Has anyone suddenly developed seizures later in life?

[sadlittleblondie]

I had what doctors think might have been a seizure when driving yesterday. I was conscious the whole time, and the more I read about it since, the more convinced that it is what I had.

The neurologist has told me that since I don't have a firm diagnosis that that's what happened then I'm fine to keep driving. That's my first concern. I'm not sure he's right?! But I work a long way from home and am a single parent in the first few weeks of a new job!

Has anyone started getting seizures later in life?! I'm in my thirties. I've had some attacks of vertigo recently and now this. Is it normal to suddenly have a seizure at this stage of life?!

I know someone who did, at around age 30. They had had a head injury as a child so it may have been linked.

An aquaintance developed epilepsy in her mid 40's. She was convinced it was due to the menopause. She also had other fairly significant symptoms that were impinging on her everyday life. She had various scans etc and really struggled to be taken seriously by the medics. Eventually she went private and had an eeg which confimed that she had indeed a very rare form of it.

My aunt developed epilepsy in her 30’s. However, she may have had a brain injury at birth and has an undefined ASD so possibly connected to that. Hope the GP can help.

I had my first seizure at age 42, three months after the birth of my daughter. My seizures have been under control for years. Unfortunately, I am recovering from a traumatic brain injury, back to lost words and emails that make no sense.

I’m surprised you doctor is fine with you driving. I would be very concerned about getting behind the wheel.

What made you think it was a seizure, OP? What happened?

It certainly can happen in adulthood.

It's a good idea to note anything different you felt in the hours before it happened so that you can identify any triggers or symptoms that can help you predict it happening again.

Are you getting any kind of follow up? In the hospital I work in patients who have a seizure in adulthood without a previous diagnosis of epilepsy would be referred to the 'first seizure clinic' for investigations. I would hope if you did indeed have a seizure you would be referred to a similar area.

I was in my 30’s.
Can I ask what happened and why you and your doctor / neuro think it was a seizure?
I lost my license. You DO need to declare it to the dvla and they’ll write to your doctor / neuro for more details. Hopefully you’ll be ok.

DH had a small cavernoma (brain bleed) totally unaware of when that happened. went on to develop partial complex seizures. later treated with surgery. age 40.
make sure you get lots of tests and see a specialist.

You can develop epilepsy at any age sadly. It is not just something you are born with.

What happened... I started feeling really strange when I was driving. It came from nowhere. It's so hard to describe, but it felt almost like my brain was shaking and I couldn't hold on to a thought, it felt like my brain was being rolled down a hill, or strobe lights I suppose.

I pulled over straight away onto the hard shoulder as I knew I couldn't keep driving. I waited for it to pass which was only about 30 seconds and was left clammy with my heart racing. I started to drive again after a little while but my left hand had a tingling / numb sensation which then subsequently moved up my arm, into my neck and later into random patches of my face. Apparently this spread of tingling can be known as Jacksonian March after a seizure.

I have been referred for an MRI and an EEG. They did full bloods (I'm not sure what to test) which were fine, tested me for stroke symptoms which were again fine, and checked my blood sugar which was fine.

Unless you are having an episode when they do the EEG they will not be able to confirm if it was a seizure or not so be warned. That doesn't mean you didn't have one but they are hard to capture .
They will only diagnose epilepsy ime if there is a pattern of seizures and not just one because lots of people have a random seizure and it never happens again so I hope that you are one of the lucky ones .

My Mum was diagnosed after 1 in her late seventies, she had another 6 weeks later but has had none since a few years on. On regular medication now.
She had a head injury the day before the first but all medics shes seen say it was unconnected 🤔
Hers was a full on obvious seizure and ambulance called both times. Second time on the advice of the consultant following her first admittance.

A friend did - first one was also when driving - he'd have been in his mid 30s at the tine. Hospital released him, with his car keys. But a week or so later after a gp follow up l, in part he was pressured by his ex wife to follow this up as hospital just dismissed him and she didn't want to risk having their young child in the car) and they informed the DVLA and he had to surrender his license. He couldn't drive for a year. He the. Got his license back.

A few months later he had another, also when driving and wrote of his partners car. Luckily no one was hurt. Again he lost his license, only getting it back when he was seizure free for 12 months. This time though they (different hospital) took it serious and he's had many more tests, a diagnosis and been on medication since.he is now driving again.

He hadn't had anything obvious leading to it. No head injuries, illnesses etc.

@Aragog when you say your friend had a diagnosis, may I ask if it was a diagnosis of epilepsy, or did they find something underlying?

Ooh I'm not 100% sure of the exact working, but pretty sure it's a form of epilepsy

@Aragog thanks - will have to wait for MRI and go from there.

Close family friend developed epilepsy in 60s/70s no cause found. Lost license for a while but now has it back as medically under control. Was very concerning at the time but all ok now.

Seen a different neurologist today who has said she thinks it was a migraine. I'm not convinced at all, I didn't even get a headache! I've had occasional migraines for years and they've been nothing like this.

She told me it couldn't be a seizure as I didn't twitch, and I was able to drive afterwards. The epilepsy foundation website says that neither of these things rule out a seizure. No idea where to turn now. Feel completely fobbed off and too nervous to drive because I remain convinced it was a partial awareness seizure that I had and I'm terrified of having another.