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jenniferkamloops

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I am a new member and was hoping to connect with someone that has had the same experience as myself. I am in my mid forties and have had 3 seizures in the last 4 years. They all happened when I was vomiting. I am quite certain that they were the result of the vomiting and not the other way around. On two occasions I had the stomach flu and on the other I had too much to drink. I'm not sure if it makes a difference but when each had occurred my period had just begun. My husband witnessed two which lasted for about 30 seconds. The last one occurred about a week ago and no one saw but when I came to it was obvious that I had bit my tongue. What is going on. My doctor is considering sending me to a neurologist but he thinks that it just may be do to a lack of air due to vomiting?? He is going to consult a neurologist and get back to me. Any ideas?
 
Hi jenniferkamploops, welcome to CWE!

I do recommend you see a neurologist. He/she will most likely schedule an EEG. During the EEG they ask you to hyperventilate to see if oxygen/breathing issues play a role in triggering your seizures. Fatigue, dehydration, infection, alcohol, and hormones can all lower your seizure threshold as well, so it's very possible that they played a role in your episodes. While it feels to you as if the vomiting is causing your seizures, it could also be the case that the vomiting is a warning sign or "aura" that indicates the seizure is already in progress and may generalize (i.e. become a full grand mal). Auras are similar to, and on a spectrum with, migraine auras. When they occur as part of a seizure disorder, they are called Simple Partial Seizures, and they can take the form of all sorts of sensory symptoms, including nausea and vomiting.

Write down everything you can remember in the moments/days preceding each seizure, and what happened during and after. This information will be useful to the neurologist as well. If hormones are playing a role, it's called catamenial epilepsy. You can read more about that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catamenial_epilepsy

Best,
Nakamova
 
Thank you so much for the information. The first time it happened I didn't take it too seriously and just thought it was a one off. But now that it has happened a third time I am a bit freaked out. I will go back to my doctor and ask to see a neurologist. I remember the big picture on the days that the episodes happened but I'm not sure of the sensations except that I felt that I was going to vomit. When I was a teenager I had a few migraines. I had auras with these - flashing lights and tunnel vision ect. I didn't have that with these. (I haven't had that type of migraine for about 25 years.)

Thanks again
 
Hi Jennifer,

I used to live in Kamloops & the best neurologist I saw there was Todd Collier.

I'd highly recommend him. He's young but very straightforward & honest but is not above admitting he doesn't know something.

The worst & rudest neurologist I saw in Kamloops was Dr. Gur Singh. He worked out of the Royal Inland Hospital. He told me that if I can still function with seizures then what do I need to see him for.

A female friend of mine also told me that he was just as condescending to her but also extremely sexist.
 
Hi Jennifer and welcome to CWE

Definitely get a referral to see a neurologist, start a seizure diary and document everything that happens. Hormones do play a role in Epilepsy so it's not surprising that you were menstruating when you had your seizures my big seizures all happened during my period too. I think there might be something more to it than just vomiting causing the seizures, although I know it can lower the seizure threshold. Get it checked out, even if it turns out that it's nothing to worry about, it's much better to be safe and make sure it's not something serious.

epileric said:
The worst & rudest neurologist I saw in Kamloops was Dr. Gur Singh. He worked out of the Royal Inland Hospital. He told me that if I can still function with seizures then what do I need to see him for.
Click to expand...

:eek: That just shocks me, my Epilepsy is pretty much under control and there has been no change in the cyst that is causing the seizures and my neurologist still expects me to see her every 12 months. I just got a letter in the mail from her because I'm overdue for an appointment. It's shocking that a professional could be that ignorant.
 
I guess it depends on one's condition. My neurologist doesn't say I can't see him, but that I don't need to unless either something happens or I feel I need to discuss something with him (symptom or something, I never have). He is on a e-mail network, and as I was getting past the January sz we did e-mail back and forth a bit re my meds, but other than that, he doesn't expect or make it mandatory that I come in.
 
Welcome Jennifer
I had migraine for 30+ yrs... some believe migraines are in the seizure family.
I was vomiting with them. There is definitely a brain gut connection.
One doctor I had gave me a medication for nausea, and my migraine went away.

Now I take magnesium, and I haven't had a migraine in over 6 yrs.

I would also see a gastroenterologist - perhaps he can offer a alternative therapy
 
I've heard of seizures triggered reflexively by act of swallowing; these people would have seizures only when they were eating. I don't doubt you could be perfectly right that your trigger is of a similar nature.
 
Thank you for the information. I've been putting off seeing the doctor because I'm a bit scared to pursue a diagnosis. I'm hoping it just won't happen again but I'm scared that it will.
 
Thank you for the information. I agree with you that there is a brain gut connection. When I used to get migraines as a teenager the upset stomach was also part of the package.
 
jenniferkamloops said:
Thank you for the information. I agree with you that there is a brain gut connection. When I used to get migraines as a teenager the upset stomach was also part of the package.
Click to expand...

I put up with that for 30+ yrs. It wasn't until I was doing some research for my daughters seizures, and an issue that my old son deals with, that I came to the understanding... why not consider that the gut is responsible for the migraine, or the seizure, or the pain, or the foggy brain, or the visual issues...

why do we consider it to be the other way around?
 
i was the same jennifer i had a seizure in my sleep and thought nothing of it but when it happened 3rd and 4th time i started to panick, what scared me the most was they were in my sleep and i dont even know they were happening it was my dad that witnessed it all. I have no recognition of any of them the only way i knew i had 1 was because i woke up with a bruised tounge confused and felt like i had a hangover, im thinking mine could be hormone related i knw my mam suffered with severe migranes all my childhood the doc couldnt figure out what it was until they found it it was her womb so they removed her womb and she has had no headaches sine this happened, so im thinkin mine are hormone related as they happen same time every month. i would defo reccomend seing a neuroligist and explainig everything to them.
 
Crazychick, I can relate to what you are going through, I also had seizures when I vomitted or had any kind of stomach upset, it has been happening since I was little, as long as I can remember. I have been worked up several times and have had video EEG's, never have I had an epilepsy diagnosis. However my son now has epilepsy so who knows maybe I also do. As it turns out they told me that it was vasovagal, and that I have a low seizure threshold, which is why I convulsed. They called it convulsive syncope. A few things that helped me was keeping my weight up, which unfortunately happened naturally, but when I was 25 and 98 lbs my symptoms were much worse. Today I am 39 and 125 lbs, I have much less of an issue. Keeping hydrated as well. I took beta blockers for years to keep my pulse regulated as well as medication to keep my blood pressure up, so that it had further to fall when I did have an episode so I had less of a chance of loosing conscience. Those meds made a huge difference for me, when I got pregnant for the first time I went off of the meds and three kids later I have never gone back on, I just deal with it when it happens, but it is much less frequent. Good luck, let me know if you have any questions, what you are going through sounds very much like what I have gone through.
 
my eeg and brain scan came back clear, but they wont do a sleep check they said they jus gotta take my word for it that i was seizing in ma sleep, but wouldnt it make more sense to do a sleep test as they only happen in my sleep? i want to come of my meds totally as the seizures are so much easier to deal with than these side afects. but the doctor n neuroligist will not see me any earlier than december which i thik is shocking because the meds are making me feel ill. momofthree do u think it could all be hormone related? because theres no one else in ma family who sufferes with epilepsy? i had a normal birth as far as i know. The only reason im thinking hormone related is becauyse of my mam as i explained in last post, the neuroligist mentined hormone replacement therapy have you heard of this and if so do you know if it works?
 
Wow. I just read your post to my husband and we're both like that sound more like me than anything else I have heard. My weight is also relatively low. I am 47 - 5'7" and about 129 lb. I am always working at keeping my weight up. I also have relatively low blood pressure I have been told. Thank you for the link, I will look into that right now...thank you again. I will let you know how it goes when I finally get to the neurologist.
 
I'm sure that mine are hormone related in some way too because it is the beginning of my period when I have them.

Why won't they do a sleep check on you????
 
mine are the same round about the monthly cycle, i really dont know why they wont do a sleep check but the doctor says thery cant do it, they have to take my word for it, i mean how silly is that? im so fed up now i have had more than enough of what i can take if i'm being honest, the doctor and neuroligist who i thought would be bothered couldnt care a less.
 
thanx jennifer, i have finally geten an earlier appointment and the neuroligist to listen. so hopefully il get sorted thanx.hows things with you?
 
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