Seizures/Sleeping/Menopause

RE: RE: RE: RE: Seizures/Sleeping/Menopause

Submitted by Lynn610 on Wed, 2005-03-02 - 13:07

My husband ALWAYS goes with me to the doctor because I can't tell him or her what happened, I wasn't there (so to speak). Jimmy calls it "being on one of my adventures".About emotions: during those 3 to 5 days after my seizures, I have notices hugh swings from joyous laughter while watching a comedy movie to heartfelt sobbing brought on by thoughts of losing all the things that I value the most i.e. my wonderful husband and brilliant daughter. Everything seems magnified; either VERY funny or VERY sad. During that week I keep a pen and note pad handy and just keep writing all the time. You would be surprised what it looks like a week later to read what you have written. I don't look at this as depression. It is just the emotions brought on by the chemicals washing through my body creating a reaction. I try to drink a lot of water and exercise to get them washed out and then I will be fine. I listen to classical music and read a lot. I try to "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life". You know the most used phrase in the bible "and it came to pass" that means it didn't come to stay:) I am extremely fortunate that "being out there" includes being with my husband or daughter at all times. It has been a lifestyle change after working for 33 years, but it is what it is. I seem to be ok for at least 3 weeks of the month, and sometimes I am ok for an 8 week stretch. Even so, I stopped driving when I had a fender bender with a co-worker the week before I retired. This was before I realized what was happening during the day. Like I said "extremely fortunately", and most grateful. Since the Drs have found nothing "wrong" organically (that's why they call it a practice), I must assume it is chemical so I am about to ask my PCP to refer me to an Endocrinologist to look at my hormone levels. I am on Topomax right now. I started out on Depakote in 1999. Lynn

RE: Seizures/Sleeping/Menopause

Submitted by Renezellweg on Thu, 2005-03-03 - 14:29

Lynn,

I just got back from a wonderful week in Cancun, MX so I am sorry that it has taken so long for me to respond.  I know what you mean about waking up in an ambulance and not knowing what in the heck is going on.  That's what happened to me the first time when my x-husband was the witness and said that it was the scariest thing that he'd ever seen!  That happened in 1999 when I was 30 years old and they did every test possible in the hospital and came up with nothing and since I had been on a diet pill that contained ephedra they just attributed the seizure to that.  I thought the same thing and never thought about it again until a few years later after the birth of my son I was desperate to lose weight quickly and tried a diet pill that did not contain Ephedra and was supposed to be safe.  They had told me in the hospital that it was probably the ephedra that had brought the seizure on so I thought a pill without ephedra was fine.  Well, low and behold I had two grand mal seizures in the middle of the night again.  My poor husband who is ten years younger than me was scared to death and he also called the ambulance and I went to the hospital.  They ran all of the tests again and attributed it again to the diet pills since they found nothing and warned me never to take ANY diet pills again.  Well, about a month ago after not having any seizures for a couple of years I had another grand mal seizure while sleeping.  I've had all of the tests again and nothing.  I remember being extrememly tired and was pretty sleep deprived and it was also the night before my period started.  They've asked me to try and relate it to my period which I'd never considered before.  I had also come off of my low carb diet which I do all the time since there is a history of diabetes in my family and that is a highly recommended diet for diabetics so I threw that out there and they said that, that very well may have affected me in such a severe way.  My doctor has talked about putting me on Topomax, but I've read about all of the side affects and am scared of them.  I think that I'd rather live with having a the seizures since they are so rare.  I noticed that you said that you still had one while you were on the medicine.  That would highly upset me if that happened.  Do you experience the side affects from the Topomax like I hear everyone else talk about? 

I'm sorry that this was so long, but just looking for anwers since the doctors seem so clueless.  I mean, maybe, they are right and it was attributed to the diet pills and the diet.  I guess that, that could make sense.  The hormonal thing sounds more believable, though.  I just have no idea.  It's mind boggling.  I am just thankful that they only happen at night.  They are grand mal seizures not complex partial as I accidentally referred to them before.  I was able to clarify that with the doctor.  I've never had the "absence seizures" that you referred to.  What is that exactly?

Well, thanks for responding and I'd love to hear more about what you find out, if anything.  I'd also like to know more about your experience with Topomax.  Best of luck with everything and you are in my prayers!  Seizures are so scary so it's nice to have support here!

Deborah