Had My First Seizure And I'm Scared!

[Butterfly28]

I haven't been on here in a very long time. I guess I am reaching out now for some support. I have found this site to be very helpful in my past dealings with relationships, and self-esteem. Now I need some support about my health. Here it goes:

 

I went to a party on Saturday night. I had a few drinks, more than usual. Smoked a joint. Felt really good. It got to the point where I felt kinda drowsy but I didn't want to sleep. Someone had suggested I try a line of coke to sober me up. Stupid me, I did. I immediately threw up after that. The taste was horrible.

 

The next day, I was fine. I helped my friend do the dishes. I was gonna go to my boyfriends house directly from there, but instead I decided to go home and freshen up.

 

I showered, and as I began blowdrying my hair, I had experienced a tingling feeling and a "clogging" feeling in my throat. I had experienced this before. Many times. I remember backing out of the bathroom, and my mother calling my name and I went to call out to her and my lips felt like they were STAPLED SHUT and all the while I'm thinking, "OMG I AM HAVING A SEIZURE!"...

 

I don't remember anything after that.

 

My mother said she found me upstairs convulsing on the floor, my eyes rolled to the back of my head, my mouth frothing. She had called an ambulance and they rushed me to the hospital, and I just got out yesterday. I was in since Sunday.

 

I am scared. Part of me feels I did this to myself because of the line of coke I tried, however I had warning signals beforehand. All those times I felt a funny sensation in my lips, and in my throat were warning signals that a bigger seizure was coming.

 

The neurologist says that it MIGHT be epilepsy, but he isn't sure. HOW COULD HE NOT BE SURE? HE saw the results of the MRI and said that it appeared "abnormal" and that what I had was "congenital" and it would've happened sooner or later regardless of whether I tried coke or not.

 

Can anyone share their experiences? I really need some support right now.

 

Thanks

[Merin]

I can only tell you this.. there are a million causes for seizures..

 

My daughter had her first one when she was 10 months old.. she had a CT, an MRI, Blood Work. 2 Sleep deprived EEG's and was put on med's to prevent seizures... she was NEVER diagnosed with Epilepsy, her scan's NEVER showed ANY abnormal activity.. and she has not had a seizure in over 2 years.. she also isn't on meds any longer.

 

They NEVER found out what had caused her to have a few seizures... her's were not brought on by fever or anything she had ingested...

 

I know it's scary... it was (and still is) the scariest things I've ever witnessed in my life...

 

Best bet... listen to your Doc, and don't do anything that is going to be harmful to your body...

 

Hope you're better girl...

Take care

[moimeme]

From WebMd:

 

How Can I Prevent Seizures?

 

Avoiding possible triggers -- like inadequate sleep, flashing lights, video games, use of heroin or cocaine, and abrupt withdrawal from medications or alcohol -- may prevent or reduce seizures. Diabetics may prevent seizures triggered by low blood sugar levels by close blood sugar monitoring.

 

I would definitely never ever go near hard drugs again if I were you.

[tiki]

I think Epilepsy is a little harder to diagnose than you can imagine.

 

I wonder if you passed out and seized (which is what I've done before, but I've never been diagnosed with anything even close to epilepsy)?

 

When do you follow-up with the doc?

 

I agree with moi, please stay as far away from ANY mind-altering drug. It probably increased your likelihood to seize. Sounds like it aggrivated it (or something).

 

Damn. Good luck. I hope they figure something out.

 

PS You'll really crap your pants if they pull your license because of this. Epileptics can't drive here in the U.S.

[Butterfly28]

Well I learned my lesson in that regard. But these stem way before i even tried it. I am not trying to defend myself, however I was stupid and I made a mistake. This stems from way before when I was experiencing these symptoms. I can't just blame it on my trying cocaine for the first time.

[Butterfly28]

[quote

PS You'll really crap your pants if they pull your license because of this. Epileptics can't drive here in the U.S.

 

Well they are already threatening that. So far they've restricted my driving on any major highway. Once I get the letter from the ministry of transportation I will know if it's been permanently taken from me.

 

According to what the doctors say, I had a tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure. I remember trying to call my mothers name, I let out this cry - and I don't remember anything after that. My mother found me in a fit of convulsions at the top of the stairs foaming at the mouth. I woke up in my room staring at two ambulance attendants feeling very lost and confused.

 

This has been a life changing experience lemme tell ya!

[Butterfly28]

I am now currently awaiting a booking for an EEG. The neurologist says that he is not sure whether or not he should diagnose me with epilepsy.

 

I had a head injury as a child. I was struck in the head by a golf-ball in my backyard at the age of 2. The doctor also said this could be a factor that played in my seizure even though I tried drugs at the party the night before. Heck this injury was 26 years ago. Why does it play a factor now?

 

I'm also worried about the different types of meds that are out there. Which ones are right for me? I hear all sorts of side effects. Weight gain, depression, etc...etc.

 

I don't know what to think anymore....

[booyou]

i, like you, developed seizures well past puberty (18) and the doctors had no explanation whatsoever as to why they started. the only thing i could rationalize is that i had been at a beastie boys concert a couple months prior and had crowd surfed and been dropped and hit my head but there had been no damage to my brain so from a medical standpoint it didn't make sense.

 

afterward, i started having strange dreams at night and would wake up with a sore tongue. it took a couple months but finally someone saw me convulsing while on a ski trip at night. it was terrifying the next morning when they told me what they saw and once everything came together.

 

i am now 30 and while i still am medicated they are under control. i did have seizures about once a year for 10 years. this also included a period where i went without driving but, luckily, my work and my home have always been on bus routes.

 

as far as drugs, don't be so hard on yourself. definitely be conscious of those things that can trigger seizures but remember that things aren't always so black and white. i know the risks but i do indulge in things every now and then and i have never linked a night of indulging to a seizure. do know your "aura" and be prepared to act if you feel it coming on. my aura is a tingling in my left arm and when i feel it i know to get down on the ground. i have had some false alarms (probably to the point of paranoia) but i have conditioned myself to be alert when i feel something abnormal on my left arm.

 

i wish you the best butterfly. i am not going to lie and say it is easy but be honest with yourself and realize that while it is not the greatest thing to have it ain't the worst either. there are some other simple things you can look at like taking a multi-vitamin, changing your diet, and getting enough sleep.

[Butterfly28]

OMG thank you so much for your insight!!!

 

I have many people who tell me that if I was experiencing these "aura's" before I tried the line of coke at that party, that the simple "sampling" of a drug only one time is more than likely not the "cause" of my seizures. I've also been told that it was going to happen "sooner or later", and that by me trying a hard drug like that for the first time just sped the process up.

 

I know what I did was wrong, and I'm not going to be hard on myself. It just really sucks when the dr's in the hospital say to me, "You know why this happened, right?" - they make me feel kneehigh to a grasshopper!

 

Plain and simple, the neurologist says, "I'm prone to seizures". The only "trigger" I experience these symptoms is when I blowdry my hair. So what you are saying is - that I should still be able to use my blowdryer but I should also be able to "CONTROL" when an aura is happening (by turning it off and walking away)? Or shall I say the onset of a seizure? Lying on the floor you stated is what you normally do, and then prepare for it to happen. Is that to prevent injury?

 

It's pretty scary....I'll never forget it. Although I've forgotten most of the events surrounding it...I will never forget my mother calling my name, and I felt like my lips were stapled shut...trying to call out to her....or...whatever that was....and then....total darkness...

 

I need to get a grip on this. I hope I can.....and soon.

[moimeme]

The only "trigger" I experience these symptoms is when I blowdry my hair.

 

Did you tell that to your doc?

[Butterfly28]

Oh yes....I did. But he kept insisting that "it happened because I tried drugs".

 

Ok. I can accept that fact. It was stupid of me. But we all do stupid things. I have to stress though, that these "aura's" occured WAY before. I just never knew what it was. I even reported it to my family doctor about 3 months ago on a routine physical, and you know what her response was, "Oh it's probably nothing". I described it as a "quickening" or a "lightening" feeling in my head.

 

I mean, talk about making me feel like I'm going nuts!

 

I got a call last night from the EEG Lab. I have an appt on 07/12. So, that was quick! With all the health cuts here in Ontario I would've expected to have this appt months from now. I guess they feel they want to get to the root of the problem.

 

NOTE: - I bought a brand new hairdryer this past weekend. Spent $100 on it. And you know something? I don't feel the aura! So, I wonder why I felt it before?!?!

 

Too weird....

[moimeme]

Well the article did say that cocaine was one of the triggers. Maybe you wouldn't have had the seizure for another several years had you not tried the drug. Anyway, see what happens after the EEG result.

[Butterfly28]

Its possible. However, before I even tried coke, I was getting these "aura's". I've smoked weed before. It never happened with that. It's just so weird. I'm so confused. I hope I don't have epilepsy. I know it's not the WORST thing in the world, but for the ppl around me, it will be.

[moimeme]

I've smoked weed before. It never happened with that.

 

Weed is not on the list of triggers. Coke is.

[Butterfly28]

And that's something I've learned my lesson with. But I just hope this is the only time it happens and it doesn't happen again, even though I was getting symptoms before.

 

I'll keep everyone posted on what my EEG results are.

[booyou]

please keep us posted- i hope this is a one time occurrence for you.

 

yes, coke is definitely on the trigger list. however, the world is not so black and white either. i am not advocating cocaine use and just like nicotine won't always cause lung cancer coke won't always bring on seizures. i would advise to educate yourself on the link between drugs/seizures so you can get comfortable in advance to the level of risk you are willing to take when out + about with your friends.

 

as far as your aura and turning "off" a seizure some say it is possible. for example, one case i read about was where a woman would actually smell something when she was about to have a seizure. so she kept strong fragrances around and would spray them when she felt her aura and the seizure would be prevented. of course this is not practical for everyone depending on what your aura is and how long from aura to onset of seizure.

 

as far as medications, they aren't so bad although they do slightly impair mental functions. for instance, ordinarily happy-go-lucky me is much more prone to mood swings, forgetfulness, and ummm sexual dysfunction (that is between you and me butterfly) than i was before i took the meds. however, it hasn't made my life miserable but it has made my demeanor a little less consistent. as for you, it depends on what you take and at what dose.

 

finally, i wish i knew why i developed seizures as well. i am a twin and i was two months premature- the best the doctor could diagnose was that i was predispositioned for seizures since people with my profile were more likely to develop them. my brother does not have seizures although he did have a brain tumor earlier this year (oh my- my whole family is mental! thankfully, he is fine now)

[RecordProducer]

My ex-BF has mental illness running through his family and he told me that drugs or alcohol can initiate them if you're predisposed to them. I don't know if this is medically proven, but he claims that his father's disorder started after using pot. I am sure he didn't use it just once. Don't be so scared about what happened, but don't take any drugs ever again.

[Butterfly28]

Thank you both for your replies. I always find the LS crew so uplifting and helpful!

 

There are so many possible factors behind the reason I had this seizure. One being, I know...what brought it on, was trying drugs. But I had my share of smoking weed back in the day. I can't see weed being THAT BAD (Even though it was the line of coke I tried the night prior to having the seizure)???

 

I too was born a premie. I also had a closed-head injury at 2 years old. I was hit in the head with a golf-ball. The neurologist thinks that could be a possibility too of what brought my seizure on (as I was experiencing aura's before I even tried drugs)....oh yes, and then there's the learning curves and comprehension problems I had in school ( he was able to pick this up from the "GREY MATTER" he noticed on my MRI!!)....I wasn't always the smartest, but yet I graduated with my class....then there were the migraines I suffered for 5 years....which was corrected by getting glasses and I never really had them severely afterwards....

 

So many possibilities that I wish I had answers to....

 

My EEG is on 07/12. I really need to find out what the heck is wrong.

 

Last night something kinda freaky happened....while I was sleeping. I don't know what it was, and I don't know if I should call it a "mini-seizure". But I woke up after only 2 hours of sleep in a POOL of sweat. OK, I know, it's been a HOT and HUMID summer here in Ontario, but I sure as hell don't sweat buckets in ANY temperature. I also woke up feeling as if I'd "bitten" my tongue. I felt OVERLY thirsty, and I just felt weird all over. I was fine though....after I had drank some water...I'm really chalking it up to a bad dream or maybe I really *was* hot, even though I had no blankets on me, and 2 fans running....hmmmmmmm

 

I woke up this morning feeling VERY VERY LETHARGIC. Worse than normal. I am by no means a morning person....but I was VERY tired. I don't know....I think this whole possibility of having epilepsy is really starting to take over my mind.

 

During work today, I had a severe dizzy spell come over me. I thought "OMG...was that an aura?" My heart started to race. I didn't even want to get out of my chair.

 

I feel like my world is falling apart....like I'm walking on eggshells. Like the more I think about the fact I had a seizure I'm afraid I could bring another one on. I try so hard not to think about it, but I can't help it.

 

I made the mistake of telling my father I had a mild headache this morning, and he started to freak. I know he's very concerned, but now I'm on such a tight leash with everyone around me, I also feel like my freedom has been taken away.

 

This really sucks...big time.

 

(Sorry for the long post...you guys are my way of expressing!)

[Butterfly28]

OK, now I am getting really worked up about what is wrong with me...my EEG is on 07/12 and I experienced something today that I am not sure of...anyone who may have had these experiences or recognize these symptoms if you can shed some light to help me cope...

 

Today I had my exam for school. I drove to school on the city streets (like I've been told I'm supposed to by my neuro - he's restricted my driving)....

 

I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be...or at least I thought so...when..about 3/4's of the way to school, I had to pull over because I was experiencing a numbness in my entire bottom lip...mouth went kinda dry, my lips started smacking but I was TOTALLY AWARE of what was going on...my heart started to race and I started to shake as if it was "nerves" - and not in a convulsion so-to-speak. This lasted for about 2 minutes. I regained composure...and about 10 minutes after that, I continued driving and made it to school safely....

 

Was this a panic attack? Or another seizure?

 

For the record, I went into the exam, and it was like a walk in the park. I had my "finger rosary" by my side the whole time and prayed for strength. It was as if I had angels sitting in my lap and guiding me through this exam.

 

I walked out of there feeling absolutely wonderful...

 

But what the heck went on earlier, I am so anxious to find out.

[Jaime03]

about 3 years ago I smoked weed and it wasnt anything new to me. All of a sudden I couldnt stop convulsing. My friend had to hold me down. I was sooo scared after about 30 min or so I was better. I still didnt feel right but I was better. He took me home and I layed down and I went to sleep it has never happened again and ofcourse I do not smoke it anymore. I never went t the doctor but I know it was a seizure. So I will say it can trigger it.

[Jaime03]

I have anxiety attack....to me what it sounds like is an anxiety attack, panic attack whatever you want to call it. I usually get numb feeling and shakey and I feel like I will start convulsing but I dont. It last a few min and I tell my self it is just in my head and its ok. Then usually after I am pretty tired. Yea it can be scary but all i usually have to do it just say to myself...its all in your head and that kind of stuff

[ajhusky]

I feel for you I had my first and hopefully only seizure back on June 17th. I was running on the treadmill at my gym an just collapsed. Like you I woke up in the ambulance. The idiot neurologist at the hospital said I could drive as long as I was on Dilantin. I went to my regular doctor later that week to get some stitches removed from my finger (treadmill belt). He told me there is no way I should be driving as there is no guarantee that I won't have another seizure or that the drug will work. He referred me to a much more competent and thorough neurolgist.

 

My MRI showed that I had a cist in my brain. The neurolgist said the cist was congenital (developed before I was born). That and positive EEG results were good indicators that I did have a seizure. However, they were only indicators not causes. I did all of the sight test: remembering word, touching my noze etc. without any problems.

 

I know none of that helps, but here are the things we have in common :

 

Night sweats, although not frequently.

 

Numbness, in my case on the right side of my face. My doctor says both of these could be related. However, I think it is psycosymatic as they happen when I am thinking about the condition as they are right now. Keep that in mind.

 

I had a sleep test done and was diagnosed with sleep apnea. My doctor told me that most people who are sleep deprived are susceptible to having a seizure. If you snore and find yourself waking up in the middle of a snore, you likely have it.

 

So knock on wood either the medication is working or I won't have another seizure. I have heard countless cases where people just have the one seizure.

 

It's not an easy diagnosis and sometimes they never know for sure; however, everyday that goes by improves your odds, so think positive and title your thread: "I Had a Seizure." "Not Mmy First".

 

AJK