Seizures Or Night Terrors? Posted: 05-06-04 23:44pm
I have a generally healthy six year old
girl. About 4 weeks ago I heard noises
from her room about 2 hours after she went
to sleep and when I walked in she was
awake but acting bizarrly. Cycling her
legs and arms followed by a brief stop
then with jerking of left arm and leg and
head turning to the left repeatedly. I
got the impression of someone being
electrocuted and actually looked around to
see if she had gotten near cords. The
major symptoms stopped after 1-3 minutes
although she continued shaking arm and
doing bizarre repitive gestures for 4 or
so more minutes and had no memory of event
a few minutes later. After talking to
Dr. I took her to emergency room. She
had an ear infection in both ears and a
temp of 101. Four days later I heard her
in hallway again 2 hours after falling
asleep she was doing repitive arm
movements(stretching above head,, wringing
hands, jerking arms) she seemed fearful,
could talk but not responsive beyond
saying 'mom" and "i don't know whats
happening". She is normally very verbal.
Her left arm seemed most effected.
Although she had memory of event she did
complain of tenderness in that arm the
following day. Lasted three minutes or so
folllowed by sleep until morning. This
has happened two more times since with
basically the exact same symptoms. We
are usually alerted by hearing thumps
coming from her room. Always approx. 2
hours after falling asleep. We do not
know if she is convulsing and what is
causing the thumping sound which alerts
us, we are just seeing the bizarre
movements when we get in her room. She
had a normal eeg. Additionally, since
this has started we have noticed
pronounced daytime tiredness. She has
also had strep throat 2 weeks before the
suspected seizures began and fifths
disease since they started. She has no
memory of these awakenings so we made an
effort to keep things very normal and do
not discuss it generally with her. We
asked our ped. To do blood tests to rule
out a possible physical illness, but he
refused and referred us to a ped.
Nuerologist. Do these sound like
seizures of some type or night terrors?
(which our Dr. Thought was a
possibility). She has never had any
sleep related problems prior to this and
is a smart,normal six year old. There is
no screaming when they occur and no overt
terror. Just a general impression of
fearfulness and that something is going
on.
|
bubble1
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 16
Posted: 05-08-04 09:18am
Hello
i was diagnosed with juevenile myoclonic
epilepsy when I was 17. I do think that
your daughter may be too young to have
this type of epilepsy starts in
adolescence.
However I post the message because with
this type of epilepsy, before I started
mediaction, my arms would jerk above my
head uncontrollably - it would not last a
long time. Sometimes I would then go
onto to have a tonic-clonic seizure (grand
mal) where my whole body would go stiff
(tonic phase) and then my body would start
to jerk (clonic phase). Then I would get
up, walk round and talk - mainly crying
for my my mum but I would never have any
memory of this. About 15 mins later I
would come a little more aware of my
surroundings but have very bad headache,
be very tired and be disorientated -
wouldn't be able to work out the day, then
I would just sleep for hours and hours.
Couldn't be sure if your daughter has
epilepsy or not - just thought i'd tell
you my story especially when I read that
her arms have been jerking above her head
like mine did - but as I say, drs have
told me that this type of epilepsy that I
have starts in adolescence. However,
there are so many types of epilespy, maybe
there is a similar type in younger
childern.
I used to also used to have seizures in my
sleep but I am unable to tell you what
form they took - does your daughter ever
complain of a sore tongue or have a
swollen tongue in the morning and wake up
very groggy? That was my sign of having
had a seizure in my sleep.
Hope this may be some help.
I had epilepsy for 3 years before being
diagnosed & had several eeg tests and
all came back normal so I was told it must
be anxiety. As I kept having 'black
outs' I eventally had sleep deprived eeg
which picked up this type of epilepsy.
Apparently as tiredness is my trigger this
is why it was never picked up on a normal
eeg.
|
bubble1
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 16
Posted: 05-08-04 09:24am
Actually I have found more info on this
type of epilepsy which says it can start
at age 8 - think it may be of interest to
you:
juvenile myoclonic epilepsy can develop
between 8 and 26 years of age, but occurs
mainly between 12 and 16.
It is characterised by myoclonic episodes,
or jerking motions, which mainly affect
the upper limbs. Consciousness is not
lost.
The myoclonic episodes tend to occur in
runs on awakening, or following sleep
deprivation, and may not be recognised.
In 90 per cent of patients generalised
seizures are associated with, and may
follow, the myoclonic jerks. In 25 per
cent of patients typical absence seizures
(of adolescence) may also occur.
Clinical attacks of myoclonus are
associated with polyspike-wave discharges
on a normal eeg background. The gene for
this syndrome is believed to lie on
chromosome 6.
Photosensitivity is common in those with
juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.
Most patients respond very well to the
drug sodium valproate, but relapses occur
if the drug is withdrawn.
|
hopefully
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Posts: 3
My Son Has Posted: 06-26-04 17:06pm
My 16 year old had a major seizure when he
had just turned 14 (we were standing and
talking around 10 at night and he just
went down). He broke 3 teeth and
eventually we discovered he had a brain
injury as a result.
First neurologist said probably would
never happen again. Then I took him to
a specialist that people fly to from all
over the world. This doc looked at my
sons mri and eeg and the first question
was,
" did your son ever have night terrors or
sleep walk?"
yes he did, no one ever thought it
mattered before. He said this seizure
pattern (seizures during sleep or
fatigued) show themselves as night terrors
and sleep walking in younger kids and as
seizures when they are older. I would
do meds early and avoid further brain
injuries.
They tend to run in families, he told me,
also. Last week my 11 year old had a
major seizure during his sleep.
1. The part of the brain these
seizures come from control also anxiety
and ocd behaviors. My 11 year old has
had so much senseless anxiety that just
pops up out of nowhere (seizures) and he
also had night terrors when he was
younger.
2. That part of the brain also
controls "language" functions. My
younger son has a language processing
disorder (including written language -
reads very well, but large amounts don't
"compute" and also he gets words mixed
up-- he & she) my older son has
severe dyslexia.
You should definitely pursue this. My
boys had a friend, I still know the
parents, who had a seizure and docs said
would probably never have another one.
He died in his sleep. One reason I
pursued medical evaluations is the
experience of seeing what they went
through and I had a gut feeling that my
sons was the same type as his. (it was)
3. Seizure activity increases during
developmental periods, toddler,
adolescence, puberty, etc., because of
hormonal changes.
Have you gotten information yet?
You should put into writing that you would
like your daughter to receive a full
psycho-educational evaluation (letter to
school) they will have 60 days to
complete the testing after the formal
request and you will have a better idea
what her specific needs and issues are.
Also, by law they must do it every three
years, unless you say not to, and you will
have a broader understanding of how your
child's condition is impacting her ability
to learn and thrive in a school
environment. Some issues may not
manifest themselves until 5th or 6th
grade.
