My Personal experience with seizures...

[daisy9980]

I just wanted to say that I myself had a seizure. I lost conciousness, urinated on myself, had tonic-clonic motions. I did not "foam at the mouth" and I did have an aura (luckily which told me something was wrong so I sat down) EEG cannot rule out Epilepsy, they can only confirm it. Auras can last 20-30 mins, an "aura" is a simple partial seizure in itself. Generally it manifests into a TC seizure but not always. You are lucky if you only get the simple partial. You would have to catch an actual seizure on the EEG and sometimes they occur so deep within the brain that they don't even show up on the EEG. I have done extensive research on Epilepsy and seizure disorders. I am going into nursing school in a week. Probably half the reason this facinated me and have done sooo much reading on the subject. I think that opening a seizing persons eye and pointing your index finger near it is extremely dangerous! Here is a link to show how many different types of seizures that there are. If they aren't TC it is hard to even realize they are happening unless you work for a neuro, have extensive training in seizures, or have them yourself...check it out:

http://www.epilepsyontario.org/clie...eb.nsf/web/noct

Peudo seizures are really not Faking. That is really the wrong and outdated term. This kind of seizure truly does manifest from anxiety or mental issues. It is actually not electrical discharges from the brain causing this, but still a serious issue. I can tell you that after I was in the hospital for three days, I decided to get a second opinion. I couldn't believe I had such a horrible seizure and why I couldn't figure out. This loser neuro told me I had simple syncope and told me after he got my EEG results I could assume driving. He was so sure he was right. Well when the ordering neuro got my EEG results they were abnormal. I had sharp spiking in my frontal lobes, suggesting seizure activity nocturnally. Needless to say the second neuro never even called me back..he was so sure of himself and probably was shocked when he got those results. I have realized that seizures are very serious no matter what kind of epilepsy you have. I currently take Keppra BID 500/MG and have been seizure free...knock on wood. Sorry this is lengthy, but I wanted to give my point of view...

[Ari RN, BSN, RN]

Daisy take good care of yourself.

I wish you the best! :)

[daisy9980]

Thank you, and Yankees do RULE!!! Tracy

[weetziebat]

Daisy, thank you for sharing your experience with seizures. Hoping the Keppra does a good job and you remain seizure free. And good luck with the nursing program.

[daisy9980]

Thanks alot everybody, I thought it was something important to post. Besides being a patient, I am going into the nursing feild. SO I really wanted to give my opinion and hopefully educate some people who are not very familiar with seizures. I know my BF just finished the course I am about to enter and they don't know much of anything about seizures, just what to do when one happens. The basics like turning the head to the side to clear the airway, not to restrain or put objects in the mouth. Hope I was helpful....have a nice labor day weekend, Tracy :balloons:

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I worked in neuro for a while where we did continuous EEG monitoring to fine tune people's treatment or to diagnose psuedoseizures. I would get highly upset when someone would say "they're faking seizures". There was a big discussion on this board a few years about about people going to the ER faking seizures, so I won't go into here.

Anyway, good luck in school. You're going to be a great nurse because you've been there/done that. Take care!

[RN92]

I do understand your point of view. Not everyone is faking seizures. However,many of us do have extensive experience with seizure pts. It is very important that we differentiate between the two. This will determine the plan of treatment. Many seizure pts (in my area), love the ativan. We use Ativan during seizure episodes. If a pt is "faking" seizures (and we dont know) , the MD may change their medications(dilantin) inappropriately. You will understand this better once you have worked as a nurse for a while.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

ERslave, drug seekers are a problem. My experience wasn't in the ER, but there is a condition that is a pysch condition where the person makes no conscious decision to have a seizure. Obviously you can watch them and see it's not a true seizure. I've seen nurses make fun of them, laugh at them, call them fakers, etc.

It's a pyschological condition. Most of them were abused children or are under some unconscious pyschological stress. They need help, compassion, and understanding and acknowledgement they have a condition that warrants treatment.

Of course this is different from the person who says "I'm going to the ER and fake a seizure so I can get some Ativan".

opps, didn't I say I wan't going to go there. But anyway, that's my two cents for what it's worth. :)

[daisy9980]

I agree that it is important that we differentiate between the two kind of seizures; Epileptic and NON-Epileptic, so the proper treatment can be given. Though I am not a nurse yet, I really do have a good understanding because I myself am an epileptic. If you are speaking of people abusing avitan well I haven't read much about that, but maybe because I associate with true epileptics who rely on these drugs for their health. I know that it is extremely helpful when a person can sense a seizure is coming on. I think drug abuse stinks and ruins things for people like me that really do have problems. Though my problems aren't so severe that I need avitan. I think the only time I would go to the hospital again after a seizure is obviously if it lasts longer then 5 mins. But if I bit threw my lip and needed stiches or broke a limb do to the clonic movements. Just trying to start a helpful post so more folks understand more about seizures. TS