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Anyone with nocturnal only seizures?

Epilepsy & Seizures | Last Active: Jun 3 5:27pm | Replies (28)

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Profile picture for eltje @eltje

@santosha When I had my first seizure in 1994 I had 2 auras during the day and then the seizure in my sleep . First aura was like an out of body room spinning experience. The second was being frozen on my chair and not being able to get up to answer the door. My 2 seizures in 2025 were both in my sleep. No auras during those days. I did have an MRI Sept 2025. Occasional T2/Flair hyper intense foci relating to micro angiopathic changes. Increased T2 signal within right petrous apex. Impression: No acute intercranial process.
Looking at list of triggers I did take Benadryl the night of my seizure in April,2025. Major stress during 1994 seizure. I love my coffee but can feel my brain light up after a second cup.
Thanks for your feedback!

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Replies to "@santosha When I had my first seizure in 1994 I had 2 auras during the day..."

Hi @eltje
I'm glad to know that your MRI didn't show anything of major concern 🙏.
Just a thought — that feeling of being frozen and unable to react seems more consistent with a complex partial seizure than an aura, based on what my doctors explained to me after my diagnosis. During an aura, I can still react, but when it evolves into a complex partial seizure, I become frozen in the same way you described. During sleep, it's very difficult to identify for ourselves what kind of seizure we've experienced. I once had a seizure in my sleep and had wet our bed, which my husband was able to observe and identify as a tonic-clonic one.
Reading about different types of seizures on the Epilepsy Foundation website has also been very helpful in better identifying my seizures, making it easier to report them to my doctor. Here are the links to simple partial and complex partial seizures:
Focal Preserved Consciousness Seizures (Simple Partial Seizures)
https://www.epilepsy.com/what-is-epilepsy/seizure-types/focal-preserved-consciousness-seizures
Focal Impaired Consciousness Seizures (Complex Partial Seizures)
https://www.epilepsy.com/what-is-epilepsy/seizure-types/focal-impaired-consciousness-seizures
Stress is a well-known trigger for people with epilepsy. It's in fact my most difficult trigger to manage, as I mentioned in the discussion I shared with you.
Since caffeine seems to be a trigger for your seizures, even if they're currently under control 🙏, it may be worth trying caffeine-free alternatives and seeing whether you notice a difference. Give it a try!
Knowing that certain medications can trigger seizures, I always consult my neurologist before taking them — even some over-the-counter ones.
Let's keep in touch!
Chris