What type of seizures are these

[valeriedl]

I was having focal seizures, I'd just sit and stare, but my seizures are different now. I'll do things during them. I don't shake but I'll pick things up and hold them, usually tightly. I've lost my bladder, I've done this in seizures before too but it seems like it's more often now. I'll walk around and those types of things. My parents consider these grand mal seizures but I don't know if that's what they are considered?

 

[Sabbo]

Hello. These descriptions sound like complex partial seizures. I get this type of seizure, too. Family members who witness them tell me what I do during them. Sometimes I have done exactly what you described--walk around, hold things tightly, & lost my bladder. I may pull on my clothes. Recently, I have noticed that I'm often falling to the ground during them. (If nobody else is around I happen to "come to" laying on the floor).

 

[valeriedl]

Thanks Sabbo. I got into a bit of an argument about what the seizures I was having now were called. They kept saying they were grand mal but I kept telling them that during a grand mal you shake - not do things like what I was doing.

Can they type of seizures you have get worse, if you consider a complex partial worse than a simple partial, through the years?

 

[cadsgj]

In the midst of my complex partial tonight I was near certain it was gran mall, but in my reality, it stopped before going to my new world. If it would have went to gran mal, I would certainly say yes. Don’t it suck when we just don’t know what is coming?

 

[valeriedl]

Don’t it suck when we just don’t know what is coming?

I have a VNS and I almost never know when I'm going to have a seizure so it doesn't get used by me very often. If I'm with someone while I'm having a seizure then they can use the magnet it on me to help bring me out of the seizure. I keep the magnet on my pants and there have been times though that we've found the magnet beside me where I'm sitting. So I must have known when I'm going to have the seizure but didn't get to use the magnet in time.

 

[Sabbo]

The type and number of seizures a person has can change over time. As I've mentioned before, I have had simple partials since childhood. Suddenly in 1987, I had 3 or 4 grand mal seizures--but none since. About 24 years ago, I suddenly began having complex partial seizures. I have no aura prior to them.
I have tried every AED out there for the types of seizures I get. Some just didn't work, and I was allergic to many of them. I'm taking 400mg/day each of Topramate & Zonisamide, along with 1mg folic acid. I still average 1-3 breakthrough complex partial seizures per month.

 

[Porkette]

Hi val,

From what you are describing it sounds like a complex partial seizure to me. I have had them for many yrs. and often
I will get up and wander around and when I come out of the seizure I find myself in a different room. I've taken many
different seizure meds for this type of seizure but I have found that vimpat 300 mg. a day has worked the best and I now
have very few complex partial seizures since on this drug along with the cbd oil.

Wishing you the best of luck and May God Bless You,

Sue