Seizures in the AM

[valeriedl]

Let me give you a brief description of what my average day is like:

I get up at 7am, take my meds and feed the cats.
I go back to bed then get up around 9
Do some things around the house then eat lunch at noon.
I take a nap in the afternoon.
Sometimes eat a small dinner (sometimes I don't but it's always been like this)
In the evening I'll get on the computer and watch tv.
I get in bed around 11, read for an hour then fall asleep at midnight.

This has been how I've basically lived a day for years.

Recently, in about the last 2 months, I've started having seizures after I've taken my meds when I'm feeding the cats at 7. I usually have them when I'm on the toilet.

I don't know that I've had one until I get up again at 9 and see that things are in the wrong place. My robe isn't hanging were it goes or the empty cat dishes aren't in the garbage. One time I woke up on the couch with my robe still on and my pj bottoms were half way down (just hope I wiped). I may realize after this that I was feeling weird, probably a simple partial, when I was on the toilet but it went into a complex too fast for me to use my VNS magnet.

I haven't done anything out of the ordinary the day before it that my bring it on either. I still have them during other times through out the day like I normally do. It just seems that a good bit of these have been happening in the AM.

I mentioned it to my neuro at my last apt, which was about 3 weeks ago. I said something about it to him but it hadn't happened that often at that time then to really think about it being out of the ordinary.

Does anyone have any ideas about this?

 

[Nakamova]

Are you on medication in addition to the VNS? If so, maybe something about your metabolism has changed -- your meds are wearing off sooner, or you are metabolizing them faster.

You might want to try changing your routine to see if it helps. Maybe skip computer/TV a few nights. Or eat a slightly larger/slightly later dinner (to slow your metabolism).

 

[valeriedl]

I'm also on Depakote, Tegretol, Keppra and Lamictal. I've been on all of these for a few years and the same dosages. I'm not sure if I'd be metabolizing them faster or not because I've had the same daily routine for as long as I can remember.

I don't get on the computer every night but I do usually watch tv. I've tried going to bed earlier but it just doesn't work. I'll lay in bed awake until it's the time that I normally fall asleep.

I usually don't eat a dinner. I have a big lunch and I'm not hungry in the evening. I really don't even snack in the evening. I have been eating every so often in the evening lately though. I'm going to keep track if I have the seizures the morning after I eat something or not. I had a bite to eat tonight so I'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

[masterjen]

How many hours do you go between eating a meal or snack from your last daytime meal to the next morning?
Are you sure you aren't having morning seizures because of hypoglycemia or other nutrition deficiency??

 

[valeriedl]

I eat lunch around noon and if I eat something in the evening it's usually around 6. In between there I normally don't eat anything.

I just had some general blood work done by my PCP and nothing like that showed up. But I don't know if it was something that they would have been looking for or not. It did show that my cholesterol. I don't know how long that's been going on because it's been a while since I've had blood work done before this last time.

Do you know anything about cholesterol and seizures or would that be a good thing to start a thread about?

Thanks!

 

[masterjen]

The body functions most effectively when we eat small meals or snacks every 2-3 hours. If you eat nothing between noon and 6 pm (assuming you are not a daytime sleeper), this may not be giving you adequate calories/nutrition. But if you eat nothing between noon and breakfast the next day (seriously?! Not even snacks??) I would give a lot of thought to dietary factors contributing to seizures. I think you're doing the right thing by seeing how you do by having an evening snack.
Sorry - I don't know anything about seizures and cholesterol but just based on how cholesterol affects the arteries around the heart by constricting the blood vessels, presumably it can affect blood vessels in the brain in a similar way.

 

[valeriedl]

Yes I do normally take a nap in the afternoon for around 2 or 3 hours. When I wake up I may have something small like some fruit, cookies or crackers. I've been like this for years though. It's not just something I've started.

I usually only eat when I'm hungry. If I eat when I'm not hungry I just don't feel good. If I am hungry in the evening, depending on how hungry, I may eat anything from a sandwich to a full course meal. It's also been like this for years too.

I don't know how long I've had high cholesterol because it's been a good while since I've had this blood work taken before this. It's not high enough that I need to take medicine or anything he just said to watch what I eat.

Maybe if I get my cholesterol back to normal the AM seizures might stop?

Thanks masterjen.