Scared Mother

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Hello, I am a scared mother of a 19 year old autistic son who had a horrible seizure this morning. I was up and working from home this morning (thank god). I heard a loud noise from upstairs. My son had gotten up to go to bathroom. Knocked at the bathroom door asking if he is okay. No answer. I opened the door to his head at a awkward position gasping for air. He was choaking. Eyes closed. It lasted for about 15 to 20 minutes. Foaming at the mouth. I screamed and went into a panic. Trying to get my baby back. He started to breathe better, but threw up everywhere. When he finally returned to me, he didn't know his name or anything familiar. This was my worst nightmare. The ambulance took us to the ER. I wouldn't leave my son. I am so scared. They just prescribed him Keppra.
 
Hi Cindy,
I'm so sorry to hear about your son but it has been proven that some people who are autisitic can start to have seizures. I have a niece whose
autistic so I can relate. You son is also going through puberty and that's when the hormones are changing and in turn that can sometimes lead
to seizures for some people. If this ever happens again the best thing to do is to lay your son on his side and just protect him from injurying his
body don't hold him down or put anything in his mouth . Also see if your sons family Dr. can get him in to a Epileptologist a.s.a.p. they will do
tests on him and find out if its related to his autism or something else. In the meantime keep him away from nutra sweet and cut him back
on the carbs and starch foods because they turn into sugar and that can trigger seizures for some people. Also get a calendar and write
down what time the seizure happened with a description. Hopefully it will never happen again but if it does by writing them down the Dr. may
see a pattern in the seizures. Have your son start taking vitamin B12 1000 mcg. once a day B12 helps calm the nerves and it has reduced my
seizures a lot. I was on Keppra for a short time and it gave me a hot temper and the drug increased my seizures but I later found out I am
drug resistant. I wish you and your son only the best and May God Bless the Both of You!

Sue
 
i think my autistic aunt has had a few I am mildly under the feeling they run in my family
 
Hey Cindy, welcome to CWE. Very sorry to hear about your son. Big hugs to you.

If it's any consolation, a seizure looks more disturbing than it actually is for the person experiencing it. The harsh breathing sounds and the foaming at the mouth are signs that the body is sending oxygen to the brain (which is a good thing). The confusion after the seizure is normal -- it's because the body has "awakened" before the brain has, so it's a bit like talking to someone who's sleepwalking.

15 minutes is long for a seizure (though not necessarily for a first one), so it's good that you got to the ER quickly. Keppra is an anti-seizure medicine that can get up to a working dose quickly, so it should help prevent another seizure. Is there a follow-up appointment scheduled with a neurologist? Your son should have an EEG, and it's important to see a neuro to discuss medication options in case the Keppra is problematic. (There are lots of different med options).

Here are a few CWE threads that might be of interest:

and you may find this link helpful as well:

Best,
Nakamova
 
Wow, that is scary. Hopefully the keppra works and both of you won't have to go through that again.
 
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