cluster or status?
 

About a month ago I started w/ a simple seizure in the A.M.. A few hours I awoke to find I was not yet done. Tried to sleep it off, but when I attempted a couple hours later to get off the sofa I realized neither my arm or leg on my rt side were functioning. Dead wait. I had some "common sense", but not fully w/ it. After dragging myself from chair to chair I attempted to call someone, but the brain couldn't figure out how to use the cell phone. Gave that up & kicked back on the sofa again. I was in & out the rest of the day trying to get some sleep. Finally in the early evening I came to the conclusion it was not gonna quit & stumbled/drug myself off to bed. The spasms started as soon as I laid down. I don't know how long that went on, but awoke sometime either late in the night or early evening. Attempted to use the restroom & found the leg & arm were still not working. Back to bed & in the A.M. I was still mentally fried, the leg was jerking & the arm was only half worthy. Finally in that evening I managed to recall how to use the cell phone & had someone haul me off.
They asked me way too many questions I couldn't answer @ the ER & the questions I should have been able to answer were locked in my brain. They put in some valium, pumped in more & did a CT scan. They booted me out a few hours later although I was far from "fxed."
I found out recently that they classified it as a cluster. From what I have read clusters stop & then begin later. That you come back to "normal" between the clusters. Is that right? I have read that status can kick in w/o knocking us out.
I had taken all my doses, so all they found was a lack of potassium in my system. I had an EEG two days later, but haven't heard how it turned out. I would bet that as crappy as I felt @ that time it didn't come out positive.

Thanks for any assistance!

Hello and welcome!

If it is ok, could you provide more information if you have any.

Do you happen to know which area(s) of your brain your seizure activity is in?

What is your official (not from the ER) diagnosis along with any others you have been given along the way?

What medications are you currently taking?

I'm certainly not going to diagnose you, but I have a ton of information I am able to share if anything rings a bell.

If you can provide a detailed 'seizure' of yours, that would be great. You can find my "Story Sharing" post I made if you'd like to learn about mine. :)

Again, welcome. We'll do our best to help you out here!

Ellie
 

My seizures always effect my rt side. I had an AVM removed on the left eeons ago. I was only on 3000mg of Keppra a month or so ago, but have now added 200mg of dilantin.
My memory is not the best, but if I recall I was classified w/ general & the other form (simple maybe). Seizures always start w/ an aura.
Prior to this last flop I always got the aura, sat down "flopped around" a bit & woke up a few hours later. Tired, but back to normal.

Hope that helps!

Hi Flopper,

Usually when I have sz's, I have clusters. Start with aura as yours do. I will have one, and a bit later another, & so on. I do come back to civilization inbetween though. Some times I will have 3 some times 6 in one day My Epileptologist calls this clusters. Thought I do come back between sz's.

I was status twice. Everyone is different though. I am happy Ellie in going to get you to some information. Let us know what your tests reveal.

Be well my friend,
Kitt00

Hi Flopper,
Every month I have 2-3 days of clusters of sz. where I will have 5-8 sz. each day. I have complex partial sz. and absence sz. when I have the cp sz. I always start out by having an aura sz. and I've learned to tighten up the muscles in my body and make my hands into tight fists, by doing this it stops the aura sz. from leading into a cp or absence sz. for me.
My Epileptologist told me the reason why I'm having clusters of sz. is because the hormones are changing in my body each month. If you aren't keeping track of your sz. get a calendar and write down what time you have a sz. along with a discription. Also take note if there's a low pressure in regards to the weather because sometimes that can cause a person to have a sz. One sz. med I have learned to stay away from is Neurontin because it caused me to have absence status sz. which I had never had in my life until a few months on the drug. After I went off the drug the status sz. stopped. Here's wishing you only the best and May God Bless You!

Sue

Flopper, here is a good read:

Read the full article below:
Of Cycles and Volcanoes: Seizure Clusters


From my understanding, during this type of seizure you should still be reasonably conscious, which to an extent you do seem to be. Like being able to know to get the phone, however, unable to use it.

From reading various websites and then checking out user posts on other epilepsy websites, it does seem to fit the description for clusters, however, it's best to have a professional diagnose that.

Furthermore, the more I had read - a lot of people seem to relate these clusters to horomonal problems (this seems to be more frequent in women), which could be something to look in to (if you're a woman).

Still researching,

Ellie

Thank you all for you info.
It was classified as a cluster from the folks @ the hospital. Granted the neuro. was on the phone w/ the ER Dr. & since my vocabulary wasn't up to par it makes me wonder. What exactly they based their prognosis on is beyond me. :o)
We had days of storms, so I had blamed the elecricity in the storm as the culprit. Don't know if there's any truth to that, but it sounded good. It had been very humid, but I was staying indoors to avoid it.

Thanks again!

A friend of mine had this theory, which in a way did make sense. But you know how it goes; if it's not in "The Books" nothing is official. But who doesn't like a good game of theory-craft now and then.

Anyway, her theory was she would have a nocturnal seizure and wake up tired. Due to being tired, this would trigger her partial seizure. Then, a combination of sleep deprivation and fatigue from two seizures, it would trigger another thus resulting in a cluster.

While it was a hoot to hear her say it all (she's very animated, and acts everything out when she talks) - but in a way, to anyone who has seizures, it kind of does make sense.

One day I will tape her talking because it's so funny. She's a hand talker, and makes these funny expressions. I told her I'd make a collage of all of her facial expressions one day and publish it online. :D