I have been wondering if having 3 seizures at age 12-13 due to childhood epilepsy could cause a memory loss of all my childhood. I have very few vague memories of my childhood before this time. Does infact Childhood Epilepsy cause memory loss? Or is do I need to search other areas?

Hi Baraka,
Memory loss is a common thing with Epilepsy especially after a major siezur however the memory usually comes back after some time. With the siezures you had what sort were they and were you officially diagnowith Juvinille Epilepsy by a doctor or specialist? Did they do any tests? MRI, EEG, CT scan? What I find alarming is the quantity of memory loss. Do you know if there was any bad brain traumor? This could cause some memory loss. I would certainly be checking this out with a specialist. There are some other avenues that I would also look at, I am no specialist but I've had no experiance with such a large memory loss. Hope this helps
Lori

Lori,
I did go to a doctor and was diagnosed with Childhood Epilepsy. I am not sure what type I had. I was young and don't know if I was ever told. They did do a cat scan and eeg. I was on meds for 2 yrs and then the follow up test showed I was clear. Cleared again so that I can scuba dive.

I don't think there was any major brain trama. I have a hard time focussing but besides that I have made it through college and am working on a masters with high grades. 3.0 and above.

Any other ideas of what to look at now?
Thanks
Baraka.

Hi Baraka,
With the siezures you had when 12-13 do you know if they were really bad ones? If they were that could possibily be a reason for memory loss. I know that each time I have a siezure I get a bit "slower" in the mind and memory my recall thought pattern is also impaired big time. So I do know what you mean by trying to focus. Another thing is did you ever hit your head VERY hard as a kid? It is amazing how much one knock can cause minor probs. This could be a possible answer. Do you have a neurologist? This may be some questions you could ask them. If you don't have one I really recomend you look into finding one. Anything to do with the brian or memory is always very challenging as it is one of the most complicated parts of the human body. There maybe other reasons behind your memory loss that are not related to Epilepsy but some other nurological problem and a specialist could tell you this.
Lori

First of all, I am just curious as to when you wee diagnosed with having a childhood epilepsy disorder, because 2-3 seizures don't warrant memory loss.

Some forms of epilepsy do cause memory problems and they include Simple Partial (unconcsious) seizures with motor symptoms, with somatosensory symptoms, with psychic symptoms, and with autonomic (automatisms) seizures.

Complex Partial (unconscious) seizures with Simple Partial on-set, with impairment of consciousness at on-set, and with partials that secondarily generalize.

Atonic seizures are not partial but generalized, and those can cause falls constantly that can acuse serious injury to the head messing up memory, but those are rarely seen in adults, but are more commonly seen in children.

The other types of seizures that I know about are the generalized types and they include Absence--both typical and atypical, Myoclonic, Clonic, Tonic, Tonic-Clonic.

Some childhood epilepsies include BRE or Bening Rolanid Epilepsy (on-set at 6 or 7 goes away spontaneously by age 15--has typical centro-temporal spikes), CAE or Childhood Absence Epilepsy (on-set by age 4 and is out grown by the late teens or early 20s--different from Absence seizures alone--has typical 3 per-second spike-and-wave brain pattern, and is triggered by flashing lights or hyperventilation--lasts for 5-20 seconds), JME or Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Syndrome (Has a triad of seizures that include MYOs as main one, GMs, and Absence--has on-set during early adolescence and lasts enitre life. Controlled well by Depakote and nothing else--seizures are brief forceful jerks), Epilepsy with GMA or Grand Mal on Awakening. Wake up and start seizing--on-set at any age from adolecence on), Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (very severe form of epilepsy that includes mental retartdation, developmental delayes, and more than 5 types of seizures that are NOT controllable--on-set 6 months on through young childhood), West's Syndrome (occurs in infants in the first 2-6 months of life, but can occur later up through 2 years of age, but not there after--carachertized by infantile spasms and an EEG reading called a hypsarrhythmia-a disorganized and completely chaotic rhythm with no pattern to it), Chronic progressive Epilepsia Partialis Continua of Childhood, Benign Epilepsy with Occipital Spike-Waves, Epilepsy with Coninuous Spike Waves during sleep, Eye-lid Myoclona Absences, Self-Induced Epilepsy, and Benign Partial Epilepsy with Extreme Somatosensory-Evoked Potentials.

So you can see there are MANY types of seizures and epilepsy.

Most of those aren't seen as much as the 15-20 that most people talk of or have.

You need to tell me what type of seizures you have, what type of epilepsy or epilepsies you have, how long you have had it, what drugs you take, etc for me to offer anything up to you.

For someone to just say they have had 2-3 seizures and ask a question is hard to know, because it isn't always epilepsy.

I have for example One type of epilepsy, but because it is a syndrome, it carries with it 3 seizure types. In addition to that, I also have 2 loose seizures that have absolutely nothing to do with that syndrome--Absence, and Myoclonic.

I take two drugs, both at extremly high doses.

I do suffer from memory loss. THe siezures fire right in the area repeatedly and have most of my life where the memory is stored, retrieved, produced, etc. My short term memory is totally shot. I can not remember to remember. I can not remember what someone told me 2-2 seconds AFTER they told me or asked me to do it, I start to go somewhere, adn before I get there, I don't remember where I was headed, and I can not bring back the memory, because of how the seizures fire.

Also if I am talking I HAVE to say it when I think of it, or it will be lost forever.

It can be very frustrating, so you do NOT want a memory problem (am not doubting you, jsut saying that you don't want one)

I also have to write everything done, so I remember things, and alot of what is written down, is pretty stupid, but that is what you get with an epileptic that has "no brain"--no pun intended.

Let me know, and I will get back to you, by tomorrow.

Nancy

Hi,
It's strange that you feel like you lost all of your chidhood memories and I'm sorry. I have ahad epilepsy since I was eight and have just recently been told that I'm seizure free but I still constantly can't remeber things I've done or need to do. My DR says it's because of my life being so busy (I'm only fourteen) but other say it's the meds but I've been off of them now for 6 months so I'm a little confused as well. A lot of people experience loss of memory but I've never heard of the loss being this big before. i would look into seeing a DR of some sort. Good luck!
~ alityledeserted :wave: