Comments on: Is Epilepsy Inherited?

By: Phylis Feiner Johnson

Phylis Feiner Johnson — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:00:13 +0000

Thanks Allie!!!

By: Allison

Allison — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:19:37 +0000

Great article PFJ! The staff at the Epilepsy Foundation Eastern PA was just discussing the need for some data on how often epilepsy is genetic. Thanks for providing this education. As always, you are a great source of information.

By: Johnson

Johnson — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:00:13 +0000

THANKS!

By: Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:39:14 +0000

Thanks for the good info and personal testimonies. I am looking for answers that might help our Epilepsy group. (Soon to start)
Thanks

By: Research project - Epilepsy Forum

Research project - Epilepsy Forum — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:28:27 +0000

[...] this might help: Is Epilepsy Inherited? http://epilepsytalk.com/2009/10/22/i…psy-inherited/ History Epilepsy Treatments http://www.google.com/search?q=histo…ed=0CDgQ5wIwCg History of [...]

By: Phylis Feiner Johnson

Phylis Feiner Johnson — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:01:56 +0000

I agree with you Kelley…just not in ALL cases…

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:33:26 +0000

I am so hesitant to believe that epilepsy isn’t genetic in some cases. I have epilepsy, and my brother used to have it and at about age 17 it went into “remission.” Ruth’s comment about her long line of epilepsy in her family tree only confirms the idea to me that epilepsy must be genetic in some cases.

By: Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:58:00 +0000

Hi Alina

My seizures have really increased since I was 21 years old. I am 66 now. Sometimes, my medicines quit working and I had to be put on new ones.

One time when my seizures increased to a status level. One time I hemorraged and went into a coma after childbirth. The second time I went into status epilepsy, it turned out I had diabetes. When I keep my diabetes under control, my seizures are under better control.

Sometimes, there can be an underlying cause.

By: Phylis Feiner Johnson

Phylis Feiner Johnson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:27:36 +0000

I don’t know what’s causing your brain’s electrical system to go so wacky. Some of the seizures — like the ones where you were looking at a light switch but couldn’t turn it on — sound like absence seizures. (Pardon the pun, but they’re the kind of seizures when the lights are on, but nobody’s home. You appear to be conscious but you’re in a waking daze.)

Here are the names of some docs in Florida that were recommended by the forum members of http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/efforums who have had positive experiences with these docs over the years. This list is based on their personal experiences and, of course is purely subjective. But I thought it might be a good start…

Dr. George Dmytrenko, Sacred Heart Hospital, Pensacola, FL

Dr. Erasmo A. Passaro, Bayfront Medical Center & Suncoast Medical Clinic, FL

Dr. Hal Pineless, Winter Park, FL

Dr. William Tatum, Tampa, FL

Hope this helps!

By: alina Aguero

alina Aguero — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:14:02 +0000

Hi,
I have had seizures since I was 2 years old I was told they started with High Fevers. They continued like that till I was 4 years old and then I would just have a seizure with or without a temp. I was taken to a pediatric neurologist and my parents were told that I had an abnormal EEG (brain waves) so I was put on phenobarbital I would still have seizures at least once a year until I was about 13 years old. Where we got my medication at a good level and I went without a seizure until I was 19 years old. I still had a EEG every 6 months and a CT once every 2 years and the abnormal brain waves were still there just controlled by medication.
I have 4 children and none of them have seizures. No one in my family has seizures. So in my case it is not hereditary. My seizures started to increase around 2001 when I started having more than 1 a year to 2 to 3 a year. I was told I was getting more seizures due to sleep deprivation and stress. I then had a seizure were I knew what was going on but couldn’t stop it. The really weird thing was that once I was able to come out of it I couldn’t do simple things like turn on a light switch. I would be looking at it but didn’t know how to turn it on. When I spoke to my doctor she said the only way she could explain it to me was saying that my brain’s electrical system went a little haywire without throwing me into a full blown seizure. She told me to make sure that I got proper sleep. In the last 6 months my seizures have increased alot. I really need to see a really good doctor in the South Florida area. I don’t understand why they are increasing. They are increasing were I can have 1 a week for 6 weeks then go 2 months with none. Could my brain wave function be worse?