New Seizure

[rjmc]

I had a first seizure (tonic-clonic) this weekend (6/22/13) that required a little over a day of hospitalization and tests. I woke up on the 22nd feeling nauseous and with the deja vu feeling. Not long after getting out of bed I started vomiting blood and my father said I was acting agitated and weird. Then I collapsed and started convulsing. One pupil was larger than the other and I kept trying to get up but would keep falling down. I was also speaking gibberish. My father called paramedics and I was transported to the hospital. When I was at the hospital the ER doc asked me what day it was and I told him Wednesday July 13th even though it was Saturday June 22nd. I don't remember very much from the first day in the hospital and the docs never gave me a definitive answer as to what caused the seizure. My white cell count was about 4 times normal when I got to the hospital and I was running a mild fever (100.4). They had me on IV saline because I was dehydrated and put me on IV antibiotics due to my white cell count being high along with fever. Also, even though I was on IV saline I was still extremely thirsty the whole time I was in the hospital and they would only give me ice chips because they wanted to make sure I didn't have any GI issues. They took a sample of spinal fluid as well but didn't find anything out from that, but I think they are still waiting on results from a couple of tests. Waiting to hear back to schedule my EEG. MRI and CT scans came back normal. They also tested for West Nile Virus as it is that time of year but that was negative I believe. The infectious disease doc at the hospital couldn't tell me why my white blood cell count was so elevated. Everything has been fuzzy since I got out of hospital and I am having trouble with my memory. I couldn't remember how to get to work and I am having some trouble remembering events from my own past. Also it just feels like my perception of everything is off, as in things just seem unfamiliar to me, even family. For the past 6 months or so I have experienced weird bouts of deja vu with extreme nausea. Maybe once a month or a little more. Also in 2003 I was in a severe car accident and suffered a concussion and mild bleed on my brain. I also have a 4cm arachnoid cyst on my left temporal lobe that has likely been there since birth, but up until now I haven't had any seizures or complications from it. And have had trouble with sleep paralysis in the past as well as trouble staying asleep through the night and anxiety mixed with depression. Could this be adult onset epilepsy? It's difficult to explain but my consciousness or awareness of the world around me is different than before the seizure. Does this make sense to anyone? Thanks for any input, I'm still trying to figure all this out. Also thought I should mention that I've had to have about 6 or so ESI injections in my spine for a ruptured disc as well as a lumbar Rhizotomy, but it has been a couple of years.

 

[Nakamova]

hi rjmc, welcome to CWE!

From what you describe you may have been having Simple Partial seizures (the "weird bouts of deja vu with extreme nausea" as well as the sleep paralysis) for quite some time. An infection and/or other factors may have led to the escalation to the recent tonic-clonic seizure (infections can lower seizure threshold). It's possible that the other things you mention -- car accident/concussion, arachnoid cyst -- played at least a contributing role, but it may be difficult to determine that for sure. The spinal issues are probably less relevant.

Your neurologist should go over all the scenarios, but I think epilepsy is a strong possibility as a diagnosis. Make sure you tell the neuro everything you've mentioned above -- any and all unusual symptoms, sensations, sleep problems, headaches, dizziness, etc., along with your full health history.

Everything has been fuzzy since I got out of hospital and I am having trouble with my memory. I couldn't remember how to get to work and I am having some trouble remembering events from my own past. Also it just feels like my perception of everything is off, as in things just seem unfamiliar to me, even family.

Tonic-clonic seizures -- particularly new onset ones -- can be very hard on the brain and body. The fuzziness, spaciness and memory issues are most likely related to the seizure, and should wear off over the next few weeks. If they don't, be sure to let the neurologist know. If you were given seizure medication in the ER, or have been taking any since leaving the hospital, those may also be making you foggy.

As you heal from the seizure, make sure you are eating and drinking properly. Low blood sugar and dehydration can slow your recovery. I hope you start to feel better and clearer soon. It's been almost 14 years since my initial tonic-clonic seizures, but I can still summon up the feelings of confusion and exhaustion and achiness. It's no fun, and I hope you feel free to ask questions here at CWE to help make things a little easier as you heal.

Best,
Nakamova

 

[rjmc]

I haven't started taking the keppra yet as my health insurance doesn't kick in until next monday and I've read that it can be very expensive without insurance so I will have to wait until then to find out if it will help or not. I am also scheduled for an EEG next Monday as well. I will post the results from the EEG once I have it done. Thanks for your response. I'm glad I found this forum as it seems to have a good amount of information and personal experiences to help me through this. I will try to keep hydrated and eat properly, but my appetite has been pretty low since the seizure also, is that part of the after effects?

 

[Nakamova]

yes, lack of appetite can also be part of the post-seizure "hangover".

 

[rjmc]

Hangover might be an understatement I feel like I got hit by a truck! My body is sore all over from falling and jerking so much. My dad was trying to hold me down but was having trouble - I'm 6'5 and 230 lbs - so I faceplanted a couple of times, luckily on the carpet. Oh and I was foaming at the mouth and my mom said I told her I was smoking crack.(which I have never done before which is why it seemed so crazy!) My dad eventually pinned my arms over my head and was able to hold me till the paramedics arrived.

 

[Nakamova]

LOL smoking crack! That's crazy. Unfortuantely the foaming at the mouth and the sore body are pretty standard. Did you bite your tongue at all? That can be painful too. Don't push yourself too much while everything's healing...

 

[rjmc]

The paramedics said I bit my tongue near the back, but I guess it wasn't too bad because I didn't receive treatment for that at the hospital plus it's not really sore. Right now I'm just trying to get over the memory loss and brain fog, those are what are affecting me most. Took my first dose of keppra today - knocked me out! Slept for about an hour after and it seems like it may have increased the brain fog a little. Now just waiting for the EEG next Monday. Also I think I mentioned waking up vomiting that morning - both my parents woke up the next morning feeling nauseous and with chills while I was still in the hospital, but I think you mentioned infection could lower seizure threshold. Also my mother was diagnosed with epileptic tendencies when she was young along with sometimes loss of vision as in a bright yellow light filling her field of vision with nausea. The other thing that was weird is that I was post ichtal for several hours, I couldn't get the day or year right until about 5-6 hours later. The doc said normally people are post ichtal for around 30-60 minutes.

 

[Nakamova]

When i had my first seizures, I don't think I fully "emerged" until about 6 hours later. Seizures I've had since then, I've tended to recover faster from; I think one factor is how healthy you are at the time of the seizure -- so if you were ill from an infection or dehydration or low blood sugar, that might affect how long the post-ictal confusion lasted.

 

[rjmc]

I think my problem could be related to sleep issues. For the past few years I wake up several times a night and also since I've been back from the hospital I wake up a couple times a night soaked with sweat and freezing. The last 2 nights I've literally had to change shirts because the one I had on was soaked through.

 

[Nakamova]

Let the doc know -- it might be related to the seizures, and/or an ongoing infection of some sort.

 

[rjmc]

I feel like i'm a completely different person. It's like I have to relearn my own personality. Everything pre-seizure was somebody else's life. Did anyone else experience this? I'm even having to relearn other people's personalities.

 

[Zeeminibee]

Rjmc,

I feel like my pre-seizure life is some kind of dream world. Now I hardly get out of bed my body aches all the time it sucks!!!! Plus I feel really guarded it took my best friend 15 minutes for me to get comfortable around her and I've known her forever. Relearning is no fun