@cc001
Hello,
Thank you Teresa for bringing this to my attention. I have had Epilepsy for 52 years.
If your daughter has emotional issues like anxiety and/or depression those or other psychological issues can be major triggers for seizures in Epilepsy. However, if they are Psychological problems it's possible she is having Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) or possibly both.
Unlike epileptic seizures, PNES do not result from an abnormal electrical discharge from the brain; they are a physical manifestation of a psychological disturbance. Be careful to get an accurate diagnosis, sadly occasionally some Neurologists will diagnose a patient with PNES if they have a normal EEG. Unless you have a seizure during the test it will likely be normal, but that doesn’t mean the person doesn’t have Epilepsy.
Nocturnal seizures disrupt sleep. They can also affect concentration and performance at work or school. You have made some statements which I'm hoping are strictly descriptive regarding ”Only at night,” please don't think these episodes are any less serious because they only happen at night. Although I don't mean to alarm you I believe that I need to be honest. Nocturnal seizures are associated with an increased risk for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, (SUDEP) which is a rare cause of death in people with epilepsy, about one in every thousand but when you consider the actual number of people with Epilepsy it happens quite a bit. You may want to consider getting a seizure pillow (Antisuffocation pillow.) These pillows aren't the most comfortable but it may help.
How often is you daughter having these episodes? I would take her to an Epileptologist who is a Neurologist who specializes in Epilepsy at an Epilepsy Center. I would get her scheduled for a Video EEG (VEEG) as soon as possible. You both need to know what is going on.
Has she had an MRI or other imaging or a regular EEG? How old is she? Were it my family member I'd begin Antiepilepsy medication. If it's Epilepsy the medication may help, if it's PNES it won't. The Neurologist may be unwilling to medicate if s/he believes the episodes are psychologically induced.
In case it is Epilepsy or PNES you might consider investing in a seizure alarm system. Most people wouldn't but I'm very cautious. PNES patients are twice as likely to die than the general population.
The mortality rate in Epilepsy patients is 1.6 - 9.3 times higher than the normal population.
Best of luck,
Jake

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