New sort of seizure? What is it?

[kirsten]

I had to do a drastic change with my meds as of last night, quitting the epilim without weaning off and increasing the Phenytoin a short while after raising Neurontin. I was really struggling to get to sleep last night. I was wide awake and after two hours I was ready to give up and come downstairs to work for the rest of the night. Then I had what felt like a tonic seizure, when you get that electric shock feeling and your body arches backwards, except my body curled in on itself, and my arms pulled up towards my face and I cried out, but I was fully conscious. I remember coming out of it, and then there was nothing--next thing it was morning and I woke up, with a huge lump on my lip and chin, which I didn't do to myself when I knew what was going on.

I ask about this because tonic seizures have a really specific body position, and I see that to go straight into a clonic is extremely rare. On top of that, when I was aware, there were no convulsions, just that one dramatic movement, then normal, then I was gone. So what do you think it was? Is it a big deal to have a new kind of seizure?

 

[masterjen]

This is very much like what happened to me a few nights ago. It is my voice that woke me - I kind of groaned or grunted or something and as I was continuing to wake I went into a tonic seizure where both my arms came up to my head (normally it is just the left arm that is involved) and I stiffened out. Right after I was out, asleep again. It was one of the strongest I'd had in a while, and took 2 days to recover from.
I have also had ones where my body suddenly tightens in a "partial ab crunch" or flexed position while I am lying on my side. In fact this is what mine used to be and in the past few months they transitioned to being a more extended rather than flexed tonic position.

 

[Cint]

One can experience different types of seizures, especially when changing meds without weaning off slowly. Sounds like you did go into another seizure while you were sleeping.
I've had different types of seizures over the years and more so when changing meds.

 

[Alicia w]

So, there is someone else?

I have had a few of those lately. Sometimes they are only Clonic though. I have also had some that cause me to go stiff and start jerking and go stiff again. As for the Tonic ones; I curl into a ball and my arms fly up. Sometimes it happens when I'm standing up or walking. The last time it happened, I had a full glass of ice water in my hand. I was very cold when it spilled but I couldn't do anything until my body finally let go. I was aware of this the entire time, but I guess I laced there for a while since my alert dog was laying under my head. It wasn't funny at the time, but the concept of mine is kinda funny. I didn't know that the Tonic ones happened to anyone else.