What to do in a sudden change of symptoms??

[Frost77]

Hi everyone. My partners epilepsy has been quite well controlled for around a year but today he’s had 3 seizures, the first around 2pm with around an hour before the second and a third at around 1930. This has never happened before so I don’t know if this is a normal thing to happen or not and I’m looking to see what other people or partners have/would do if this happens. Any words are much appreciated as I’m mega on edge and on strange ground.

[Adlon57]

Has he changed medication recently? it could be a change of medication could be needed? just a few suggestions, I would check, but epilepsy is so unpredictable, there are many particular types of epilepsy, there are always a load of different factors to be taken into consideration? A MRI or CT scan certainly seems on your priority list, ask about them. Get medical advice, does he have an epilepsy specialist he could get in contact with, ask your local GP who should be able to pass local contact details onto you or your partner! Join Epilepsy Action is a good start! I have had epilepsy for fifty years, [Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy] it is the ignorance built up about the condition, that scares most people, don't be!

[Frost77 in reply to Adlon57]

Hi. Thanks for your message.

His MRI a year ago showed “Left sided Mesial Temporal lobe sclerosis” resulting in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Has been on Tegratol (600md twice day) for 14 months. His seizures reduced 90% both in frequency and duration. For about 9 months had just a handful of minor partials, but then they started becoming worse again.

Do you or have you found in the past that stress, worry etc has affected your seizures??

[Adlon57 in reply to Frost77]

Yes stress was a major problem, most of my seizures, used to happen within two hours of getting up, if there was a major event, whatever, I could not sleep the night before, blood pressure up [I have high blood pressure] then have a seizure before the event [numerous exams were cancelled due to this], I try to get all appointments put off till the afternoon. I was on tegratol, twenty years ago, they slowed my system too much, my thinking process became too cloudy, but as I said every person is different. I have auras before the seizure, which has been handy in that I know when I am going to have one, dash up to a bed, comfortable chair, etc, then I have a grand mal seizure never a minor one. Underlining what I said earlier there are many types of epilepsy!

[Adlon57]

What sort of medication are you taking, sometimes the side effects of the medication can be more harmful mentally than the actual seizures. Get in touch with an local Epilepsy support group, you will be surprised by people who have similar symptoms, living in your local area, learn from each other, you are not as isolated as you think you are! Partners of people with epilepsy are in the same situation as yourselves, get together! If a persons reaction to medication causes violent side effects, get your epilepsy specialist to change them, there are optional medications available, everybody is different, physically and mentally, sometimes your body can build up a resistance to their medication, get it changed, usually side effects are mentioned in leaflets attached to the medication. I have always had two types of epilepsy medication that I take together, I am currently on Vimpat and Briviact, they both have side effects, but are minor, and I have learned to put up with them, but again there are no such things as the perfect medication for overall epilepsy! When treating epilepsy it is a matter of treating the effects, cutting it down to the barest minimum, very rarely does it eliminate the source of the condition 100%, unfortunately! I am lucky in the respect that I have been through most of the range of medications, this concoction 🤞 is newish on the 'market' and seems ok? BUT remember there is always new 'concoction' s becoming available to the patient, when changing medication, ALWAYS ask your specialist what there is available! Stay Safe!