Stress related fits/seizures!
Do you know of anyone who has experienced fits/seizures due to stress or anxiety?
My 27 year old son started having fits/seizures last summer despite having no previous history of them. They are not a daily occurance. He had one January 1st 2006, six in one day around 10 days ago and one this morning.
He has had every test possible. Brain scans/tests have ruled out any chance of epilepsy or brain disorder. Blood sugar level is fine so diabetes is not the cause. Blood pressure, heart etc is normal. The Doctors have been great. They strongly suspect the problem is due to stress. My Son's next step is to see a Psycologist.
When the fits started last summer my Son, a Retail Manager, was working 12/14 hour days in high temperatures. The later fits usually have come at a time when he is tired or, as they said, stressed. All the ones he has had recently have a come during a time when he going through a house purchase (first time buyer).
So, has anyone here experienced fits/seizures due to stress or anxiety? Perhaps a friend, partner or relative has?
How was it treated and was it successful?
Can anyone recommend a course of action? (Yoga, meditation, Bach Flower Remedies?)
Any help, advice or the sharing of a similar experience would be appreciated.
My 27 year old son started having fits/seizures last summer despite having no previous history of them. They are not a daily occurance. He had one January 1st 2006, six in one day around 10 days ago and one this morning.
He has had every test possible. Brain scans/tests have ruled out any chance of epilepsy or brain disorder. Blood sugar level is fine so diabetes is not the cause. Blood pressure, heart etc is normal. The Doctors have been great. They strongly suspect the problem is due to stress. My Son's next step is to see a Psycologist.
When the fits started last summer my Son, a Retail Manager, was working 12/14 hour days in high temperatures. The later fits usually have come at a time when he is tired or, as they said, stressed. All the ones he has had recently have a come during a time when he going through a house purchase (first time buyer).
So, has anyone here experienced fits/seizures due to stress or anxiety? Perhaps a friend, partner or relative has?
How was it treated and was it successful?
Can anyone recommend a course of action? (Yoga, meditation, Bach Flower Remedies?)
Any help, advice or the sharing of a similar experience would be appreciated.
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Comments
YorkieUK,
Please don't take any of this as diagnosis, or me being knowledgable, but I will relate some of what you said to experience I have had!
Epilepsy can be idiopathic - ie, no known cause, but many people who have epilepsy have triggers which cause them to have a seizure. Often it is the cause of two or more triggers which cause seizures, particularly in those who do not have them daily!
Epileptic seizures can be varied - Tonic Clonic Epilepsy is the sort of seizure which we all probably think about, but absences, a sudden drop to the floor, with or without loss of conciousness, switching off for a second, are all types of recognised seizure, so it maybe that your son has had more than one type of seizure.
I had my first seizure at 14 and was diagnosed at 16. I identified my triggers as stress/excitment/nerves and lack of sleep. The two triggers have to be operating for me to be at risk of a seizure.
I've had a seizure on the first day of college, while away with a youth club, in my third year exams at university, when my dad died and while going through a messy house move!
Other triggers include drink, drugs, physical stress (eg sport), illness etc.
I am controlled by anti-epileptic drugs very well - I haven't had a seizure in over 10 years, and only had them before that when I didn't take my medication.
Most practictioners will advise that your son avoids situations where his triggers surface, but in real life, that isn't practical. I think everyone makes their own choice, and I chose medication because it means I can drive, do what ever I like, and actually, unless I tell them, no one knows I have epilepsy!
Epilepsy Action is an excellent organisation which can provide lots of information - it's the working name of the British Epilepsy Association, so if you google those two words, it'll come up!
I don't presume to diagnose your son - only a doctor can do that, but if it turns out that he has epilepsy, it's not so bad, it just takes some getting used to! Fortunately now, I control my epilepsy - it doesn't contol me!
I've known several people who have had seizures for very short periods of time - one of my in-laws had them for a two year period, infrequently, and then they stopped. His were due to drinking and lack of sleep - his worst on the M1 when his wife was driving!
He was also diagnosed with epilepsy, but only after seeing several doctors! Epilepsy is misdiagnosed a lot and also missed a lot! It's a hard condition for doctors in that way!
I had a x-ray, EGC, CT Scan, MRI scan, EEG and none of them showed any problems, and therefore they concluded that it was not caused by a tumor and I am not epileptic.
In fact they could find no reason for it, but put me on pills, Tegretol (Carbemazipine (sp?)).
I am still on those pills now, and probably will be for the rest of my life. They say that there is an "increased risk" of having a fit if I come off the pills, but they just don't know.
Dave,
I tried tegretol but I was allergic to it - it was destroying my white blood cells and bone marrow!
Tegretol is very good because it produces few side effects if it suits you! I was on Epilim (Sodium Valproate) but had to change because of liver damage! Now I'm on Keppra (levetiracetam) after trying two others which didn't suit me!
Keppra's great - it's newer and costs more to the NHS, but has very few side effects too!
Hope you are doing ok on it!
Yeah, it's fine for me. I have to have liver tests every couple of years, but no real problems there.
I've been on it for 10 years and not had any side effects.
The only problem I find is if I forget my repeat prescription and go without it for a few days, really screws my head up