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Head Injury resulitng in Epilepsy
Fri, 06/09/2006 - 13:33Topic: Women With Epilepsy
About 5 years ago I passed out from low blood pressure in a parking lot which resulted in a severe head injury and a grand mal seizure. Since then I have had complex partials... it took me a year before I would start dilantin.
My neurologist at the time made it sound like the epilepsy would not be forever, that there should be a time where I could stop the dilantin.
I have tried, unsuccessfully, for the last two years... my question is, is there anyone out there whose epilepsy went away after a head injury?
Comments
Re: Re: Head Injury resulitng in Epilepsy
Submitted by SaraOwens on Tue, 2006-07-04 - 07:55
Serah J.In 1993 I had a bicycling accident (no helmet), hit the back of my head, lost consciousness and when I came to I couldn't remember how to get from place to place for a couple of minutes.
Two years later, 1995, I started having Grand Mal seizures in my sleep. I started with Dilantin, but my body reacted violently. Next came Tegratol, but I'd put the milk in the cabinet and the bowl in the fridge! I couldn't live like that! I ended up doing a drug study with The Epilepsy League in 1996, and found my dream drug, Oxcarbamazepine. I had to move away, though, in 1997,and that drug hadn't been approved by the FDA yet, so I went drugless and living a hazy drunken life until 2001, when I finally realized I was the living dead! I found a good doctor, who has done sleep studies and is into neurology, and he suggested that a microscopic piece of scar tissue is in one of my neural pathways, and during a certain stage of sleep, my electrons get caught in it, and this causes an overload of electricity in my brain, and POW! Kinda like when a circuit blows in your house and you've gotta go flip the breaker switch. I started taking Oxcarbazepine, or Trileptal, and was so happy when I found out that this was the drug I took in the drug study years ago! Well, it's what that drug turned into!
So, I've finally accepted the fact that it was my own stupidity that caused this ailment, and since I created it, I've gotta live with it. I haven't had a break from the seizures, although I only have the big'ns in my sleep, but I've been told that it's possible to have scar tissue removed from the brain. Not sure if they can do the microscopic thing, though. One day I may look into it. Until then I let everyone around me know my individuality, and let them know that it's ok to be curious and ask questions, and that they can make jokes and not feel like i'm a sensitive weirdo!! This is the way to see who's superficial and who's more friendly.
If you wanna talk about any frustrations or if you wanna vent, please contact me, I'm here to listen. I've been thru the tough stuff, and now that I'm stable I'm open to helping with the psychological aspect of having Epilepsy through accident.
Re: Head Injury resulitng in Epilepsy
Submitted by Meskerkid on Wed, 2006-07-05 - 20:12
Hi, I've got a seizure disorder due to a closed head injury. I was riding my bicycle in August 1988 and fainted. Doctors think I had a virus of some sort as there was an infection in my liver that they found. I went into a 28 day coma following the accident. Now 18 yrs. later I have seizures. They have gotten worse but I think it's due to my hormones. I'm 46 and they're going nutso. Apparently it's elevated levels of estrogen that cause trouble. This seems to occur around ovulation. I've been getting these complex partials now once a month and they scare the hell out of me. I need to do something. I'm on Lamictal right now, but I'm going to the neurologist tomorrow and I'll ask her if we can either increase the dosage around the time I ovulate or something. I've got to do something. These seizures are awful aren't they?
Nancy "Meskerkid"
Nancy B.
Re: Head Injury resulitng in Epilepsy
Submitted by staciem on Mon, 2006-06-26 - 23:42
I have simple partial seizures from a car accident close to 2 years ago. I had a closed head injury and cervical strain, but no apparent serious damage. However, 2 weeks after the accident I starting having "episodes" that were first thought to be anxiety attacks. After pressuring my doctors for more testing, it was found that I have a seizure disorder caused by the head injury. I had hoped that it would go away, but no neurologist stated that since I have been having them for so long now (close to 2 years) that isn't as likely as if I would have just had 1 seizure immediately following the accident. Actually, my seizures were becoming more often. I started Lamictal about 6 weeks ago, and have been seizure free for a month now. Good luck to you! I hope you find the answers you are looking for! Stacie