DS 13yrs had 2 febrile convulsions today - now talking about epilepsy

[bruffin]

DS had a febrile convulsion at school today, then another when the paramedics arrived. They have kept him over night but it looks like he has a virus or infection.

He has a long history of febrile convulsions, with about 16 between age of 15 months and 6 then another one at 8, and again at 10. Both my mum and sister had them until they were 10 so I thought we had seen the last one. He had EEG and MRI scan after the fc at 8.

The doctor in a&e wants him to have another EEG in 6 weeks as they feel there is probably some form of epilepsy involved.
Is there anyone with experience of either epilepsy triggered by high temperature or febrile convulsions in teens.

not much help sorry, but just sending best wishes

I've had experience with both febrile and non-febrile convulsions but only with a six year old. My understanding though is that while febrile seizures indicate greater risk for both future febrile seizures and epilepsy that epileptic seizures themselves are non-febrile?

Have you tried the sn board?

I also had febrile convulsions, I was 12 or 13 when I had the last one. I had EEGs which were normal, and I dont have epilepsy.

Still no experience with this-sorry-but did read up on it. GEFS+ ?

Thanks I did read up on the GEFS+ last night and my family history is correct for it. My mum told me today that my grandmother had them as well, so it's four generations.

However we saw another doctor today who completely dismissed that he had a seizure or epilepsy because he was over 6 and that it was caused by a chest infection/virus that affected his brain and completely dismissed the fact that my mum and sister had fc's to 10.

I have spoken to the school and it does appear to have been tonic-clonic.
He somehow managed to bash and bloody his nose and there is a lump and a little blood at the back of his head as well. The receptionist said she had to hold his head because it was banging on the floor.
I will link to the sn board as well

Thankfully he seems very much better today and has come home and moaning because I won't let him go scouts tonight

Thanks Riven

Yes he did have a temperature and he did not feel well in the morning. Teacher said he could go home at lunch if he still didn't feel well. This happened just before lunch time when he was helping out at reception. From what the receptionist describes it sounds like every fit he had before, which is throwing himself back followed by a few minutes of rhythmic jerking. He was unresponsive until the paramedics arrived and put a needle in his hand and he cried out. They gave him diazipam because he started jerking again.

He finally came round when we got to the hospital.

One of the doctors we saw in a&e said they wanted to follow up in 6 weeks with an EEG, but the one who discharged him today said it wasn't necessary as this was not a FC or epilepsy, but caused by the virus/infection affecting his brain.
My family history definitely sounds like GEFS+ and I would like to find out more about it

Don't rule out epilepsy. I started suffering from seizures when I was 17, but wasn't diagnosed until 24. Once I was sorted out with medication everything was fine.

It's better to have controlled epilepsy than doctors shrugging there shoulders saying 'I dunno' a lot!

HTH.

their shoulders

I don't understand how they ruled out fc if he had a temp-though my guess is that it's becuause there were two seizures involved rather than just one.

My DD's best friend was dx with epilepsy when she was 12. She was having lots of siezures and had to wait 6mths to see a neurologist but once she did it was controlled very well.

Its not unknown to develope epilepsy around this time.

MY DD developed epilepsy when she was 12 but that was due to the chemotherapy drugs which were neurotoxic.

It was explained to us that we all have a seizure 'threshold' and this is lowered by different things thus causing us to have a seizure. People who have established epilepsy are often more likely to have seizures when ill or stressed for example.

My DD's threshold was lowered by the chemo.
Is it possible that your DS's is lowered by illness?

I am v.tired so I am sorry if that is not clear

I hope you get this sorted out soon. It must be very stressful for you and your son. Seizures are horrible and scary.

I don't understand why the doctor ruled out FC's either. He said it was not possible and when I tried to point out to him about both my mum's and sister's last fc were around 10, he just said it must have been a similar type of infection
I did forgot to tell him they were both on phenobarbital until they were 14