Epilepsy

[loadsabikes]

Bugger, just been diagnosed after my second "episode" in four years.

[nikki]

Bugger.

Hugs, and hopefully the third won't be around any time soon.

[Butterfly]

Oh poo, that's rotten luck.

[Jurek]

That's pants ldsbks

[Ruthie]

That sucks 

[loadsabikes]

Still, should get my cycle mileage up now I can no longer drive.

[Butterfly]

Still, should get my cycle mileage up now I can no longer drive.

Well, that's the positive side 

[Canardly]

Very sorry to hear that Simon.

[loadsabikes]

Shit happens mate, I just need to try not to fall off the back of the boat too often!

[clarion]

Well, it's good that you've got a diagnosis and can get it treated. 

[Wowbagger]

Blimey, Simon, that's not good.

Mrs. Wow's younger sister suffered from epilepsy for a few years, about 9 to 13 I think, but then grew out of it.

Is it common for old buggers to develop epilepsy? I have often wondered if there's a link between epilepsy and migraine. I suffer from the latter, although my attacks have become trivial since about the age of 35. Prior to that they were totally debilitating, requiring a darkened room and urgent access to a bucket.

Anyway, good luck with the treatment.

[mcshroom]

Sorry to hear that loadsabikes.

My little brother had Epilepsy from between about 10-15yo. It was rather disconcerting but he seems to be free of it now. Best wishes.

[Kim]

That's a bit rubbish.  Hope it's manageable.

[Zipperhead]

Bugger, just been diagnosed after my second "episode" in four years.

Hopefully it will be manageable with drugs. It took me years to get mine diagnosed, I suffer from absence seizures, and it was only when I had a full blown seizure and got another neuro referral, and then read up on seizures and realised what was probably wrong with me (I'd had sufficient MRI's and CT's to rule out other nastier things). That enabled me to tell the neuro about the other symptoms and for her to get confirmation from a third party about things symptoms that I wasn't aware of.

Mine had got to the point where I might have a couple every week, and although the seizures weren't too bad the after effects were unpleasant, loss of speech, extreme tiredness and a migraine an hour later.

But, having had a diagnosis, treatment was then swift. The first medication that I was on didn't have any positive effect (some unpleasant side effects), but the next medication has worked. Not immediately, it took a little while for it to take effect, but it's very effective and has no side effects on me. Last week marked four months seizure free for me,  at the beginning of the year I would have been happy with two weeks.

So, for me it has been treatable and hopefully it will be for you as well, don't get disheartened.

I stopped driving a couple of years ago anyway, because I didn't want to be in control of a motor vehicle if it happened.

[Pedaldog.]

Mine are mainly the absence type but I do, occasionally, "do the Random Dance", mainly through the night. Also been pretty clear for a few months and I am sure it is from advice I was given by a friend who's child had Bad Epilepsy. Magnesium and calcium supplements daily.  I generally get  few clues when things are heading in the near future and haven't had these, or a seizure, for a few months now.

[T42]

Bugger, just been diagnosed after my second "episode" in four years.

Bugger.  Hope it's the last one.

[barakta]

Sorry to hear this and hope you get good treatment soonest.

I hope your type is that which can be well controlled by drugs and lifestyle management  - a lot of epilepsy is.  I hear good things about both epilepsy society and epilepsy action and a good epilepsy nurse/doc too.

[loadsabikes]

Thanks guys for all your support.

[graculus]

Bugger

Pretty much my reaction when I had my first event out of the blue at age 45.
Happily my GP referred me to a consultant immediately and I was diagnosed pretty quickly. Getting drugs sorted took a few years before they were completely effective, but they are now.
It seems the end of the world at first, but now it doesn't bother me at all.
All the best, loadsabikes and hope you can get sorted soonest

[mrcharly-YHT]

Are your episodes going absent for a bit, blacking out or full on shakin stevens?

Had a lass collapse against me on the train, I think she had an epileptic blackout, she was very very embarrassed when she came too; I can imagine that's one of the annoying bits (apart from the being unable to drive, pilot a mirage down a canyon chasing alien spacecraft etc). My cousin had the 'absent' peti mal thing; he would stop in the middle of a sentence, totally frozen, then carry on utterly unaware that anything had happened.

[loadsabikes]

It's the full on falling over variety, totally out for 10 minutes and then a gradual recovery over the next 20 minutes.
I seriously mullared my tongue and was apparently rather rudely outspoken as I gradually came to.

[mrcharly-YHT]

That's a scary long period.

Hope they can find a regime that controls it.

[Notsototalnewbie]

Sorry to hear this loadsabikes, really hope it can be managed with drugs.

I have often wondered if there's a link between epilepsy and migraine.

So far the best success I've had with reducing the frequency of my migraines, which had got up to two a week, is with a daily low dose of a drug that's mainly used to treat epilepsy. They didn't want to give it to me at first as it causes birth defects, so they don't particularly like giving it to women of child-bearing age, but I was reaching the end of my tether and had tried other options.

[hondated]

Bugger, just been diagnosed after my second "episode" in four years.

Sorry to read that but don't give up hope. Many many years ago now I had it as a child and even had to go to a  "special " school because of it but fortunately I grew out of it.
Your definitely not going to grow out of it but given the correct medicine who's to say that it will not cure you of it.
Good luck.