New to site Hello 6 year old having seizures

[abqheavy]

Hello everyone,
This is my first time posting. My daughter who is 6 has had 3 seizures now each about 8 months apart. We have done lots of tests and everything has come out normal. Her first was a small seizure about 10 seconds her second was much worse not sure but 2-3 minutes and the seizure she had today was about the same as the first. I have heard about food triggering seizures. My wife mentioned that the last two times she had a seizure she ate strawberry toaster strudels for breakfast. I need to look into this. Also she just recently said that she has been getting a "sizzle" (Tingling I am guessing) in her neck left side by her shoulder. We asked her to tell us any time this happens. This morning at 10:20 am she told my wife she was having the sizzle and she had her seizure at around noon. My wife said that the area where the sizzle feeling was occuring was red. not sure if this is because she was rubbing the area or not. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I am just trying to find out what might be happening. I am in the dark here any help I would appriciate.

 

[epileric]

Welcome ABQH

There's a lot of parents here. You might want to check out the nursery to see what all the other parents have to say.

I can easily see toaster strudels as a trigger for seizures. I get triggered by some foods with sugar like dairy queen. Oddly I can have cookies or chocolate with no problem as long as I don't overdo it. Everyone is different so you might have to learn by trial & error as to what triggers your daughter. Ideally it would be best to avoid all sugar & caffeine. Some people here say that gluten is a trigger for their seizures.

I know during some seizures I might get red from being flushed since my breathing & heart rates are increased but it's pretty well everywhere, not local to any area.

You might want to keep track of what & when she eats, when & how well she sleeps, her moods & her seizures. Looking at that on paper (or PC) can make it easier to see what might trigger her seizures.

 

[Nakamova]

Hi abqheavy --

The strudels could be the trigger, or it could also just be a coincidence. Morning could be when your daughter's seizure threshold is lower. Maybe low blood sugar, or dehydration, or fatigue are factors. But definitely check out the list of ingredients on the strudels -- is nutrasweet (aspartame) an ingredient? That's a trigger for me...

As Eric says the best way to find out is to keep a detailed diary of when her seizures occur, what happens, etc. Here's a thread that lists some different journals: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/seizure-journals-10776/

A tingling sensation can be an aura -- a warning of a seizure or the seizure itself. In this thread, people talk a bit about the tingling sensations: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/whats-buzz-10628/

 

[Endless]

Hi, Abqheavy,

Your daughter feels a "sizzling" feeling? Others in here (including me) sometimes feel tingling, buzzing, and electrical feeling, etc. This may be the same thing.

I can believe toaster strudels could be a seizure trigger, but there's no way to tell without more data. It oculd be a coincidence. As was suggested, a good seizure journal is important in figuring out triggers. I looked on the toaster strudel website and couldn't find the ingredients. There may be an individual substance in the strudels that your daughter is allergic to, like preservatives. Look out for "natural flavorings," because they often are really MSG, which is a trigger for some.

Is your daughter on any kind of medication right now?

 

[RobinN]

Welcome abqheavy -
I was just with a doctor and my daughter today, and we both were saying that we wished the first line of attack was with nutrition. It has been what has helped my teenager control her seizures. Nutrition, supplements, and neurofeedback.

Todays Standard American Diet is horrible, and it does not allow for neutrients that the brain needs to be absorbed. We tried meds for 1.5 yrs and my daughters seizure activity increased, and her quality of life decreased dramatically. If I had to do it all over again, I would make my first line of attack be nutrition. There is absolutely nothing to lose by doing this.

Your daughter is also at an age where some girls are having hormonal changes. This can be altered by the products we consume.

Eric is correct in saying a journal, or a calender (which I use), is very important for monitoring and seeing ways to connect the dots. Use your intuition and I think you will find your answers.