Epilepsy can you help?

Question

Does anybody know if there is a link between epilepsy and shortness of breath, because last night it happened ot me and it was scary.

Can anxiety cause a shortness of breath and if so is there anyway to treat anxiety.

Well a bit more info, im 27 years old from glasgow, have had epilepsy for 10 years and woke up this morning trying to get my breath. Was fighting for almost 45 secs before it cleared. I also had like a burning sensation in my throat like eating something to hot ot quick. Having epilepsy im wondering that this might have happened as a result of a seizure.

Well i take the odd big one " tonic clonic " but most times its during the night. Its not happening during the day at the moment. So is it possable to have a seizure then be fighing for my breath afterwords

Everybody has been so useful so i cant chose, ill let other vote, thanks for all your help

Answer 1

Epilepsy is such a vast subject, and having nursed many people with epilepsy, i can say that each individual will present differently, i have only seen shortness of breath when a seizure is occurring, you don't mention which type you have, so is difficult to be sure. It could be anxiety related which would explain the shortness of breath, it will also depend on which part of your brain is affected during seizures. You are best to check with your epilepsy nurse or neurologist if you are still unsure or if it happens frequently.

Answer 2

I've had seizures all my life (I'm 59) and it sounds like multiple things are going on here. I've had the burning in the throat but it's only because the rx was in a gelatin capsule and I didn't swallow enough or any water when I took it. It gets stuck in the throat and feels exactly like burning 10-20 minutes later. Next time when the burning starts take some water. If that's it the burning will stop.
Never had the shortness of breath but I have a son (has no epilepsy) with severe asthma and what you describe sounds like an asthma attack. I'd see what might be setting that off because it's the simplest. Ask your doctor for an inhaler and next time you can't breath try that. It works fast.
There is also a condition called sleep apnia where people "forget" to breath. They wake up suddenly out of breath and gasping for air. They've found people with epilepsy also have a high incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
It's not a rare condition and you can find out more about its relation to epilepsy at http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleeptionary/index.php?id=29
Clear away all the common solutions before getting into more complex scenarios, unless of course you have access to professional help.
Wish I could be more help. Good luck.

Answer 3

Hi Andrew, I also was born in Glasgow! However a long time ago.
Epilepsy has various warnings if you have "Grand Mal" but "Petit
Mal" gives you no warning, it comes as a forgetfulness and an odd
sensation of being lost which may make you wander and forget
what you are doing, but in most cases it is physically harmless.Now
"Grand Mal" will give you various warnings which may vary from
person to person. I am a victim of "Grand Mal" which makes me go
through stages. I first feel nauseated and lost so I go to bed quickly,
fall into a deep sleep and then it comes. I have no sense
of what happens. I only know that I come back to my senses two
or three days later, in hospital with my head sown and bandaged.
Normally, in an emergency ward and strapped to my bed. If not
in emergency, there will be a male nurse by my side to keep me
from escaping from the hospital. Also, I usually have a broken
hand, wrist, elbow or arm. The room, at home has to be washed
of blood on the floor and walls. If I manage to break down the door
I will go out of my house only to be picked up and sent to hospital,
where, it seems, I am well known. Now this is only an explanation
of "Grand Mal" which can be serious and dangerous with various
intensities. I am told that I seem to be awake and talk my head off
and will answer any question. My eyes are open so medication
is applied to put me to sleep. Questions asked during my sleep
stage will be answered by stages in the past, I will give my phone
number dating back 30 years or so. I will call my present wife by
previous wife‘s name, I do not recognise my children since I go
back to before they were born, even if now they are grown men.

Now let‘s go to your symptoms. The shortness of breath or dry
mouth is caused by a panic situation that you are experiencing.
You must visit your doctor who can diagnose your symptoms.
All I can add is that EEG is out dated, and your doctor should
put you through "Magnetic Resonance" which is the tube you
are put into. The stage which can and will diagnose exactly
what is going on is in the "Echo Spin" stage. It is painless and
you will only feel a few bumps in the machine. What does
"Echo Spin" do, it identifies your brain waves and their activities. If you
have the least sign of epilepsy it will show where it starts and the
course and intensity of these waves. In this test you can be fully
medicated and the machine will still diagnose ANY problem,
whereas in the EEG, if medicated, it will only show small medicated
waves even when deep breathing or provoked by light flashes.
Also in "magnetic resonance" machine, the doctor will have full
picture of your brain, be it matter or electrical. Please do not
waste your time worrying and go to your Doctor. In my 69 years
you can well imagine the problems I have been through. I wish to
stress that I am not a doctor but only a victim.
Also remember that
there are new drugs that can handle all of these problems. In my
earlier days the only medication produced was phenobarbital, and
was next to useless. I wish you well Andrew but please remember
that there are no two cases alike, so please do not take my
problem as perhaps being yours. This is only a guideline in an
effort to help you. A visit to a neurologist is a must, and please
stay away from psychologists who are not indicated in your case,
however if so the Neurologist will indicate you to a good one,
and not a quack. I have had no seizures for 7 years and it is with
the help of modern medication and friends. Cheers, Iain

Answer 4

Are you diagnosed with epilepsy, or are you experiencing shortness of breath and are worried that it might be epilepsy?

From what I understand, shortness of breath is not a symptom of epilepsy. It could mean a lot of other things, however, from a panic attack (possibly related to the epilepsy) to asthma, night terrors, or some upper respiratory infection.

It would be impossible to tell without a detailed physical examination exactly what your shortness of breath means.
The best advice I can give you would to see your primary care provider as soon as practical, and if you have another episode of shortness of breath in the meantime, you might want to consider going to an urgent care clinic or your local ER.

Hope this helps!

Edit: Anxiety can most certainly cause shortness of breath, but you need to see your doctor to rule out any other possible causes. There are lots of ways to treat anxiety - relaxation techniques, medications, herbal therapies, yoga, massage, etc.
Your primary care provider will be able to explain your options for treatment if anxiety is deemed to be the cause. Here are a few websites about anxiety:
http://health.yahoo.com/topic/anxiety/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anxiety.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety

Edit: You know, I don't know if it's common to come out of a seizure at night and have shortness of breath upon awakening. The quick answer would be to consult with your doctor, just to check. Your medication might need to be adjusted. It's also completely possinle that you had a panic attack. I've seen people wake up with panic attacks, and it takes them some time to catch their breath.

Answer 5

hi i also suffer epilepsy and also have wakened struggling for breath i dont know if its more of apanick on wakening sometimes if i have a seizure i have to consentrate on breathing i would not worry to much i also suffer tonic clonic and seizures day and night if you feel this happening often then speak to your doctor so they know of your new symptums keep well jackie

Answer 6

It sounds like it two separate problems. BUT, if you are taking a medication for the epilepsy you could be starting to have a reaction to the drug. I would discuss this with my Doctor and see what he may say.

Answer 7

My neice surffers with epilepsy, but she also suffers quite bad with anxiety. Im not sure if the two are linked but she takes epelin so it may be a side effect..

Answer 8

No link betwee shortness of breath & epilepsy.

Answer 9

never had shortness of breath through epilepsy. i do know anxiety can cause this though. best to see your GP.

Answer 10

Without much to go on its hard to say. You may possibly have experienced a mild panic attack, but would need more info to comment. Hope you feel better soon.