I had a seizure last night

[calico2222]

Originally Posted by otto

I was going to ask if you (Calico) take any medications that may have seizure listed as a side affect. Thank goodness you weren't alone.

please do follow up quickly on this. Don't put it off. And check your meds, if any, read up on the side affects.

No different meds although I did take some aleve because my back was bothering me, but I've taken it before without any problems. I did tell the doctors this and they didn't seem to think it had anything to do with that.

I'm guessing that my potassium levels would have been tested when they took the urine sample but I didn't think to ask them. They are sending copies of everything to my family doctor so I'll have him go over everything with me. I called today to make an appointment but his office is closed this week for training on their new computer systems so I'll call first thing Monday morning. Believe me, I'm definitely going to follow up on this!

 

[strange_wings]

They can check to see if potassium and sodium (among a few other things) are in your urine, but not your levels of potassium. For that they need to take blood. If they took any, they would have at least ordered a CBC and an electrolyte panel as that's pretty much standard.

As for why they didn't do an EEG. They usually schedule the person in for that later if they're stable. Later, under a neurologist, the person will be kept over night to a few days and they do things to try to trigger a seizure.

 

[mrblanche]

Man, it sure sounds to me like a case of some sort of chemical imbalance, whether hypoglycemia (perhaps of a transient nature) or low potassium or sodium.

I hope you find out what it is, and that it is easily remedied.

 

[catnurse22]

I'm glad you're okay! That's very strange.... Hopefully they can figure out why it happened and hopefully it never happens again.

Oh how I feel for your DH. My boyfriend has epilepsy and it is terrifying when he has a seizure, even after I've seen several!

Isn't it lovely when doctors ask you things like "what happened?" when it's obvious you have no idea,

.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

Oh wow.. how scary! I am glad you are OK though.

 

[myfamiliars]

Wow. That's scary. Good thing your husband was there and that he knew what to do. I'm glad you're going to see your doctor soon. I get light-headed when I stand up too quickly, and I have fainted from it before (once, long time ago). I have no idea what it might be; I am sending many vibes in your direction.

 

[ladyhitchhiker]

I had a seizure when I was 16. Was out on a date with my boyfriend Jon and we watched the movie then went out to play video games and wait for my ride home. We were playing Mortal Kombat. Bam. Down I went.

Ran all sorts of tests, and they said they thought that my adhd meds lowered my seizure threshold and that I shouldn't play video games standing up. Haven't had one ever again (that I know of).

So let's just hope it was an isolated event. Some meds can lower your seizure threshold and you just bam have one, since everyone has a seizure threshold. Infections can lower your seizure threshold as well.

Hope all is well with you!!!!

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by myfamiliars

I get light-headed when I stand up too quickly, and I have fainted from it before (once, long time ago). I have no idea what it might be

Transient orthostatic hypotension - basically your body is not able to correct your blood pressure quickly enough. If there's too big of a drop some people's vagus nerve will send out the wrong signal and instead of blood vessels constricting how they should, they dilate. The brain gets even less blood then and you're out. It can also happen as a delayed response in some people when they stand for too long.

Not too surprisingly there is a type of seizure associated with this called an autonomic seizure, basically the brain can't handle being deprived of blood. It's a rarer type that doesn't show up as a regular seizure does on an EEG.


calico, weren't you having some thyroid issues and just taking a kelp supplement to help? or am I mixing you up with someone else?

Thyroid issues can be associated with seizures - though, usually it's hyperthyroid and not hypo.

 

[calico2222]

Yep, that's me. I told them about that too, but it's over the counter dosage not prescription or anything like that so they didn't think that should cause anything but they did tell me to make a follow up appointment with my thyroid doctor too just in case. So that's on my agenda too (but getting a hold of her is next to impossible!).

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by calico2222

Yep, that's me. I told them about that too, but it's over the counter dosage not prescription or anything like that so they didn't think that should cause anything but they did tell me to make a follow up appointment with my thyroid doctor too just in case. So that's on my agenda too (but getting a hold of her is next to impossible!).

That's a shame, I hope you never need her in an emergency.

You may ask her about getting some other tests done, just to make sure other adrenals are in working order. Sometimes thyroid can be just be the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.


Oh, and I just remembered something... from all the times I've been tossed in the hospital. If your potassium only ever tests a little low, say 3.3 or 3.4, you probably aren't actually hypokalemic. The test for it can be off.
My own doctor was commenting how just about everyone that he'd seen checking in had low potassium and how he thought the lab was messing some of that up.

Now, if you're showing up as the upper end of "normal" then it could be a little high.

 

[trouts mom]

Wow, how scary! Hopefully you get some better answers from your doc.

Glad you are okay