Living with epilepsy - Introduce yourself & meet others

Hello, and thanks for responding. His first seizure, at 5 months after his stroke, was a really bad grand mal. Each seizure had an aura where he sees red overlay over his vision. The second and third seizures were him just fading out after the aura- no convulsions, but his head and eyes got torqued to the left and his pupils were extremely to the left as well. He has had Todd’s paralysis after the last three seizures. He becomes unconscious for a couple days in the post-ictal stage. It takes weeks to have him come close to baseline. Each time he seems to have more and more setbacks with gait, ADLs, and aphasia, (which he always has had since the stroke). The ability to function is in some ways global- like not being able to remember how to fasten his watch band, remembering where things are in the house, putting on his clothes backward, and not being able to construct logical thought processes. He has not been able to read for pleasure since the stroke and of course, cannot drive. The mood swings are really awful. He is kind of flat most of the time but occasionally gets really angry and feels like breaking things or expresses desire to jump out of the car if we go over a bridge. This is so unlike him, ever, and has only been happening for the last month. (The most recent seizure started on 8/27.)

I just heard back from the neurologist about an hour ago, via the portal. She wants him to continue increasing his Lamictal from the 25 bid to 150 bid. She said he probably won’t need to be on all three medications forever, and maybe the Vimpat can be dropped, and that after we get the new neurologist (we have no appointment with the local one, who is an epilepsy specialist) until December 6. We live in a rural area with no neurologist at the local hospital. I don’t know if this can go on like this until then. He is on the waiting list for a cancellation. I think one option would be to drive to a nearby city where he was inpatient twice and go to the emergency room. It seems like any adjustment may take time? He is extremely averse to hospitals in general- probably because of the aphasia, which so many providers just don’t understand, and think he has dementia instead.

After reading more of the postings on the Mayo site, it is sobering to see how many people face so many hurdles to being seizure free. Any help is appreciated and I respect the experiences you have been through in your own life, and the breadth of your knowledge.

Name = Passang Norbu Sherpa
Age =29/ male
County = Bhutan
I am suffering from epilepsy more than 20 years more and panic attacks too, but due to my poor family background I could not get treatment from start.I start my treatment only when I was at the age of 24. I also attain counselling but could not continue. But I am taking my medicines on time but.......

@passang
Hello Passang,
Welcome to Mayo Clinic’s Connect.
I’m sorry to hear you too have Epilepsy. What kind of seizures do you have and how often? What meds are you taking?
Bhutan is a very picturesque place.
Take care,
Jake

Thank you for welcoming me, yes I too have Epilepsy plus panic attacks. But I don't know what kind of epilepsy is it. Most of the time I get headaches, dizziness, scary and after that my eye gets blur. Unable to breath and loss the body control after that I don't know what happened to me. When I get to my sense my mouth will be wounded and tongue bitten.
Medicine =
1. Sodium Valporite 400mg
2. Phenytoin 300mg
3. Amitriptyline 75mg
4. Vit B & C and
5. Propranolol 20mg
are my treatment till now.suggest me what should I have to do?
PLEASE HELP ME!
As our country is small and under-development it is hard to understand

Hi, @passang. I'd like to join @jakedduck1 in welcoming you to Mayo Clinic Connect.

Since you mentioned you have epilepsy and panic attacks, I wanted to offer some Mayo Clinic information on these. Perhaps the one on epilepsy will shed some light for you on what type of seizures you may have.

- On epilepsy https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20350093

- On panic attacks and panic disorder https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021

As we are not medical professionals, we can't suggest treatments. However, we connect patients who have similar disease circumstances. We find members are very supportive of one another as well as often provide some useful insights, as they have "been there." Please meet these members and others in this discussion who have been talking about epilepsy in themselves or a loved one, such as @dap @bruceg @mmas @pamelastewart5 @1634517678. I'd also like to introduce you to @dawn_giacabazi and @johnbishop, who also may have some input for you as you seek some answers about what kind of epilepsy you have and how it might best be treated.

How have the medications you've used so far worked for managing your symptoms, passang?

Hello @passang, I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @lisalucier and other members. There is a lot of good information on the Epilepsy Foundation's website that may be helpful for you. The one thing I saw that stood out to me that might be helpful is a Seisure Response Plan. Here is the page on their website that discusses making a plan to help or track the seizures.

Seizure Response Plans 101
-- https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/managing-your-epilepsy/seizure-response-plans-101

Have the medications you are taking reduced or helped with the seizures?

Hi, @dap - how is your husband doing this week so far? How are things going with the mood swings you were describing?

@passang
It sounds like your having Tonic Clonic (old term is Grand Mal) Seizures since your bitting your tongue. Do you sleep afterwards or are you tired, aching or confused? Possible Focals but not enough info for an educated guess. There are Focal Seizures consistent with some of your symptoms.
Are you still having seizures? Are you having fewer seizures since you began taking your medicine?
Have you had an EEG or an MRI or CT scan? If you’ve had any EEG’s have they been normal or abnormal?
Another thing I’m concerned about is if your seizures could be caused by Psychological reasons and are possibly Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures.
Here is an article about Focal Seizures (Partials) that may appear to be Panic Attacks.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1118775/#!po=2.63158
If you read about Epilepsy you’ll probably see most references mention 3 phases, however in my opinion there are 4. Not everyone experiences Auras (Phase 2) and even
fewer experience Prodroma (Stage 1)
Many supposed experts

(Phase 1.) PRODROMAL
These symptoms happen minutes to days before a seizure and can vary between people and seizure type. They can include among others, headache, Irritability, Depression, Insomnia, agitation,
Concentration issues, Lightheadedness, Vertigo, Dizziness, Mood changes, Overly tired, Intestinal or Urological symptoms.

Phase 2. AURA

Not everyone has Auras. I’ve had over 13,000 seizures and have never had one. They can include, sudden weird light, smell, taste, thoughts, deja vu, blurriness

Phase 3. ICTAL (actual seizure

Absence
Focal
Tonic Clinic
Tonic
Clonic
Myoclonic

Phase 4. POST ICTAL

The postictal state is the altered state of consciousness after an epileptic seizure. It typically lasts between 5 and 30 minutes, but can last hours to days in more severe seizures, and is characterized by drowsiness, confusion, nausea, hypertension, headache or migraine, and other disorienting symptoms.

Are you seeing a Neurologist or Psychiatrist?
Best of luck,
Jake

@passang
I would recommend a MedicAlert bracelet over a Seizure Response Plan. The bracelet is easier to spot and is capable of more information and it’s always with you.
Any information wherever it is certainly is better than none.
Jake

Hello everyone,

I'd like to invite you to join us today, Monday, October 28 at 11:30 a.m. CT for a video Q&A with Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, Chair, Neurosurgery, and Dr. Anthony Ritaccio, neurologist, about epilepsy. Drs. Quinones and Ritaccio will answer questions during the broadcast.
Simply click https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinar/video-qa-about-epilepsy/ for details, and to post your questions.

Return to this webpage, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinar/video-qa-about-epilepsy/ to take part in the video Q&A live on October 28 at 11:30 a.m. CT. It will also be archived on this page.