Hi concernedmom,

What your daughter is discribing to you sounds like a simple partial (aura) sz. that is leading into another type of sz. I've had complex partial sz. for over 40 yrs. and at the beginning of the sz. I will see colors flashing back and forth in my eyes and hear one word repeated over and over again in a different voice but I am conscious at the time. This is all part of a simple partial (aura) sz. that causes hallucinations. When I was a kid around 11-12 yrs. old this would happen to me and I would look at my parents or anyone around me and their face would look really scary like I was looking at a monster. I know it sounds strange but this can happen especially if their is damage on both sides of the brain. Try giving your child vitamin B12 250 mcg. once a day and cut her back on carbs, starch foods, and anything with nutra sweet (aspartame) in it. Also get a calendar and start keeping track of these types of sz. write down what time the sz. happened and a discription of the sz. Take note if there's a low pressure in the weather or your child has been sick because this can sometimes trigger sz. for a person.
In regards to depression this is all part of having epilepsy along with the AED's a person takes to control the sz. and the best thing to do is to keep your child busy so she has less time on her hands to think of depressing or negative things. If you keep track of the sz. as I mentioned this will help her neuro and the neuro may see a pattern in the sz. as to what time of day or what days of the month she is more likely to have any sz. I wish you and your daughter only the best of luck and May God Bless You Both!

Sue