What was this?

[MaryK]

Hi: As most of you know I have had change in my seizures that started about a year ago. I seem to be having these staring spells where I hear but cannot talk and some sort of stomach spasms at least once a week when I am falling asleep.

Last night as I was falling asleep my heart started pounding and it was one of those times when I am telling myself to wake-up, but I can not, like I am with it but not really. Very scared but gone. This has happened several times in the past few months. Does this make sense to anyone?

Thanks so much

MaryK

 

[huskymom]

Hi MaryK,

Sounds a little bit like an anxiety attack. Have you ever had problems with those before? Have you recently had a medication change?

 

[Nakamova]

Don't know if this is relevant, but another possibility is menopause or perimenopause. The rapid drops in estrogen levels can cause anxiety-like symptoms, including the ones you describe. And/or menopause could be making your seizure symptoms worse.

Falling estrogen levels would ordinarily be helpful with seizures, since high estrogen can cause seizures. But during menopause, progesterone levels are also dropping. Progesterone is anti-convulsant so when it drops, it can't balance out the estrogen, and you can be left more vulnerable to seizure symptoms.