Laying Down and seizures - Epilepsy Message Board

KittenPaws · 03-04-2007, 02:40 PM

Anyone have an increased feeling or have had seizures after laying down flat on a bed? I dont know why but 70% of my seizures occure soon after i lay down or when im falling asleep/waking up throughout the night. Wonder if anyone else is like this?

IMNRVUS · 03-04-2007, 05:30 PM

Can't blame this on the full moon

.
I have had a similar problem, but easily got over it. All 8 of my Gran Mal seizures probably have been triggered by a form of sleep apnea. I was asleep on my back for all of them. Mine is different than the regular kind. Laying down on my back closes off something in the rear of my sinuses... just above the roof of my mouth. It was confirmed by my Ear Nose and Throat doctor last week. All types of sleep apnea can be corrected with surgery called somnoplasty as far as I know.
However, I did have a small sinus polyp two months ago. I used nasonex for two months, twice a day. Nasonex is a sinus steroid that shrinks nasal tissue. I still use it once a day.
The polyp is now gone, and I breathe better on my back. Haven't tried sleeping that way yet. I got used to sleeping on my sides or stomach since 2005.
Have you had any sinus/allergy trouble when you have the seizures while sleeping on your back?
Can you lay down on your back (awake) and breathe OK?
If you find out it's something else, let us know.

Travis from MN · 03-04-2007, 06:23 PM

I can relay that a good friend of mine, his occur right when he is starting to nod off if in mid-day, when he is laying down when he is starting to enter the early stages of sleep, they hit until he is "past" some point (hard to explain). Again, they occur at the end of the sleep cycle before he fully wakes up.

So yes in some cases sleep can be tied to seizures. All I can say is I have seen it, I don't know the connection between the two. I don't think I have read documentation other than depravation of sleep to cause seizures in relating to sleep and seizures.

The prior post is hinting at the CPAP (think thats the correct term) mask. Basicly a posi-pressure mask to wear if there exists a breathing problem that may enduce seizures. Some do use that.

--Travis

KittenPaws · 03-04-2007, 06:24 PM

Hrm, come to think of it i might have sleep apnea as well, got allergy problems too. My problem is i gotta arm wrestle everything out of my doctors to get anything done lol. Ive never been able to lay on my back and "breath" okay, and i feel off as well.

Though, it doesnt help me figure out what all my other seizures are about too...but at least part of them i understand now!

If i can get the sleep study done in the next month or 2, i might go for it (my fiance's had one as well so i know what they do), but since im pregnant, it cant be any later then that

Till after delivery.

IMNRVUS · 03-04-2007, 06:58 PM

Travis:
A CPAP was offered to me if I thought I could tollerate it.
Next option was surgery (somnoplasty).

If just nasonex works, I'll keep using it as long as the doctor allows. Only side effect I get is coughing occasionally.
If I have another seizure while sleeping on my back, doctor suggests surgery.
Both Neurologist and ENT doctors agree... so do I.
So, until then... it's wait and see.

Kitten Paws:

Keep a diary of what happens, when, and why.
Write questions for doctor, take them with you... ask all of them and write down answers in front of him.... that way he has to answer.