My son 2.5yrs had a convulsion for first time

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hi,

Our son, Kshitij, 2 1/2 yrs old, was suddenly had a convulsion on 28th Dec'12 at 8am in the morning while sleeping. This was the first time when it has triggered and we were having no idea how to deal with it, so without losing a moment we immediately rushed to the nearby hospital (took 5-10 mins) and admitted him to emergency. The doctor immediately started the treatment, he was laid on his left side, a narrow pipe was inserted through the mouth and nose to suck out any liquid and Valium suppository was given rectally, and in less than 5 mins he discharged lots of saliva (around 150ml) and his breathing was normal and he went into the deep sleep. Followings were the observations during his convulsion:

1. It lasted for 15-20 mins overall.
2. he was not responding to us at all, even we were repeatedly shouting and talking to him but his eyes were wide open continuously staring
3. His body was stiff and he was jerking one side of the body (leg, hand and mouth) and we don't exactly remember whether it was left or right.
4. the color of the face didn't changed as such but I remember it was slight red when we put same water on his face (on the way to hospital).
5. He was having no fever or any injury in recent times.
6. He was sleeping in between us in a closed room (we are in Kuwait and the flat is centrally AC, and windows are totally Air tight - may be lack of oxygen since AC is switched off in winter)
7. He has under medication earlier (during last 1 1/2 months) for worms in the stomach, stomach pain and Iron syrup for low Haemoglobin. He has stopped medication during last 3-4 days.

When he has recovered from the convulsion, he was transferred to govt hospital for further examinations, the summary is as follows:

1. Various blood tests (Reports by and large OK) and CT scan of head (report normal) was done in-patient and the reports are attached to this mail.
2. The Dr kept him in hospital for 24 hr observation and since there was no re-occurrence, so was discharged on 29th Dec'12 afternoon.
3. The Dr has asked for eye check up and report was normal (report attached at page 6).
4. MRI brain and EEG has been prescibed which will be done in next 7 days (we are taking appointments)
5. Even though it was the first time convulsion, Dr asked to start to start the medication (since the convulsion was for a longer period 15-20 mins and one sided) and has prescribed Trileptal (60mg/ml syrup) with doses - 60 mg for 7days, 100mg for next 7 days and 130 mg for next 2 months, and asked to continue the medication for next 2 yrs.
6. The Dr has asked for the follow up in the OPD with all the reports where he will decide for further course of treatment.
7. The Dr has also given the Rectal suppository Diazepam Rectubes 5 mg to keep in the fridge at home and in case of re-occurrence of convulsion, asked to lie him down on the left side with soft pillow below his head and insert the suppository rectally and wait till he is normal.

Following are the queries we still have in our mind:

1. Should we start the medication right now or wait till MRI and EEG reports (expected to be with us in next 7-10 days), and start the medication if the reports are normal or abnormal.
2. How much can the medication prevent further re-occurrence
3. What are the side effects of these types of medicines,
4. What other precautions should we take
5. Should he continue his Play school (700mtrs away from our house, going by school Van)
6. Tell me some good Paediatric Neurologist in India to refer for 2nd opinion in this case.

Thanks and regards,

--
Ashish Kumar
Mob: +965 60398949
Res: +965 2371 6340
 
Ashish

Warm welcome to CWE. I am very sorry and can truly understand this is a very troubleing time for you.
Some input from me and I am no doctor. I am Mother to Son of 27 with Epilepsy.

1. It was a very long seizure. He had worms and was on medication, did you talk to the doctor if withdrawal from this med could have caused the seizure? All tests could come back normal yet seizures can still be present, they can be hard to capture if the brain is normal (per the tests) as they come and go. To trust the doctor is a personal choice, one only you and your wife can make, trust your instincts.
2. That all depends in each individual case, for some you can have one seizure only and another never appears. As for the meds, sometimes the 1st med will stop seizures and for some its trial and error journey
3. I am not sure of medication dosage on such a young child; I will let the other parents of young kids respond to this.
4. Please see the website I post below, I found it very helpful.
5. Yes, normal life should continue, if at all possible...
6. not sure

I wish I had come across it earlier myself, which is why I am sharing it with you
http://www.theseeprogram.com/html/s_e_e__library.html

you have come to a warm, caring place here at CWE. People who are willing to tell it like it is. Explore this site, for here I started my learning journey about E and still going strong.
 
Ashish, welcome to CWE!

So sorry for you and your son -- no doubt it is a scary time for your family. I applaud you for seeking information and support -- getting a handle on what is going on can help make a difficult time a little less difficult, and may give you some peace of mind as you move forward with your son's medical care.

The MRI and EEG results may prove helpful in making a decision about medication. If the EEG shows abnormal brainwaves, then your son may be vulnerable to future seizures, and medication may be worth trying. If the MRI and EEG are both negative, then the decision becomes a little trickier. It can often be a matter of trial and error to find the one medication that works best with the fewest side effects. In children, this process is particularly fraught, since the brain meds are very powerful, and young kids are less able to articulate any problems they may be experiencing when they take them. For this reason, you may want to delay starting medication until after you have a second opinion from a pediatric neurologist. In the meantime, you would have the Diazepam handy if he were to seize again.

Is there any possibility that the worms, or the medication to treat them may have played a role in causing the seizure?

Best,
Nakamova
 
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