headache instead of a seizure?

[noodleygirl]

Hi so i am 20 years old and i have had mild epilepsy since i was very young, i can’t remember exactly when i was diagnosed. i haven’t had a seizure in about 7 years but i’m not sure if that is because it is quite easy to avoid my trigger(fast flashing lights) or if i have grown out of the epilepsy. today i went to work and the lights were broken so they were flashing quite fast and aggressively, i went underneath one of the lights to put an item of clothing away in that section, i immediately felt dizzy so i got out of there quickly. i carried on putting stuff away and i started to feel nauseous, very dizzy, a bit confused and my head was hurting so i went and sat down in the staff room. it felt like i was going to have a seizure. i didn’t end up having a seizure but i have had what feels like a migraine since that happened this morning(10:30) and i have tried the classic migraine treatments like turning all the lights off, taking ibuprofen and trying to go to sleep, nothing seems to be helping. has anyone else had this before and know how to help with it? also, do we think the headache is epilepsy related? i can’t work it out

[EpilepsyAction1 Partner Epilepsy Action]

Hi Noodleygirl

I hope you are feeling better since you posted your question.

It’s difficult to say if what you experienced was due to your epilepsy or something else. For example, could it be a migraine or maybe anxiety.

We know if someone with photosensitive epilepsy comes across a faulty flashing light bulb this could trigger a seizure. epilepsy.org.uk/info/seizur...

It can be difficult to completely avoid things that could trigger a photosensitive seizure. If you come across something that might trigger a seizure without warning, there are some things you can do to reduce the risk:

• Cover one eye with the palm of your hand straight away

• Turn away from the possible trigger

• Don’t close your eyes (as this could cause a flicker effect)

Headaches can happen after a seizure. How long these last will vary from person to person. So, if your headache isn’t going away, maybe talk to your family doctor.

Communicating with people on here and through other social media, is a really good idea. So, I hope you hear from others in this community soon.

If you don’t, as well as managing the HealthUnlocked community, Epilepsy Action has other ways for you to contact others. These are:

Facebook facebook.com/epilepsyaction

Twitter twitter.com/epilepsyaction

Talk and Support epilepsy.org.uk/talk-and-su...

From our experience, in most case people find it helpful to talk to or contact people who understand what they are experiencing.

Regards

Diane

Epilepsy Action Helpline Team