faint or seizure?

[DwellsUndertheSink]

Hi, hoping you can help me with this.

DD is 16, has been feeling a bit under the weather with start of a cold. Thismorning in the kitchen, she stumbled, DH caught he as she collapsed, still awake, but "lights on, no one home". She did not lose consciousness, but was staring blankly, non responsive for the most part, but after 20s or so, tried to talk after being questioned - just mumbled nonsense. Total time of episode less than a minute. Pupils dilated, blank affect. When she came round, she was clammy and shaking. She was aware that she had been there but not.

SHe has had episodes of vagueness lasting 5 seconds or so throughout her life, but we have always put it down to her daydreaming. Now Im wondering is she is not having petit mal seizures, and today was a bigger seizure?

I'll take her to GP on Monday, (unless you think otherwise) but just wondering if Im overreacting and she just fainted? DO people faint with eyes open?

She has a low grade fever and is very pale. She is asleep now.

This happened about a year ago too - she was at a fair in the evening with her mates and collapsed - was taken to A&E but they said it was a virus and she was sent home without any treatment. Given she has a cold, this could just be more of the same, but I wondered if anyone had any experience of similar?

Thanks!

Sounds like it could be petit mal. Defo take her back to GP.

Had she had breakfast this morning? Could it have been a blood sugar issue? And had she eaten the last time it happened?

Thanks Duchesse, I dont know about blood sugar - she had just got up and was making herself something, she last ate at 7pm last night and this episode was about 9:30.

oh and I just remembered that she had a third episode about 18 months ago in similar circumstances - had been up half the night with friends sleepover, and fainted in the morning.

Could tiredness trigger a seizure? (she told me before the event that she had a dreadful nights sleep because she felt ill...)

yes tiredness can trigger a seizure.

no history of heart problems in family?

worth getting a full body check up really! get to GP and push for help.

eragon, thanks, she had a soft systolic murmur when she was newborn, but we were assured it was something she would grow out of.

I will take her to GP this week.

I had my first seizure at 21 and so far have only had 3 in my life since being diagnosed epileptic after my 2nd fit in 2007 but I don't have to take medication as they are so sporadic.

I find that emotional upheaval and lack of sleep have been a factor in my seizures so tiredness can trigger them in some people. Take her to the GP, she will probably be referred for a neuro consult and have MRI and EEG tests to establish any underlying causes

thanks Baking. She's awake now and feeling much better. Doesn't remember much, just beginnng and end. SHe slept 4 hours after, no fever, much better colour.

Poor thing - when I told her what I though she might have had, her first thought was that she wouldnt be able to learn to drive. :(

My DD2 has epilepsy and it is definitely worse when she is ill (cold or fever or whatever). On the other hand it is not unheard of for teenage girls to faint when they have their period too. Do you know if any of her fainting fits happened when she was mensturating? I would definitely take her to the doctor, if not casualty. Good luck.

It sounds like my absence seizures - I was more prone to them when very tired. Please get it checked out!

Please reassure your daughter that even if it is epilepsy, most epileptics are able to learn to drive as for most people the condition can be fully controlled, she might just have to wait a bit.

thanks all....saw the GP earlier, she thinks this weekend was a faint, rather than a seizure, but was concerned when I mentioned DD's absences, esp as DD admitted her teachers call her on it and her best friend has mentioned it too.

GPS going to do an ECG later this week and has referred her to Pediatrician also.

ECG was normal, so now waiting for Paeds appointment, which could be months!

Definitely sounds like a seizure to me. My DS (now 7) has had epilepsy since birth but it took us until he was 4 to convince the paeds. He is now on meds and has not had a seizure for nearly 3 years. Can I just check that you make sure your daughter doesn't go in the bath - showers only- there was a young girl a while back who had a seizure and the doctors told her it was a one off. A few months later she drowned in the bath. Her mother could hear her having a seizure but she had locked the door :( She was such a beautiful girl, it broke my heart. Our paed told us that they are very reluctant to diagnose anything as epilepsy unless confronted with definitive evidence as the label + side effects of the meds can be problematic. Still, the way I look at it, my DS is totally safe on meds and can lead a normal life. His EEGs have always been normal (I think about 50% of people with epilepsy's EEGs present as normal so they are kind of meaningless). I would very much err on the side of caution. Without frightening her, you need to keep her safe until you see the paed. All the best xx
PS My son is doing really well on meds and so far doesn't give a shit about having epilepsy. I showed him all the geniuses who have had it s he is now convinced that he has epilepsy as his brain works faster than normal people's and he is in fact a genius :)

It sounds like an absence seizure to me too, I've seen lots of seizures in lots of different people.

I'd advise keeping a diary until you get the paeds appointment. Write down date, time, location and what happened before, during and after. Make note of whether your daughter was tired, ill, things like that too. It can take a while to get a diagnosis so having as much info as possible will help speed things up. It might be worth asking her teachers to help with this if your DD isn't always aware. Probably worth advising the school what is happening anyway.