Partial Paralysis after third Grand Mal Seizure - Epilepsy Message Board

Evilmonkey36 · 12-06-2007, 02:38 AM

HI everyone,

I'm brand new here...19, relatively healthy (except for epilepsy and asthma) and despite dealing with problems from Epilepsy (and being randomly re-diagnosed, gotta love the docs) for years, it never occurred to me to join a message board for my questions.

I kinda wish I'd thought of it sooner...but oh well.

I had petit-mal seizures for years with my Doctor continuously telling my mom I was just 'zoning' out and that it was normal before I had my first grand-mal seizure when I was 13. I don't remember much of anything that happened besides being on the computer and then waking up in the ER.

After that the docs tried various meds on me, Dilantin and Topamax are the only two I can remember, but I know that there were at least 4 different ones throughout the 2 years following my first seizure and the first meds they gave me made me have *horrible* migraines...

Anyways, after around 2 years with no further epileptic behavior my doctors said I was fine and that it was normal for girls to have petit-mal seizures and then have a grand mal at puberty, and have no activity after that.

So they took me off my meds and I was fine, believing I didn't actually have epilepsy until earlier this year (in march) when I took acid at a party and had my second grand-mal seizure. I went to the hospital the day after and wasn't entirely sure what to tell the nurses because (once again) I couldn't remember anything. I remembered waking up on the floor of the party surrounded by my friends, with them telling me I had a grand-mal but that's about it.

The doctors labeled it a non-epileptic seizure because it was drug-induced, and for some reason last thurday I decided to try acid again, which resulted in *surprise surprise* my third grand mal seizure, which has so far been the worst.
Like the others I have no memory whatsoever of it, only this time my memory was messed up longer than it has ever been with the other seizures, to the point that when I came to in the ER I could barely remember my own name.
My friends said it lasted for roughly 2 minutes, and that when the paramedics got there, I was awake but incoherent. They said that half of my face and body was paralyzed, like I had a stroke. I remember my right side being really weak in the ER, but it didn't make sense until they told me.

Because of the seizure I had earlier this year and the hell I went through trying to get my license back, when he contacted the ER to come pick me up, my dad managed to persuade them to label what happened to me an "amphetamine psychosis" so I can keep my license...so I can't exactly go to a doctor with this (like they've been SO helpful so far).
Now, let me get this out of the way: I'm NEVER doing Acid again and am going to be entering counseling, my only question is if you guys think I actually have epilepsy or if maybe the last two grand-mal seizures were just drug-induced.

And if I *Do* have epilepsy, then is half-paralysis normal for the aftermath of a grand-mal seizure?

Any help you guys can give would be great, and thanks for your time.

<3 Elle

SentenceDoing · 12-06-2007, 10:05 AM

I'm pretty sure Epilepsy is Epilepsy no matter what the seizures were caused by. If you have more than one seizure in your life, I think it can be considered Epilepsy. Everyone is different and has their own triggers.
I really hope you seek counseling about the drugs. Please don't put your life in danger by taking a drug that is dangerous on its own, but even more dangerous to someone who gets seizures as a result of using it.

TopamaxKillsMe · 12-07-2007, 08:16 AM

It sounds like epilepsy but really, you need to go to a neurologist. Do your homework and find one in Los Angeles with a good rep. Seriously, I lived in LA and my neuro wasn't very good but I was w/out health insurance so I was sort of stuck w/ her.

You should get a brain scan. This thing with the face paralysis is a little scary. I haven't heard of or experienced any paralysis since I've been epileptic. Maybe when you had the seizure, you hit your head and have a hematoma (slow bleed). A few years ago my mom was visiting me, hit her head on my shower and about a week later started feeling weird, ultimately her whole left side was paralyzed. The doctors did a cat scan and had to give her two rounds of brain surgery (she flew helicoptor from Burbank to Cedars for emergency surgery). It's a miracle my mom survived. You should try and get a cat scan/MRI to determine the cause.

Re: Acid. I've done my share of that and all kinds of drugs in my life but in retrospect, I greatly regret it. I hope you're serious about not doing it again.