Am I having petit mal seizures?

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iluvscoobydoo04

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Hello,

I just joined this site even though I have had epilepsy for ten years. I never learned much about it because my seizures were well controlled with medicine (or so I thought). I would randomly (to me) have these episodes lasting 15-30 seconds at a time that really confused me. My ears ring, I get light-headed, and I have a weird smell that occurs. After this happens, I feel hot all of a sudden, weak in the knees, exhausted, and have a headache. It is almost like I had a seizure without actually having a seizure (my diagnosed epilepsy has always been grand mal seizures). I recently thought that it might be something more than random episodes and finally did some research. I found out that this might actually be a seizure, which has really freaked me out. This would happen about three to four times a year even while on medicine. I have a doctor's appointment on Friday about this, but was wondering what other people's opinion's might be. Only one of these incidences have been witnessed. My friend said that I was staring and looked like I had heard something. Sorry for such a long post, but really freaking out a bit here. I go to my family physician for my medicine and that is who I will see on Friday.

Wish me luck.

Amanda:?
 
Hey Amanda, welcome!

Your symptoms sound like they could be simple partial seizures, and or absences (petit mals).

You can read about simple partials here: http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_simplepartial and you can read about absence seizures here: http://www.epilepsy.com/EPILEPSY/SEIZURE_ABSENCE

Your symptoms are also similar to migraine (which is a close cousin to epilepsy), another diagnosis for you and your doc to consider.

It's possible that the dose of anti-seizure med you've been on just needs to be adjusted upwards a bit. Some seizure meds work better against one kind of a seizure vs. another, so a neurologist might recommend switching to a different med (assuming your family physician refers you to a neurologist, which would be a good idea.)

Can you think of any particular trigger for your symptoms? It can be hard to pinpoint if you have them only a few times a year -- but if you can write down any details that you remember you might be able to identify factors that are playing a role. Fatigue is the most common trigger, but anything that can stress your system (physically, physiologically, or emotionally) can be a contender... More about triggers here: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f22/epilepsy-triggers-516/ and here http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/triggers-seizures-13704/

Good luck!

Best,
Nakamova
 
Thanks for the advice Nakamova! If I could get a decent night's sleep, I could rule out sleep deprivation. I have trouble falling asleep as well as staying asleep. Even when I am asleep, I am tossing and turning. I have had migraines since I was a teenager as well. I just switched my medicine in early September from Carbatrol 200mg twice a day to Carbamazepine 200 mg twice a day. Before this, I had not had a grand mal (tonic/clonic?) in five years. At the end of October (the 24th), I had a grand mal at work. I bit my lip and my glasses, which I am still trying to figure out how they got in my mouth in the first place. LOL I was transported to the ER and my medicine levels were low. I had forgotten two doses of medicine, the night before and that morning. I had another short grand mal that evening that lasted about 30 seconds. Nine days after that (I started a seizure journal to keep track) I had my first "episode" also at work. Nine days later, I had my second "episode". They don't really feel like migraines I have had in the past, but I will mention it to my doctor. Nine days from my last one would be this Sunday.

Another question I have is could I still be having side effects of medication even if I have been on it for ten years? I have had fatigue since I started Carbatrol in 2001. I keep thinking it could not be my medicine because I have been on it for so long. Just wondering.

Thank you for your help and looking forward to finally finding out more about my issues. My first Neurologist did not tell me much about Epilepsy and I was too young to think of actually doing research on it. Now I want to know what kind of seizures I have and why they were unable to find a cause.

Brightest Blessings,

Amanda
 
So you switched from the brand (Carbatrol) to the generic (Carbamazepine)? That could be the problem! The generics aren't identical to the brands. They can vary in the amount of the active ingredient, and are inconsistent from batch to batch and manufacturer to manufacturer. Often a neurologist will insist on the brand-only -- no substitutions -- for just this reason. Not everyone has a problem with the generic form of their AED, but many folks on this forum have reported having seizures after being switched to the generic. Any chance you can go back to the brand?
 
I do not see any reason why I couldn't. I don't understand why the FDA would let it be on the market if it wasn't the same. I just liked the fact that the generic was only $10 for three months and the brand was $75 for the same amount. Thank you very much for your help. Any ideas on what I should be telling the doctor?
 
Went to the doctor today and he agrees that I am having simple partial seizures on top of my tonic-clonic ones. He is testing my blood levels to see if I can stay on the generic. He wants to keep me on it if he can because of how much cheaper it is for me. He never mentioned going to a neurologist even though these are new seizures for me. I have actually been having them for years even while on the brand medicine, but never knew what they were. I just ignored them for years not thinking they were actually seizures. Should I go to a neurologist?
 
Generally it's a good idea to see a neurologist for your epilepsy -- it's their job to be up to date on the latest treatments and tools. But if you feel confident in your regular doctor, it might be okay to stick with him. Have you discussed getting a referral from him?
 
When I called the doctor's office and asked for an appointment, I asked if I needed to just go to a Neurologist. He said he wanted to see me before going to a Neurologist. He didn't mention anything about a Neurologist at my visit, but I also forgot to ask as well. I will mention it when he calls with my test results next week. I can self refer to a specialist, but I really like and trust my doctor. I would feel more comfortable with a Neurologist though because I am having "new" seizures that my brand medicine was not preventing.
 
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