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A few years ago, my sister had an "episode" that she always classified as fainting. According to her, she followed up with two doctors (not sure if both were neurologists). One said it was a seizure, the other said she fainted. This past Saturday, she had another episode, but unlike the other time, when she regained consciousness, she realized she had wet herself.

After telling me about this experience, I told her she needs to see a neurologist and get really clear about what's going on. She agreed and said, "Yeah, especially since this is the 5th time that it's happened." What???

She set up an appt. with a neurologist for this week. She lives in a different state from where she was when she had the first incident. So, she called the former doctor and had them fax her the results of an EEG she apparently had done back then. My mouth dropped to the floor as she read it to me. It was practically identical to the results of my EEG! I asked her if the words " Complex partial - temporal lobe epilepsy" meant anything to her. Maybe she was in denial, but I just couldn't believe she didn't see that as the answer to what was going on.

Anyway, I find it so interesting that I was just diagnosed last year and she now understands that she has the same diagnosis. Although we aren't geographically close, in a weird way, I'm kind of happy we are going through this journey together...
 
It's nice that she "gets it" about what you are going through, and vice versa.

Epilepsy can often have a genetic component. Have either you or your sister been tested? Do you know of any other family members who have had "spells" or migraines or "fainting" oe "daydreaming"? Sometimes a lowered seizuer threshold can show up in different ways in different family members.
 
Nakamova said:
It's nice that she "gets it" about what you are going through, and vice versa.

Epilepsy can often have a genetic component. Have either you or your sister been tested? Do you know of any other family members who have had "spells" or migraines or "fainting" oe "daydreaming"? Sometimes a lowered seizuer threshold can show up in different ways in different family members.
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We weren't tested as children, but it's funny because she and I were looking back at our childhood and remembered she used to have migraines all of the time and I used to have what I now understand to be absence seizures.

Another interesting fact...her youngest son was also recently diagnosed with epilepsy. Between the ages 1-5, my son had febrile seizures. I spoke with my paternal grandmother and she said her brother had seizures as a youngster, but outgrew them. I definitely believe in the genetic component!
 
my dad me and daughter have it..could be gentic but we also had accidents that common in doing this aswel.Dad got bullet in head I fracture skull and daughter had brain infection so hard to say.
quicker your sister gets difinate answer by proper doc the better
 
My sister met with the neurologist today, and everything went as I expected. The dr. told her she definitely should have started medication some time ago because she was certainly having complex partials that generalized. She started her on Keppra, which is what my nephew and I take, and have been successful with. Since Keppra takes some time to reach a therapeutic level, she also prescribed Onfi for a couple of weeks. Has anyone had any experience (good or bad) with Onfi? I'm so happy my sister got the confirmation she needed and now understands how serious this is!
 
 
Nakamova said:
That's odd that the neuro wants to add on Onfi , since Keppra can get up to a therapeutic level very quickly. Plus it's almost always better to try one medication before adding another one into the mix...


My sister was thinking the same thing. She was concerned that by starting both at the same time, if she has bad side effects, she wouldn't know which is causing them. She decided to just start the Keppra and watch what happens from there. Thanks so much for your input!
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