Can Fatigue and Pain Cause a Seizure?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Usual disclaimer: I’m not asking for medical advice. I’ve got an appointment with my doctor. Treat this thread as if I were asking about a character I read about in a book…

So… Out hiking in the boonies with my sister. We hit a steep downhill bit with gravel, and, whoops, I faw down, go boom. Landed on my butt…and elbow. Dislocated my shoulder (partially: it wasn’t hanging loose or anything.) Shoulder pops right back in.

Hurts. Pain. I blacked out for about a minute. Awakened normally, as if from ordinary sleep. (Even wondered for a moment, “Was it just a dream? Oh, crud…”)

My sister puts me through some tests. Multiply and divide. Identify some historical characters. She looks at the pupils of my eyes, is satisfied they’re normal. At that point, and subsequently, I feel tired and sore, but have no mental aberrations.*

Her worry is caused by her observing me in seizure-like shaking, jerking, twitching, and spasming. (She has some training in this, as she is a caretaker for clients with such susceptibilities.)

I couldn’t stand; when I tried, I would start to pass out again. So I rested for an hour, and, at that point, was able to walk back to the trailhead.

So my factual question: could pain and fatigue lead someone to faint and exhibit seizure-like shaking? Or would the shaking inescapably point toward a concussion, however mild?

My opinion is that it was just pain. But I don’t know enough to say for sure.

Trinopus

*other than, y’know, being a looney nerd type fanboy!

2

Just for giggles, see your doctor.

Seizures can be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. If you have had seizures in the past, yes, pain and fatigue can certainly trigger one.

My concern is the fall beforehand. A seizure could be responsible for the initial fall AND the convulsing-type behavior afterwards.

All seizures are not experienced by rigidity and convulsions. A blanking-out type behavior IS a seizure.

Something’s going on upstairs. Get it checked out.

IANAD, however: my husband was diagnosed with Seizure Disorder in 2005, at the age of 56. Today, he is well-controlled with medication. But it was a rough road to get to today. And his first seizure was something that literally came out of nowhere.
~VOW

3

See a doctor, blah, blah, blah …

But, in the setting of acute, severe pain, people can pass out from what is traditionally (though inappropriately) called a vasovagal attack.

During a vasovagal episode, it is common for there to be a few clonic movements which resemble those seen in a classic tonic-clonic seizure (convulsion).

Getting light-headed upon standing is also common after a vasovagal faint.

4

Real life situation. MOved from General Questions to IMHO.

samclem, Moderator

5

Oops; apologies for posting in wrong forum.

KarlGauss and VOW: thanks! Definitely am on my way to see my doc.

I’d never heard of Vasovagal Attack! That’s one of the joys of this place: I learn something cool every day!

P.S. Karl Gauss is one of my very favorite historical persons! He inspired me to study orbital calculations, a field in which I now know maybe a per cent of a per cent of what he knew!

6

But can you do it in your head like he did?