Status Epilepticus

or is it the hypoglycemia that is precipitating the seizures? My only other hypothesis is that maybe that during a seizure your body goes into flight or fight and your body starts using up all the glucose for energy? Sorry I get upset when I don't know the answer to things haha

Low blood sugar can precipitate a seizure. I don't think I've ever heard of seizures causing hypoglycemia, though.

While hypoglycemia is more commonly a cause of seizures, prolonged seizures can cause hypoglycemia.

While hypoglycemia is more commonly a cause of seizures, prolonged seizures can cause hypoglycemia.

so is this cause because your body is using up all the glucose during the prolonged seizure? Because don't SE seizures last for a prolong time like 20 minutes?

If someone is seizing for 20 minutes, I wouldn't expect them to be alive. You will see patients start to go blue from hypoxia when they have seizures.

If someone is seizing for 20 minutes, I wouldn't expect them to be alive. You will see patients start to go blue from hypoxia when they have seizures.

Idk Ive seen people have them that long while working at my externship. Plus we usually immediately clear the airway and give oxygen.

Not true....There are situations where patients have prolonged seizures. They can last an extended period of time which IS the hallmark of status epilepticus OP here is a great resource about SE....and YES the constant seizure activity does eat up sugar. Status Epilepticus | Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library

Thank you!!

Prolonged seizure activity can cause hypoglycemia and I have seen a case of hypokalemia. This patient had seized for over an hour and her potassium dropped from around 4.5 to 3.3. (Some may have been dilutional from fluids too). Think about exercise and activity - uses glucose and all that muscle contraction requires potassium.

Think: Why do they give extra potassium with glucose and insulin? Because driving glucose into cells with insulin take a lot of potassium with it. That works whether or not your insulin comes from your pancreas or a bottle.

Seizures are very hard on the body. They can absolutely cause hypoglycemia. Just think about all the muscles in your body working at once! Do you know how much energy that burns? A whole lot. Also something to watch out for-seizing patients frequently will become hypoxic because A- they may not be able to breathe effectively, and B- oxygen demand is so high during this time.

But the above poster who stead that low blood sugar can cause seizures is correct. Very low sugar usually. But seizures WILL cause hypoglycemia. One of your first interventions should be to assess breathing, pulse ox etc and then get an accucheck. Hope this is helpful.