Concerned...myoclonic epilepsy or not?

07-20-2003, 12:22 PM

My friend recently told me he has just been diagnosed with myoclonic epilepsy. However, he told me that before he went to the doctor he experienced two actual epileptic seizures...or at least that what he thinks it was. He told me his whole body froze and he couldn’t move: like he was paralyzed but he could still see. He said after this scary feeling he blacked out and woke up later.

He never told anyone about these because he was ashamed (I think he’s afraid, he doesn’t want to have this disorder). He's being treated for the myoclonic epilepsy and he hasn't experienced any of the jerking seizures since. Still, I'm concerned that he should have told the doctor about these two seizures. I worry that it's a sign he has epilepsy, and not myoclonic epilepsy. If so, I wonder if the medicine he is on treats the epileptic seizures and not just the myoclonic epileptic seizures.

I need help; please respond if you have any information. Are these two seizures signs he has epilepsy and not myoclonic epilepsy, and if so, should he get different treatment?

07-20-2003, 10:31 PM

I am farely new to epilepsy, can you please explain what myoclonic epilepsy is.

Thanks! Sorry I can't be of any help, but I hope you find the answers that you need! I would definatly have him tell his dr about every "episode" he has had! and maybe even get him to a neurologist, if he hasn't already been seen by one!

03-20-2004, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isbeautiful

My friend recently told me he has just been diagnosed with myoclonic epilepsy. However, he told me that before he went to the doctor he experienced two actual epileptic seizures...or at least that what he thinks it was. He told me his whole body froze and he couldn’t move: like he was paralyzed but he could still see. He said after this scary feeling he blacked out and woke up later.

He never told anyone about these because he was ashamed (I think he’s afraid, he doesn’t want to have this disorder). He's being treated for the myoclonic epilepsy and he hasn't experienced any of the jerking seizures since. Still, I'm concerned that he should have told the doctor about these two seizures. I worry that it's a sign he has epilepsy, and not myoclonic epilepsy. If so, I wonder if the medicine he is on treats the epileptic seizures and not just the myoclonic epileptic seizures.

I need help; please respond if you have any information. Are these two seizures signs he has epilepsy and not myoclonic epilepsy, and if so, should he get different treatment?

I dunno about the seizures, but my nuerologist perscribed Zonegran for me because he wasn't sure whether I had complex partial seziures or myoclonic epilepsy, and he said that Zonegran takes care of both of them, so you might want to check with the doctors about medicines that could take care of both, if you want to be sure.

Good luck!

03-23-2004, 04:45 PM

i have juvenile myoclonic epilepsy... people with myoclonic epilepsy can also have regular seizures...i did. It's better to treat the myoclonic jerks because certain meds make jerks worse.

[url]http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/epilepsy_juvenilemyoclonic.html[/url]

Concerned...myoclonic epilepsy or not?

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