Is it Hypoglycemia or Non-Epileptic Seizure

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Cint

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Since I suffer fromE and Type 1 Diabetes, I hope that posting some info about Hypo/hyperglycemia and seizures will help others. From a Diabetes website: http://www.isletsofhope.com/diabetes/complications/seizures_1.html#seizure

Important IOH Health Tips: Most hypoglycemia severe enough to cause unconsciousness occurs during sleep. It is important to know the signs of nighttime hypoglycemia (i.e., waking with high fasting glucose levels, headache, or being drenched in sweat), and to check your blood glucose levels around 3 a.m. at least once a week. College students should show roommates how to inject glucagon and what to do if the roommate detects a nighttime seizure. ALWAYS carry glucagon and medical identification and emergency contact information.

Know your bedtime target range and read our tips for preventing nighttime hypoglycemia.

What is a diabetic seizure?

A seizure occurs as a result of a burst of simultaneous, contradictory signals from brain cells. There are many causes of seizures including head trauma, fever, illness. Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) and hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) both can cause seizure, convulsion, coma, and even death.

During a seizure a person is unaware of their surroundings even if they may seem alert on some level. If the seizure is a result of low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) do not attempt to feed the person who can easily choke on food and drink. Instead, give a shot of glucagon and call 911 if necessary.

Generalized seizures can have any of the following characteristics:

*Can, but do not always causes violent convulsions
*Muscles may twitch, jerk, or slowly become rigid (clonic seizures)
*Loss of muscle tone (tonic seizures)
*Can affect involuntary body movement and function (clonic seizures)
*Alter sensation, awareness or behavior
*May involve numbness in part(s) of the body
*Result in brief loss of memory
*Manifest as detecting a strange odor (when there is none), seeing flashes of light, or sometimes feel like a panic attack
*Can last a few seconds or result in a continuous seizure that does not stop without medical intervention.

There are more than 20 types of seizures classified into groups including motor, sensory, autonomic, emotional or cognitive seizures. Many seizures have unknown causes and not all seizures result in actual convulsions.

Grand mal seizure (or, tonic seizure)

A person having a grand mal seizure may cry out, lose consciousness and fall to the ground, and convulse. Grand mal seizures are what most people are familiar with as they tend to occur with violent convulsions during some epileptic seizures.

Complex partial seizure

A person having a complex partial seizure may appear confused or dazed and will not be able to respond to questions or direction. Some people have seizures that are not noticeable to others and the only clue that a person is having an absence (petit mal) seizure is rapid blinking or a few seconds of staring into space.

What is a convulsion?

A convulsion is an abnormal violent and involuntary contraction or series of contractions of the muscles. Seizures resulting in convulsion can be violent enough to cause injury to the body including head trauma, bone fractures, or broken teeth. Recorded seizures have been violently enough that people have bitten off part of their tongue, and in some cases, died from head trauma. If a person is having a convulsion form low blood glucose immediately give glucagon and call 911.

Convulsions and Seizures from Nighttime Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia can occur at anytime during the night, most typically around 3 a.m. Undetected nighttime hypoglycemia can lead to seizures and convulsions but it is important to remember that not all seizures result in convulsions. Two indications that a person has had a severe nighttime episode of hypoglycemia (whether or not seizures were involved) include waking with a high fasting blood glucose level (Somogyi, or Rebound Effect) and morning headache, and being drenched in sweat.

I've had the Rebound Effect where I wake between 3-4 in the morning, drenched in sweat and my glucose has skyrocketed, but no seizures from it, knock on wood.
 
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