symptons of epileptic fits?

Question

my husband had a serious head injury 7 years ago and over the last 2 years he has had about 4 or 5 serious fits were he has bit is tongue and shakes, can any one who suffers from anything like this give me some advice on this as he hasnt been diganoised with anything, but after watching one of these fits i think it look very like a eplictic fit. can anyone suffering from this give me what there sypmtons are only if comfortable telling me??? he has been to see a neouroligist and he has said it is stress that is causin thes fits but im not convinced???????? please help

Answer 1

My husband also had a head injury but that was three years ago. His 'fits' started 12 months ago. He would feel 'strange', collapse, stop breathing and shake his arm and occasionally his leg on one side. After about 30 seconds he would stick out and sometimes bite his tongue then take a huge loud breath. It would take him another minute or so to regain consciousness. He went to see a neurologist who said that these were not typical symptoms of an epileptic fit but he wasn't allowed to drive for 6 months to be on the safe side. They started again in March. We went back to the doctors who referred him again t the neurologist. The appointment was Oct! It has since been changed to March! He was still unable to drive until it was 'investigated'. The 'fits' actually stopped in July. When he was having them they would occur at anytime. He could be sitting, standing, lying even swimming! Sometimes he would have them up to 6 or 7 times a day. I kept a note but no-one is interested. The only pattern we could find was that they seemed to start when he reduced his 'Gabapentin' tablets which he takes a high dose of for his pain. It is also an anti-epilepsy drug. I feel that it is due to this but NOBODY listens. Hope u manage to get to the bottom of your problem

Answer 2

i have suffered epilepsy for around 9 years now i started of with what is called petite Mal which basically i lost all concentration and just stared in to space then a couple of years later i was told i had grand Mal basically to put it in a nutshell my symptoms are before i have the fit i get a metallic taste in my mouth or smell roast dinners (no joke lol) my fits/ seizures last between 30 seconds and 4 Min's i have been known to have up to 10 in a night i am then very tired groggy and confused after one i have been told i don t know where i am etc (but i have no memory next day) you should get him to see a neurologist again maybe a different one as i was given scans in the early days and nothing ever showed up on the scans stress can bring on these fits if you have epilepsy and so can things like viruses etc but get a second opinion it sounds to me like he has (i am no expert just personal experience) some people also loose bladder or bowel control but nt everybody (i do not) i hope i have helped and if you have any more questions please do not hesitate to e mail me good luck

Answer 3

Hmm. epileptic fits can be major or minor, it used to be called Grand mal and petit mal.

Minor fits can be as mild as to almost go unnoticed by the sufferer and others around them, it can be as though they were daydreaming momentarily....referred often as absences.

Major fit,; the person may have signs that they will fit, called an aura, they may smell something that you can't or just feel a little out of it, it is different for everyone. Shortly after this is followed by the whole body shaking and possibly tongue biting, they may pass urine, after the fit has finished they will usually feel very tired and sleep for some time.

If you are unhappy about the diagnoses, get a second opinion, you are entitled to.

Head injuries can cause fits to occur. People are never diagnosed as epileptic on their first fit as the fit could be attributed to a number of reasons.

I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Answer 4

my mother suffers from epilepsy and i am her carer. sometimes before she has a fit or seizure she has a headache so sometimes she knows she is going to have one. most of her of her fits last no longer than a few minutes but in worst cases last up to an hour then she has to have an injection to bring her round. sometimes she'll have fits in her sleep or pass out so she or anyone else wont know she's had one after she's had a fit her eyes wont focus n will roll around n she will feel really sleepy n have a really bad headache. if i were u i would pressure doctors or any other specialist to re-assess ur husbund because if he does have epilepsy there are really good drugs to control the fits. some people can develop brain conditions after serious head injuries there are some boxers who have got epilepsy after years of fighting because months or years of blows to the head could build up pressure and cause a clot on the brain. ther are plenty of good websites with info i hope u can get the help u need n find the answers u and ur husbund need to put ur minds at rest

Answer 5

My niece has epileptic fits, a few days before hand, she gets dark patches under her eyes, almost like a pale blue colour, her lips quiver slightly and her speech is just about recognisably slurred. She also feels disorientated and drops things and becomes quite clumsy. Her fits are controlled with medication, she had a fall and smashed her head when she was 13, she is in her twenties now and still has them. Its caused by to much activity in the Brain, which I suppose could be stress that brings them on, or a sudden flash of any kind of light, I think maybe you should seek a second opinion, ask to have all the necessary tests again. A fit is a fit, its significant for him to fall, shake and bite his tongue, something has to be done for him, its not fair on you all. It can be the most harrowing scene to witness, especially when you have never experienced it before. Lots of luck to you.

Answer 6

I started having fits after taking zyban to stop smoking. Not as bad as your hubby as I stay conscious. The neurologist told me that sometimes they cant put a name to everything, that doesn't mean it is stress or not real just that there is so much they don't yet know.
Has your husband been wired up to assess & monitor his brain? If a fit occurs it should register the brain pattern on a machine
Also, if you have a blood test within a certain time of having a fit certain things (enzymes or something)show up in the blood which helps diagnose the cause.

Fits/seizures symptoms vary but it certainly sounds like it could be epilepsy. Good luck in getting it sorted

Answer 7

The following symptoms may indicate someone has epilepsy. A medical exam is advised if one or more of these symptoms are present. The symptoms include:

1.A convulsion with or without a fever
2.Short periods of blackout or confused memory
3.Occasional "fainting spells" in which bladder or bowel control is lost, followed by extreme fatigue
4.Episodes of blank staring
5.Brief periods of no response to questions or instructions
6.Sudden stiffening or falls for no apparent reason
7.Episodes of blinking or chewing at inappropriate times
8.Dazed behavior; being unable to talk or communicate for a short time
9.Repeated movements that look out of place or unnatural
10.Sudden fear, anger or panic for no reason
11.Odd changes in the way things look, sound, smell or feel
12.Muscle jerks of arms, legs or body
13.Clusters of swift jerking movements in babies

Answer 8

No, I wouldn't be convinced either. Get a second opinion a.s.a.p. Whatever is causing the fits he is still having fits. And anyway, in people with epilepsy fits are often brought on by either stressful or exciting situations.

Answer 9

If you have an epiletic fit the fits can range from
all of a sudden being angry, biting of the tongue, foaming at the mouth and spells where you phase out and can't remember 3 hours in your day.

Answer 10

They are called seizures, not fits. Here is a link that should give you some information. If he does have have seizures, there are many different medications that can be used to treat them. Good Luck!
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003200.htm