Hanan said:
Hello,
My daughter is 16, she had her first seizure 8 months ago during school exams. We were so sad and upset and we kept wondering why it happened and we thought it was related to hormons and contraceptive pills that she was taking because her periode was not punctual. She has been taking lamictal since then 100 mg she had no seizure for the next seven months. Once she stopped taking the hormones and contraceptive pills and during her periode she had another seizure and the Dr increased her dose to 150mg and after two weeks she had another seizure. I am worried because she falls down and injures her self during seizures and she sleeps the whole day and does not go to school after.
My questions are;
-Is there a relation between hormons and epilepsy
-What can I do to prevent her from getting injured especially that her seizures happen early in the morning 5- 6 oclock when we are sleeping and we wake up at her falling on the floor.
-are there any previous indications that she will have a seizure.
-are there any medications or diet that may reduce seizures( silver bracelets ).
-Is magnesium effective in her case.
-Can we control the seizures after two years as her Dr. told us.
-Does weight count( she is a bit over weight)
Sorry for taking so long but it is the first time and I am anxious to have answer if possible.
Hanan mother of Tatiana
Welcome, Hanan! :)
I hope you don't mind my editing. It makes your post easier for me to read. :)
Hormones can certainly play a part in epi management. I have experienced some szs due to hormonal fluctuations, including one during pregnancy with my son. This won't be true for all women with epi, but the numbers are significant.
You may see her szs stop now that her hormones are more stable, but learning about triggers is vital for optimal control. I would talk with the neuro about possibly increasing the med slightly in anticipation of her cycle.
Is it possible for anyone to sleep with her? Does she have a double bed? Sleeping in the middle of the bed can help prevent injury. I also have my szs in the very early morning before waking, or after being asleep (from being sick), and the last sz I had was at about noon during a nasty flu. I was alone in the house and didn't fall out of bed, but I noticed when my aura spread that I was on the edge of the bed and moved quickly to the middle.
Has she described anything she feels right before the sz? This is the aura, which is actually a small sz itself, and if it's recognized quickly enough and is long enough, it can help her protect her from serious injury.
There are many treatments that can help besides medications. Some find that altering the diet helps greatly. Getting rid of caffeine, limiting sugar, and even eating gluten-free can help a lot for some, but no diet is absolute for everyone. Also, as you wondered, being overweight can affect the sz control if not enough med is given. I'm actually extremely sensitive to doses considered "normal" for my weight and have found that only a "child's dose" helps me get control without severe side effects. I'm currently taking 375 mg of Keppra a day and have about 100 lbs to lose, due to several medical problems related to autoimmune, but I have complete control (and am finally getting some sleep as long as I don't get physically uncomfort
I do recommend getting a MedicAlert, too. If she's ever in a public place without you, it will "speak" for her.
As far as being on med for a limited time, this will depend on things like her EEG readings and how stable they are. If they consistently show sz activity, withdrawing from med even very slowly will probably lead to more szs eventually.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also aggravate szs. Magnesium and Vitamin D may help, but get her levels checked to be sure. These are common deficiencies that can lead to szs, but they won't help everyone and may actually aggravate szs in some. Check with the neuro to be sure. I take both mag and D, but I have known deficiencies, too.
I hope this is helpful to you! Please keep asking your questions. We all want to help. :)
Good luck!
LIZ in RI, lifelong epi patient, mom, and list moderator :)
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