how likely is it that my brother could also have epilepsy?

[Krista2882]

So I've heard that Epilepsy could be hereditary, and the more I read here about people's own experiences with seizures, especially temporal lobe, the more I wonder if my brother may have temporal lobe epilepsy. As far as we know, no one else in our family has ever had epilepsy, so would it be totally unlikely for us both to have epilepsy?
Anyway, I think of him when I read about the visual hallucinations (and auditory hallucinations) associated with TLE. His whole life, he's seen shadowy figures in our house, he saw our grandfather after he'd died, he's heard all kinds of weird things in our house, and has even felt like a person was sitting on his bed in the middle of the night. The thing is that I always sort of believed in supernatural stuff. I don't believe in ghosts of people, but more like demons and spirits and stuff. He was the only one who experienced actually seeing in our house what we thought were ghosts or spirits, though I had heard some weird things from time to time (but as I mentioned in my other recent thread, I think I may have had occasional temporal lobe auras for years). He gets "visions" that sometime seem psychic and dreams that had sometimes come true (which I also read on here in at least 2 threads can be caused by seizures??). He also gets sleep paralysis like I do (but more often), and he had night terrors when he was little, but I know seizures can be mistaken for night terrors sometimes in little kids. Oh, and he gets myoclonic jerks A LOT when he'd falling asleep.
He's been wanting to get a sleep study for years because of the myoclonic jerks and the sleep paralysis and he's also struggled with insomnia since he was a teenager (he's 27 now). His insurance won't cover a sleep study, though. He thinks he might actually have Narcolepsy after doing some research on that, and I've actually read up on it and I also have a number of the key symptoms... so I dunno. I've read that Narcolepsy and Epilepsy aren't liked in any way, but I'm pretty sure both of us has it. I have Epilepsy, and I'm also suspecting that my brother has Epilepsy and has had it since he was little. But mine is more obvious because they're motor seizures (and I did have a gran mal once).
Anyway, I know that was long, but what do y'all think? It does sound very much like my brother has Epilepsy, doesn't it? What do those of you with TLE think? Also, is it totally rare for siblings to both have Epilepsy when it doesn't seem to run in the family?

Thanks!

 

[Nakamova]

The genetics of epilepsy aren't entirely understood, and what they do know is a bit complicated. Regarding you and your brother's situation: Two children with mutations on different genes may develop the same epilepsy syndrome. Two members of the same family with the same gene mutation may both develop epilepsy, but the effects in each person may be very different. There could be an inherited susceptibility, but the triggers may or may not occur that would reveal that susceptibility. Epilepsy can skip generations. In addition, some forms of genetic epilepsy are not inherited, but arise spontaneously through new mutations.

There is a syndrome called Familial temporal lobe epilepsy that sounds a bit like what you describe. People with familial temporal lobe epilepsy usually have partial seizures with psychic and/or autonomic symptoms. Secondarily generalized partial seizures can happen too, but they are rare. The average age of onset is 19 years, and the epilepsy tends to be mild and medication-responsive.

Another seizure type with a strong genetic component is Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. Roughly half of patients with this have relatives with epilepsy.

 

[Krista2882]

Interesting. Thanks.

 

[Abynorml]

Well my sister has had a few seizures, usually nocturnal, shes 10 years older than me and has a different father, and I have epilepsy(most likely juvenile myoclonic epilepsy), she doesnt take any meds for it but I have to, so yes its totally possible.

 

[Sam]

I come from a family of 11, I'm 10th in line
My brother (9th in line) has grand mal seizures (not sure of what his are called) since about age 13
I have complex partial seizures located in left temporal lobe and started getting aura's (smell) at age of 12 diagnosed at age 15 and started having grand mal seizures at 17
My niece just was diagnosed she's 15 she started with grand mal
My cousin on my mom's side had some type of aura from age 15 and was diagnosed at 22 with a brain tumor (non-malignant) they had to back out of surgery because she lost her speech but said the tumor was wrapped all around the speech area of her brain and her seizures although just aura type increase all the time, don't know long term outcome for her is.
Seizures/epilepsy are all over in my family
My mom just passed away from ALS another neurological disease

 

[Starburst]

Two of my five children have epilepsy even though we have not seen evidence of it elsewhere in the family, except for a niece on my husband's side who was recently diagnosed as well. I myself have had some strange incidents that made me wonder but nothing concrete.

Hallucinations can be caused by many things. I suggest the book "Hallucinations," by Oliver Sacks as it may be helpful to you and your brother. You might also ask the doctor you are currently seeing what he/she thinks about your brother.