Inquiring for my husband: My husband is 7... - Epilepsy Action

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Inquiring for my husband

Dydee profile image
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My husband is 78 and in Nov. 2022 he had 3 horrible spells of nausea following some dizziness first thing upon waking about 10 days apart and some lesser ones in between. 5 months later we finally got into see a heart specialist and after 5 days with an at home heart monitor, it was determined his heart was stopping for up to 12 seconds. 3 days later he had a pacemaker put in. The crazy spells stopped but he had started having something resembling an esophageal spasm, and he would grab his throat, thinking he might throw up but never did, and often wouldn't remember having one. He was also having severe short term memory lapses. Took 7 months to get into a neurologist and after a 5 day at home EEG it was determined he was having seizures. Never had them before.

Now, when he was a crawling baby, less than a year old, he fell off the second story back porch to the parking lot below., at least 10 feet, and hit his head. His mom found him unconscious when she ran down to pick him up. By the time she called his dad and he got home to drive them to the hospital, several minutes had to have gone by, at least 15 or 20. He didn't regain consciousness until half way to the hospital, and they then turned around and headed back home. His doc said there is no way this could be causing his seizures but why not? The brain changes as we age and I would think scaring could have a bigger impact. Or could the hours of vomiting sitting leaning over the toilet during his spells have caused them to start? He is currently taking LevETIRAcetam (taken right off the label) 500mg 2x a day. He thinks he is still having symptoms occasionally but his Sept. appt. with the Neuro. was just cancelled. I have read so much about epilepsy and seizures and nowhere did I read anything that resembled his symptoms.

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Dydee profile image
Dydee
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oobie profile image
oobie

Hi Dydee, I was diagnosed with late on set focal epilepsy two days before I was 50 (just over 3 years ago). I am on the same medication and had to have an increase in my night time dose as I still experienced seizures. My symptoms though are not the same.

Firstly, as soon as I was diagnosed I was put on the books of the local NHS epilepsy clinic so that may be someone you can get in touch with for some advice and support (they act between a GP and your neurologist).

Reading this though - I would really recommend you get in touch with a GP straight away and push for more tests and help. I was really lucky because everything went smoothly with my diagnosis and treatment.

I hope you can get some assistance quickly.

Dydee profile image
Dydee in reply to oobie

Thank you oobie. It actually was his GP that sent him to a neurologist. But the one he got specializes in sleep disorders and just wants to prescribe meds and be done with it. Wasn't open to looking into the cause at all.

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