Risk of passing epilepsy to children?

@jakedduck1
No, she does not, so far. The other granddaughter developed absence seizures about two years ago.

@lisalucier
Yes, it is that that I am asking!

@jakedduck1 Hi Jake - My first seizure was in Oct of 1970 2 years after a motorcycle accident. I have been extremely well controlled with medication. I have three adult children, four grandkids and thankfully, nobody has any signs. Like yourself, I've wondered how I developed this out of the blue. Was it the accident or genetics. Will never know for sure. Stay well. Ed

Hi @njed
Like you, I developed my epilepsy due to an accident when I was a child. It took some years for the epilepsy to show its face in puberty. I'm the only one in my family with this condition.
I have temporal lobe epilepsy with mesial sclerosis. I'm curious about your experience—what type of epilepsy do you have? I'd be interested to hear about it if you're comfortable sharing.
Thank you!
Chris

@santosha Hi Chris - Back in 1970, the seizure was called grand mal and now tonic-clonic seizure. I had one more the following year and was then placed on phenobarbital and dilantin. The seizures stopped and in the late 1970's was taken off phenobarb leaving me on 600 mg. of dilantin daily which I have been on for about 45 years and seizure free. Several neurologists said they would feel comfortable in taking me off my medication and I said no. Dilantin levels checked by primary doc yearly and holding in the 9 to 11 level. Lost my driver's license once and I'm unwilling to take any chances. Ed

@caron7 - here is some information Mayo Clinic has online that might offer something relevant to your question about whether there is a genetic factor in your seizures and your grandaughter's. See especially the subheading labelled "Causes":

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

Please note especially this part, "Genetic influence. Some types of epilepsy run in families. In these instances, it's likely that there's a genetic influence. Researchers have linked some types of epilepsy to specific genes. But some people have genetic epilepsy that isn't hereditary. Genetic changes can occur in a child without being passed down from a parent.

For most people, genes are only part of the cause of epilepsy. Certain genes may make a person more sensitive to environmental conditions that trigger seizures."

@jakedduck1 - is this by chance the comment you posted that you were referencing https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/311744/?

@lisalucier
Yes, I believe that's it.
Thank you for digging it up.
Jake

@njed
Hi Ed!
Thank you so much for sharing these details with me.
I'm so happy to hear that you've been seizure-free for 45 years! I believe I wouldn't risk going off medications in that situation either.
So, if I understand correctly, you have a type of epilepsy syndrome that causes only tonic-clonic seizures, meaning there are no focal seizures (seizures that begin in one part of the brain) before your tonic-clonic seizures, is that right?
Chris

@santosha Chris, yes you are absolutely right. No warnings, no focal seizures. I had various tests done and went to the professor of neurology at the University of PA Hospital (1975) only to get shrugged shoulders. Clear brain scans. Forty years later, I did develop peripheral neuropathy in 2014 and given an affirmative dx in 2015. Idiopathic sensory motor peripheral neuropathy, again, shrugged shoulders at Mayo in MN in 2020. So, bottom line, I've been dealing with neurological issues for 55 years. Over the years, I've learned to live my life the best I can, take meds and I realize that I am fortunate that the Dilantin is holding me seizure free.
Ed