Wife had first Seizure

[ldalxndr]

My wife had a seizure last night. We took her to the hospital last night and they gave her a clean bill of health (nothing on CAT SCAN or in bloodwork up) ...with two exceptions. First and most obvious, she had a seizure and she needs to see a specialist. Second and most confusing, they said she had PCP in her urine. My wife and I are not drug users, don't smoke and only on rare occasion do we drink. She was taking some meds for a migrain that a doctor had prescribed, but I don't think those are in the same family.

Because it is the weekend I can't even call the specialist until Monday and apparently he is "a very busy doctor". So it may be some time before we get an appointment. Needless to say I (on the inside) I am freaking out because I have no one to ask questions to.

I have two questions that I am hoping someone might be able to help with.

First is there anything I should know or be concerned about until we get the appointment with the neurologist? Today she has been sleeping most of the day and has complained of a head ache when she has been awake. After reading as much as I have been able to, I THINK that is normal after a seizure...but I sure could use a second opinion.

Second, with regard to the PCP in her system. Has anyone ever heard of this? Could it possible be the migrain mediation she was on? I mean I know some people will say that she is sneaking drugs behind my back, but you would really have to know my wife to fully understand. She didn't even know what PCP was when the doctor told her he found it.

As I try to keep my family calm and informed, any advice for a first timer would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Nakamova]

Hi ldalxndr --

Welcome to CWE! I'm sorry for the circumstances.

I would recommend that you get a copy from the hospital of all the tests they did, any notes they took, and any meds they administered, so that you have them for your files and can show them to the specialist if necessary. It's possible that they did a spinal tap (to rule out an infection like meningitis that can cause seizures), and that can often result in a powerful lasting headache while the spinal fluid regenerates. If this is the case, staying lying down over the next few days will help your wife feel better. It may also be a post-seizure headache. Did she have a tonic-clonic (seizure with convulsions)? Did she have more than one? Tonic-clonics can be especially hard on the back muscles, and on the mouth if it's been bitten, so male sure your wife takes it easy and allows herself to heal, and stays away from foods that irritate her mouth.

Write down any details you can remember about the seizure itself, and also anything in last few days that might have somehow triggered your wife's seizure. Were there any unusual circumstances or stresses -- strange foods, fatigue, dehydration? Is there a chance she's pregnant (which can sometimes trigger first-time seizures, as can other hormonal changes). Has she ever experienced any strange symptoms in the past? Migraines are very close relatives of seizures (and in some seizure disorders they area warning sign called an aura or a simple partial seizure), so there may be a connection there. The specialist will want to know about your wife's history of migraines as well as if there is any relevant family history. Be prepared with as much info as you can.

Did the ER give your wife any meds to control the seizures, or prescribe any for her to take in the aftermath? If so, note the kind and dosage, and make sure to ask the specialist for information about it. Write down any and all questions that you can think of and make sure to bring them to the specialist. It's possible the doc will recommend an EEG and/or MRI, so make sure you are comfortable with what tests might be performed and why, and what the results my show or indicate.

Sorry if this seems overwhelming. Definitely feel free to post here with any additional questions.

Best,
Nakamova

 

[Nakamova]

One more thing -- the PCP result is most probably a false positive!

Some drugs -- certain SSRIs, over-the-counter cough medicines, Benadryl, and ibuprofen (Advil) for instance -- can cause PCP to show up on a test. It could also have been a flaw or malfunction in the test itself.

 

[ldalxndr]

Thank you very much for the quick reply and the information. It is a bit overwhelming, but I am determined to be as informed as possible.

To be frank the hospital sent me home with a generic form on seizures and a number to call for a neurologist on Monday. I asked what meds she was getting in the hospital and what they were for and the only thing she received was an "anit seizure" injection. (I am afraid I can't find where I wrote it down so I don't have the exact name). Other than that they have been very uncooperative. I will go battle with them again today to try to get notes and test results. I was not given any meds to take home or instructions to follow prior to the neurologist appointment.

My wife had a tonic-clonic seizure. It was only one time for about 30 seconds and although hazy she seemed to recover her mental and physical facilities less than a minute after it ended. In fact getting her to the hospital actually took some effort as she did not want to go at first. She has almost all the unusual circumstances most people discuss on here prior to a seizure. We just started a new business and stress has been high. We have two kids and one just got over cancer (been a rough year!). She had just had a really long day and night with the kids and was wore out. We were having a party that night so she could blow off some steam and had just had a drink....and I believe she just started here cycle. So I am pretty confident I know what the trigger was. I am just terrified for my wife as I am so in the dark as to what to do next.

She has been sleeping all day...is that ok? Since she has been sleeping she hasn't been eating, should I wake her to eat and drink? She has complained of a head ache when she does wake up...should I give her the meds the doctor prescribed for migrains or could that be part of what caused this in the first place? I am watching the kids and handling our shop to make sure she gets some rest, but the doctor at the hospital told me to "keep a close eye on her" to make sure she is ok. Do I need to be watching her constantly? Checking on here every 10 minuets or so?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but as I am sure you already know, I am terrified and want to take care of my wife. Not knowing is the worst.

Thank you for all the help.

 

[Nakamova]

It's okay to let her sleep, but make sure she's has some juice so she's not getting dehydrated. If she had the spinal tap, it's especially important to drink a lot of fluids.

If they gave her a large dose of an anti-epileptic drug at the hospital, that could make her sleepy and suppress her appetite. That and post-seizure nausea could mean that it will be awhile before she feels like eating. If she can take a little mild food -- crackers, toast, etc. -- that would be good. Her migraine meds might help (and it's doubtful that they caused the seizures), but you should probably just start with a small dose of aspirin or tylenol or advil -- whatever her pain reliever of choice is -- to see if that helps.

The doctor's recommendation to "keep a close eye" is a little ambiguous isn't it? Since they discharged her, they didn't feel the need for round-the-clock observation, so you should be able to just let her sleep, and just check in every few hours. If you're nervous about this, is there a friend or family member you could have come over to give you a break?

 

[Meetz1064]

Hi, hello

and how do you do? It's nice to meet u, DL.

In answer to your first question, the answer is yes. That's normal. It's not surprising at all. I have tonic clonics myself, and I tend to sleep 18 to 24 hours afterwards.

As for the 2d question, I would think that it's a chemical reaction within your wife's body--you might want to talk to your pharmacist, and see what they have to say.

Welcome to CWE, by the way. We're a great group here, and will help you as much as we can. Please remember that it takes several things to receive a diagnosis of epilepsy....but learning what to do in case of a seizure is a very important thing, too.

Take care,

Meetz
:rock: