Help I am afraid for my husbands life! - Epilepsy Message Board

krisyd · 03-01-2001, 11:23 PM

My husband tragically lost his brother a 6 months ago. A week after his brother died he got into an accident on the freeway, claims he dosed off, and rear ended a car. he and the other party were not injured but from that time on my husband has had episodes of de'ja'vu, and smelling a foul smell before the episodes. he saw the neurologist and they found an abnormality on the EEG, as ordered Dilantin. He took the dilantin for 3-4 days and he was exhausted on it so he weaned himself off of it. He said he could handle the episodes because he is conscious through the whole thing. Afterwards he gets a bad headache and nausea. I believe he has been having seizures in his sleep and he has a sleep disorder as well for years now. he has leg jerking movements and obsessive face rubbing movements, as well as snoring and grinding his teeth. He is on the freeway3 hous or more a day. i am concerned because he had the worse one ever he claims a couple of days ago, and I am only thankful that he was carpooling. However, the odd thing is that the guy that was driving slammed on the breaks and it was shortly after that that he started having the seizure activity again. Could this all be due to the initial accident?? Whip lash??? Should my husband be driving??? Do I have a good reason to be concerned??? He follows up with the neurologist hopefully next week. Apparently they call them temporal lobe seizures. I am afraid of a grand mal while he is alone or possibly while he is driving the car with our three little boys? What should I do? He may be able to work from home if the doctor ordered him not to drive for one year. Is it a policy or protocol if dx. with epilepsy, not to drive until seizure free for one year? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Candida · 03-02-2001, 09:44 AM

There is no need to be afraid for your husbands life as long as he stops driving. It sounds very much like he is having simple partial seizures, which are basically small electrical misfirings in the brain, which are usually contained to the temporal lobes or frontal lobes. These small seizures will mean that your husband is kind of 'taken away' and will be unable to make purposeful actions during the seizure, which may be for several seconds or even minutes. Quite clearly, bearing this in mind, if he keeps driving, he is highly likely to have an accident at some point. He needs to take this seriously, as he could hurt others also. He has a choice, he can try other medication, there are several to try and not all of them make people sleepy, if he does this he is likely to have no further seizures and can carry on as he does now. Or he can choose no medication and accept his seizures, but he will have to make some adjustments, the first thing being, giving up driving. Other precautions are generally based around safety measures. Should your husband just make some adjustments there is nothing to fear from this, but he does need to be sensible with it.
Hope this helps, and good luck.

krisyd · 03-03-2001, 01:10 AM

Candida, interesting name! On another note my 3 year old has systemic candida, and is being worked up for autism spectrum disorder. Is this your name? or do you also know a lot about this subject? As for your info Re: my husband, thank you. It is going to be hsrd for me to have him consider stopping driving. I will pray for the right words to speak and hope that he hears my deep concern. For a man to not be able to drive can really have an effect on their independence, and of course pride is an issue. He should be in to see the MD next week for further testing. We've just got an ongoing battle. Our 7 month old has asthma, 3 year old has Autistic symptoms, and 7 year old has allergies that affect his ability to function. Now my husbands problem! I suppose it is a season in our life, that will pass, hopefully safely and soundly. Thank you again

CuznJ · 03-03-2001, 08:12 PM

Hi there...
Just joined this group and read this message. My husband started having seizures in 1997. He was found in his truck, unable to speak or understand commands for 4 1/2 hours that day. Of all the hospitals and docs who dealy w/him over a period of 3 years, nobody reported him to DMV...I had to report him myself and LET ME TELL YOU...to this day, he resents me for turning him in. He was mad at docs for NOT turning him in, but resents me for doing so. Hey, the man was utterly unsafe to drive after what i witnessed that day when i got a call from Sheriffs Dept to meet ambulance at hospital. He had gone 9 mos w/o seizures and neuro told him ok to drive again. It was after this period of time when this happened. I see that u r in Riverside...well, i am in Buena Park and the law for CA is anyone can report the person...docs by law are SUPPOSED to, but my husband is a classic case of how people can slip through the cracks. It ain't gonna be pretty no matter how you slice it cuz that male pride is a killer!!
Also, my husband has jerking movements, face rubbing, etc... just like you described w/your husband, snoring, the whole nine. To this day (started in 1997, out of the blue), they have yet to figure out exactly what is wrong w/him. Best of luck dear and my thoughts and prayers are with you. Write anytime you like, would be glad to talk. My e-mail is CuznJ@msn.com
Bye...
Jane

krisyd · 03-05-2001, 12:33 AM

Hi! CuznJ,
Thank you for your reply. I wonder if since he only has the type of seizure where he is conscious through the whole thing, would they take away his license? He can even have a conversation while he is having one he says. I still think he needs to get a follow up by another neurologist, so we will go nxt week. My husband has had these leg movements for the 12 years that I've known him, along with the facial rubbing while he sleeps as well. This alarmed me a long time ago as he has a sleep disorder on top of it all. He was going to have a sleep deprived EEG 2 years ago but we switched insurance. This was going to be done due to all the sleep symptoms I mentioned. Well the sleep deprived EEG neve transpired. Anyway, did your husband find a meidcine that controls his seizures? Does the medicine affect his life in a negative way? I worry about my husband being tired all the time, as he was on the dilantin. Well thank you and I hope to hear from you again.