Hey - all of us who suffer from petit-mals have been posting here and there under other people's topics!

I figure it's time we start our own. Just to keep in touch - and talk about treatments and FRUSTRATIONS (of course!) and to vent and just be there for each other!

I've found that petit mal seizures aren't as common as complex partials or whatever - and sometimes info seems limited!

Love
Kaitie

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 03-12-2003).]

I tend to agree with that to a certain degree. I think there could be a lot more people out there that have petit-mal and either don't know what it is or have been badly diagnosed. The thing with this sort of E is that quite often all the tests come back ok and then it's wholely up to the Dr to treat it as E or not. There starts frustration No 1

There are many kind of generlized seizures...What was known as "Petit Mal" once upon a time is now referred to as "Absence sizures"
This may get you more customers...Good Luck

Hi Kaitie!

Excellent idea on starting this topic!

I have a question for everybody here. Does anybody else besides me get excruciating headaches along with these petit-mals? Last night I had a headache (not a migraine though) to end all headaches. It was so bad I was ill. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/eek.gif Anybody else get headaches like these?

Take care everybody!

Nic http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif

Hey Nic,

I get these headaches as well, mine are after the seizure and they feel like you've got an axe imbedded in your head and headache tablets don't do a thing. Sometimes mine can last a few days, I suppose that's just another thing we've got to put up with.

Tooheys

I always have headaches - and I'm just now learning that they are probably tied in with the absence seizures. It seems that because I have several - sometimes twenty or thirty seizures a day my headaches just never go away. Sometimes they are worse than others but yes - DEFINATELY I get them!

Love
Kaitie

Glad I'm not the only one with these headaches!! And Tooheys, you described them perfectly. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/eek.gif I sometimes can't even relax properly in a dark room because my head hurts so much.

Before I went on medication I was having one seizure after another..sometimes 20 or more a day. Now that my medication is being sorted out I'm doing better. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Here's another question...does anybody wear one of those Medic-Alert Bracelets? My husband and I have talked about it and I'm thinking of getting one. I'm always aware that I could one day have a grand-mal and I'd like to be wearing a Medic-Alert tag if that should ever happen.

Take care everybody!

Nic http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif

I think its about time I stopped driving:

Two days ago I was driving near the train tracks and I had an absence seizure...my boyfriend was with me and then next thing I know he's saying:

"DARN IT - now we'll have to wait FOREVER" and then I came too and I was like - for what? OH CRAP - the train! I didn't see the flashing lights or anything and the bar thing was coming down over my car!

Now that is just really scary. Thank goodness for my boyfriend.

I think my driving days are through. Grrr....

Love Kaitie

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 03-12-2003).]

Kaitie,

Your driving days don't have to be over. If my sometimes failing memory serves me correct you're not really soted out with your meds, I think you'll find that once they are sorted out you might be able to have (for want of a better word) normal life. A few months break from driving sort the meds out and think positive, even though it sometimes seems impossible.

Tooheys.

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 03-12-2003).]

I didn't know that petit mal seizures weren't as common as grand mal. I found when I was getting seizures, that I was having more petit mal than full blown seizures.

I'm not entirely sure that they ARE less common - it's just that people haven't heard much or don't know much about them.

Two of my best friends have/had epilepsy too (I learnt this after I met them and it was conforting). Both of them had grandmal seizures (as I did when I was much younger). When I tell any of my friends that I've been diagnosed - and those zoning out moments aren't just me being absent minded...they all say "But you don't do what _____ does - or you don't fall to the ground or start shaking - so that can't be a seizure, and they continue to say "KAITE - STOP zoning out!"

I've actually given up. Sometimes people don't get it - Epilepsy does not ONLY mean shaking and falling! Grrrrr

Kaitie