Why am I having seizure attacks that last for a minute or two?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have been having seizures for three years, and the doctor I have seen has done an EEG and said it only had mild fluctuations. My mother and her sister have epilepsy, and I want to know if I have it too. My seizures are the same, usually lasting 1 to 2 minutes, and I am stiff throughout. For the past three years, I have been having seizures, about seven in total. All episodes look the same. Blood sugar is consistently found to be low, although I eat. HbA1c level is average. Currently, I am taking the tablet Midazolam. Please advise.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern. I would explain that it is essential to investigate the low glucose levels as it could cause seizures. For this reason, I recommend consulting first with an endocrinologist and performing further tests to investigate possible insulinoma. If this cause is excluded, I suggest starting an anti-epilepsy drug. A brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is necessary, coupled with an EEG (electroencephalography) after sleep deprivation. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

A normal brain MRI and normal EEG do not exclude epilepsy seizures, especially if clinically the episodes are typical of epilepsy. Do you have any records of your seizures, filmed by other persons? Unfortunately, we can not make prescriptions, but we can recommend and guide patients through the proper diagnosis and treatment. In this regard, I would recommend starting Lamotrigine and seeing if the seizures stop. This drug should be started at a low dose and increased slowly weekly to avoid possible allergic reactions or adverse effects. It will help if you discuss the above issues with your doctor.

Thank you.