Epilepsy Talk
Truth is Stranger than Fiction
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I call epilepsy a “stealth disease”, because it’s difficult to imagine how so few people know about a “silent” condition that affects so many.
For example, few people know:
Anti-Epilepsy Medication Side-Effects
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They’re necessary but not necessarily nice.
And every med has its own side-effects.
Just as different people experience different difficulties.
But here‘s the low-down on the possible side-effects.
I hope you don’t have to suffer any of them. (Or as few as possible.)
Tags: AEDS, different, Epilepsy, medication, possible, side effects
Epilepsy Glossary — 100+ Terms Defined
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Even if you do have epilepsy, it doesn’t necessarily mean you know all the lingo. (I didn’t!) So here are some definitions of medical terms related to epilepsy…
Epilepsy And Sleep Apnea — A Dangerous Duo
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It’s an endless cycle.
But there’s more to sleep apnea than what meets the eye. (No pun intended.)
Almost a third of people with epilepsy may suffer with undiagnosed sleep apnea, a sleep disorder which is dangerous because of the possible serious consequences.
Tags: continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP, lack of oxygen, sleep apnea, sleep deprivation
Epilepsy Nightmares – WHY?
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Fear. Screaming. Visions. Bright lights flashing. Hallucinations. Tongue biting. Pain. Paralysis. Pins and needles. Bed wetting.
Do any of these sound familiar?
One person described it as: “During the nightmares, I often get up and run out of the room screaming while still asleep, as if something is chasing me.”
It’s agony. And there’s little to explain it or stop it in its tracks.
Tags: anti-seizure medication, Epilepsy, fear, nightmares, REM, seizure monitor, sleep deprivation
Sleep and Seizures
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Sleepless nights. Exhausted afternoons. Confusion. Memory loss. Trouble with concentration, mood swings and of course, seizures.
Which may increase in frequency or severity. Or may even contribute to intractable seizures. It seems like an endless cycle.
For people with epilepsy, sleep problems are a double-edged sword; epilepsy disturbs sleep and sleep deprivation aggravates epilepsy.
The Nightmare of Nocturnal Seizures
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According to an article in Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, if more than 90 percent of your seizures occur while sleeping, you are said to have sleep seizures.
The article also notes that an estimated 7.5 percent to 45 percent of people who have epilepsy have some form of sleep seizures.
Since seizures occur in sleep during the night, it’s often hard to diagnose them, except for unusual movements at night, confusion upon awakening, bed wetting or falling out of bed.
Medical Marijuana — It’s Here to Stay…
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Let’s face it. The time has come.
Even the FDA has opened its eyes with new clinical trials.
Although the AMA chooses to keep their heads in the sand. For now.
It used to be popular to debate the merits and dangers of medical marijuana.
For example, it could lead to addiction. Like cocaine. (Oh please!)
But now, there’s clinically proven scientific proof, with more to come…
“After 4,000 years of humans taking cannabis for epilepsy, we have scientific evidence it works.” — Orrin Devinsky MD, Harvard University, on results from his team’s late-stage clinical trial of cannabidiol to treat Dravet syndrome.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg…
The Great Debate — Medical Marijuana
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Even though the cannabis plant has a long history of medicinal use, with evidence dating back to 2,737 BCE, it’s still a subject of hot controversy.
It appears to be a standing battle between politics and science.
The legality requires proof of medical marijuana’s effectiveness.
Reports of success are anecdotal.
Yet there are no funds for clinical trials and it remains on a back burner for further NIH funding and research.
(Wow. What a surprise!)
Head Injury and Seizures
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How many of you have had a car accident…an abrupt fall…a physical assault?
If you are one of those people and you have suffered a head injury, the probability of seizure activity increases dramatically…
Seizures may develop immediately after an injury to the brain or may develop in delayed fashion, showing up months or years after the initial trauma.
Generally speaking, the risk of post traumatic seizures is related to the severity of the injury — the greater the injury, the higher the risk of developing seizures.
Even mild to moderate injuries can result in seizures.
Tags: accident, generalized seizures, grand-mal, head injury, medications, post traumatic seizures, risk, seizure activity, tonic-clonic
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