my muscles and that seems to work as well.
I have never heard of the smelling a pleasant odor thing but might try it. :)
 
Wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one! I get a funny feeling in my stomach when I get mine, and I get sweaty/tingly hands. Epilepsy is so strange the way it affects everyone differently (but then again it's our brains doing their own thing, so I could see that, lol). Mine have been pretty bad lately, which is frustrating. What's worse is that my neurologist has upped my Depakote... ugh. I guess it's also good I have my Klonipin that I try to avoid taking if I need it...
 
RunningGirl85 said:
My title probably makes zero sense, but I'm wondering if anyone has done this...
Click to expand...
Your title makes plenty of sense... Now I can use the magnet for my VNS to stop my seizures. But prior to me having the VNS, I had read that sometimes people could stop their seizure by deep breathing and trying to focus on something pleasurable during the SP (aura) and that would stop the seizure from generalizing.


RunningGirl85 said:
Just curious if anyone else has done the same thing, or if there is any evidence that this works?
Click to expand...

Back in 1990, there was a book written by a women who suffered from epilepsy. She swears this can be done. The book is, "Epilepsy: A new Approach" by Adrienne Richard and Joel Reiter, M.D.

In one part of the book she explains how a person can stop their own seizures. She also talks about releasing stress, tension, and relaxation plus nutrition to prevent seizures. Not all of it worked all of the time for me. Just thought I would share it with you, though.
 
 
For me my aura comes as numbness, pins and needles feeling in my right hand. A couple of times I've had false auras, where they didn't progress like normally. But when they do start to progress, I

REACH FOR MY ATIVAN pills

Thats the emergency pill i take to help stop the seizure. Who knows whether it does or not, but still it gives me hope. I've done all the breathing exercises, tried to walk while one was happening, thought of beach scenes, nothing would help, stopped drinking coffee as soon as i get up and nothing seemed to stop it.

I'm just grateful my seizures happen now in the mornings. 20 of my last 22 seizures where in the mornings. I wish everyone could do the same.

:piano: :pop:
 
Zolt said:
For me my aura comes as numbness, pins and needles feeling in my right hand. A couple of times I've had false auras, where they didn't progress like normally. But when they do start to progress, I

REACH FOR MY ATIVAN pills

Thats the emergency pill i take to help stop the seizure. Who knows whether it does or not, but still it gives me hope. I've done all the breathing exercises, tried to walk while one was happening, thought of beach scenes, nothing would help, stopped drinking coffee as soon as i get up and nothing seemed to stop it.

I'm just grateful my seizures happen now in the mornings. 20 of my last 22 seizures where in the mornings. I wish everyone could do the same.

:piano: :pop:
Click to expand...
I take 2mg of klonipin for sleep every night prescribed by a sleep specialist. My neuro said if I start to have waves of partials, to cut one in half and take it and it will stop my seizures.
 
I do the same with clonazepam--my neuro told me to take one of those for waves of partials and it (usually) stops them or at least slows them way down.
 
lindsayschu2 said:
I do the same with clonazepam--my neuro told me to take one of those for waves of partials and it (usually) stops them or at least slows them way down.
Click to expand...

I wish I had known all of this before I got my seizures almost under control. My husband would have shared an Ativan with me if we had known it would have stopped the seizures. They would last for hours or even days. We thought they were TIA's (Transient Ischemic Attacks) because I felt the same way I felt when I had a stroke. I wasted 3 1/2 years being treated for TIA's and worrying that I was going to stroke out at any time.
 
Yeah I also get the tingling as part of my simple partials. And I don't have Ativan, but Klonipin seems to work pretty well for me... At least I think it does. I just wish it didn't make me so sleepy :(
 
When I know a sz is coming on I never know what type of sz I'm going to have till it happens because I have partial,tonic clonic absence sz's right now.
 
Me too! when i feel a temporal coming on, it has started already. My stomach is turning strong (but not nausea) and almost vertigo and cremaster muscle activated (like a deep, primordial terror). Most of the time i do not shake physically but pause in a blank out that can't be broken. All this to report that i try to deep breath right then and i don't know if it effects the seizure at all. Funny how Immediately after i need to get down on my knees and elbows on ground (not falling but by choice) and pray facing east. This sucks when in a crowded cafe (like yesterday!) SHIT! people are saying "are you ok?" My girlfriend was there this time and helped. I want to try essential oils. I read that vanilla is a calming scent...
 
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