What are my triggers?
- Thread starter finalpoet
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resaebiunne
Stalwart
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Triggers are just that; things that cause you to have seizures, heh. You learn it from experience. Have seizures long enough and you just get to "know" them. Eat food "a" causes seizure "b", hence, don't eat food "a". My main triggers seems to be nicotine (ecig vape) and (according to my doctor anyway) caffeine.
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The best way to look for patterns or triggers is through a journal. See: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f22/proactive-prescription-epilepsy-1254/ If you are able note the details of the seizure -- what happens, when it happens, how long it lasts -- but also the physical, physiological, environmental, or emotional context: Were you tired or hungry? Is it that time of the month? Were there flashing lights? Were you sick? etc.
If you can identify a trigger that's great, but not everyone can. Sometimes triggers are cumulative (like fatigue + stress + low blood sugar) or there's a delay between the trigger and the onset of the seizure, so pinpointing any one thing is tricky. And triggers can change over time too, just make things extra-hard. The more seizures you have, the more vulnerable to seizures you can be in the future, the more things that can potentially set you off.
Finally, as Nick notes, there's not always something to identify.
If you can identify a trigger that's great, but not everyone can. Sometimes triggers are cumulative (like fatigue + stress + low blood sugar) or there's a delay between the trigger and the onset of the seizure, so pinpointing any one thing is tricky. And triggers can change over time too, just make things extra-hard. The more seizures you have, the more vulnerable to seizures you can be in the future, the more things that can potentially set you off.
Finally, as Nick notes, there's not always something to identify.
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My three biggest triggers seem to be too much caffeine, lack of sleep and the number one is stress. But if any of these things are going on I don't always have a seizure. I have them that just come out of nowhere too.
As everyone has said try to keep track of what's been going on around the time you've had a seizure even if it's been a day or two before hand. Like I said stress is a big seizure trigger for me but the seizure might come on a few days later after I've calmed down about what's happened.
As everyone has said try to keep track of what's been going on around the time you've had a seizure even if it's been a day or two before hand. Like I said stress is a big seizure trigger for me but the seizure might come on a few days later after I've calmed down about what's happened.