Help! Don't know likelihood of epilepsy/seizures

[isabella1]

Hi all,

I so appreciate in advance your help. I'm a 27 year old female, and in my life I've had two seizures. The first was when I was fifteen, and had consumed (for the first time in my life) quite a bit of alcohol. The second is a bit more of a mystery. It occurred when I was 19, and I was at a bit of a low weight, having dieted and then traveled to Brazil with very little money. I had eaten that day, I believe, a white roll and some orange juice, and then I went to the beach, smoked a small joint, and had a feeling of needing to eat. I remember getting to a fast food place and ordering a burger, and then when I woke up I was on the floor and people were telling me I'd been flopping around/seizing. At the hospital, they told me I had low blood sugar and not much else.

When I had the first seizure, they gave me an EEG which came back clear.

Here's the issue: I cannot tell if these seizures count as "provoked" or "unprovoked." From what I've read, your chances of having another seizure are quite a bit higher if you've had two, as I have. I live in constant fear of having another seizure, despite changing my lifestyle quite a bit and living quite a healthy life now. I can't tell if these two seizures mean I am more likely to have another seizure again at ANY point, or if they mean I'm likely to have another situation at a bodily extreme (drinking a lot, not eating much) or how to interpret them. Am I likely to have a seizure just living my normal life now? Am I more likely to develop epilepsy or unprovoked seizures because I’ve had these two seizures?

Any insight you could provide would be so greatly appreciated.

 

[Cint]

Hi isabella,

I understand your fear of having another seizure, but IMO, it sounds as tho your chances of having another one now are rather low since you haven't had one for 8 years. And a lot of times, seizures can be brought on from low blood sugar. My last bad seizure was because of low blood sugar, but I also have diabetes in addition to epilepsy.

So since you're living a healthy life now, chances are probably very low you will have another seizure, as long as you don't go back to that unhealthy lifestyle. Make sure you don't let your blood sugar level fall, I think you will be safe. But there could be triggers. Check this out to be safe:

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/epilepsy-101/what-are-risk-factors

Often we just don't know how or why epilepsy gets started.
What are seizure triggers?

Even though you may not know the cause of your epilepsy, you can look at whether there are factors (often called ‘triggers’) that precipitate or provoke seizures. These triggers may make a person with epilepsy more likely to have a seizure in certain situations. The triggers could change the number or severity of seizures. Learning if you have any triggers can help you learn what to do next. Sometimes people can learn how to modify their lifestyle or environment to lessen the risk of triggers.

~Missed medication
~Lack of sleep or disrupted sleep
~Illness (both with and without fever)
~Psychological stress
~Heavy alcohol use or seizures after alcohol withdrawal
~Use of cocaine and other recreational drugs such as Ecstasy
~Over-the-counter drugs, prescription medications or supplements that decrease the effectiveness of seizure medicines
~Nutritional deficiencies: vitamins and minerals
~Poor eating habits, such as long times without eating, dehydration or not enough fluids
~The menstrual cycle or hormonal changes
~Flashing lights or patterns
~Specific activities, noises or foods

 

[arnie]

:agree:

 

[isabella1]

thanks guys. another thing i was wondering: do you know anyone WITH epilepsy who is not on drugs that hasn't had a seizure for 8 years? or would that be really, really rare, and a vote of confidence for me not having it?

 

[BlueCat]

Can't answer the last one because barely made it 3 ON meds. I do want to thank Cint for that list. I need to go over some of that with my doc as just prior to this seizure I had a nasty cold, had been taking cold meds (which he'd previously said didn't interact with the AEDs) up to a day or so before the breakthrough. Makes me wonder. Sounds like you are in good shape, and as Cint says, sounds unlikely. Good luck.

 

[Cint]

Isabella

The only person I've ever known that has E and no longer has to take meds is a person who had a lobectomy. And they've been seizure free since. Their surgery was back in the 90's.
So, yes you are rare for them not to show up again without meds. I DO hope it stays that way for you. Good luck!!