# Did I give myself epilepsy? Experiences and warm fuzzies welcomed! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 2, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678 "2012-11-02T16:38:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678/1 "2012-11-02T16:38:32Z")
Howdy: it has not been a fun week here in NJ; I’m sending out good throughts to my East Coast compatriots and hope you are safe and warm somewhere. To contribute to the storm fun, I had two grand mal (tonic-clonic) seizures last week (one at home, one 90 mins later in the ER). I had the whole classic shebang: bit right through my tongue, cracked two molars, was out for 20-30 mins, and so on. I may have also had one a few weeks prior when I “lost” several hours of time after vomiting. I had been taking Tramadol for back pain, a drug that turns out to be associated with lowering seizure thresholds. The ER doc said that this RX may have been the culprit and it was a “one-off” deal, or I am epileptic (would it manifest at age 45?) My terrors are that my youngest sibling died of/during a grand mal seizure 5 years ago (he was a diagnosed epileptic); my sister has absence/partial/idiopathic seizure disorder; and, just to jolly things up, my dear aunt passed during a seizure last Monday (she had no previous seizure activity, she was 75). I go to the neuro on Monday for MRI, etc. In the meantime, I’m feeling stalked by the Grim Reaper. Words of wisdom, warm fuzzies, and similar experiences so very welcomed . . . every twitch or tic I’m having is freaking me out :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678/2 "2012-11-02T16:42:30Z")
Ack!! That is definitely scary! I have to assume that the docs will be trying a new med for you? In the meantime, warm fuzzies and crossed appendages that you have an easier time with it until the drugs in your system wear off. And hopefully they do! ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678/3 "2012-11-02T16:47:52Z")
I hope you’ll be all right. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678/4 "2012-11-02T16:49:16Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Ack!! That is definitely scary! I have to assume that the docs will be trying a new med for you? In the meantime, warm fuzzies and crossed appendages that you have an easier time with it until the drugs in your system wear off. And hopefully they do! Hi Taomist: thanks for fuzzies and crossed appendages. I’m taking Ativan (a benzo) until I see the neuro. The Tramadol should be way cleared out of my system. I’m putting off seeing the dentist until I can be cleared for nitrous oxide – I’m a dental chicken 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Plebianangel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9a140/32.png) [@Plebianangel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plebianangel)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678/5 "2012-11-02T16:59:19Z")
That sounds scary. I hope you’ll be okay. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678/6 "2012-11-02T17:21:10Z")
Hugs, Jennshark!! I’m sorry you’re going through this - I can imagine how scary it must be. You’re in my thoughts!! ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678/7 "2012-11-02T17:40:04Z")
My ex-wife was a cardio thoracics nurse and was diagnosed with idiopathic seizures and had to leave her job because of it. Her cause turned out to be drug withdrawal, She would over medicate on her long weekends and then suddenly stop when she returned to work. A couple days later she would sieze. Were you off the meds when you siezed? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678/8 "2012-11-02T17:47:07Z")
If your seizures were truly due to tramadol (very possible) then you have _provoked_ seizures, caused by an outside agent/event. Stay away from the provoking agent, and problem solved. This is not epilepsy. Epilepsy is recurrent _unprovoked_ seizures. These are often due to congenital brain lesions, inborn metabolic abnormalities, or sequella of old infections or injuries. Though most often, no actual cause is found to explain the source of the unprovoked seizure. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-give-myself-epilepsy-experiences-and-warm-fuzzies-welcomed/639678/9 "2012-11-02T18:46:10Z")
Epilepsy can indeed strike at any age. I didn’t start having seizures until I was in my late twenties. Good luck – I hope you come out with a clean bill of health!