OT: Seizures

[carolyn_lsc]

This is totally off topic but I thought someone here might have experience and can offer some suggestions.

 

My almost two year old daughter either had her 2nd seizure or 2nd pallid breath holding spell tonight, and I'm in tears tonight because I know that means calling the pedi neurologist in the morning that we saw the first time and probably putting her out for a MRI. The first time they did a EEG and it was normal. She wouldn't go to sleep ad they said sometimes they see more if they fall asleep. The pedi neurologist said wait and see if another one happens and if it does call ad will probably do a MRI but she'll need to be put out for this.

 

This evening my two children and two children I was babysitting were playing outside when I looked at my daughter and she was laying face down on our driveway. Weirdly, I didn't hear or see her fall/lay down. I immediately picked her up, cuddled her, and said her name a few times. She was pale and and had turned blue. She became responsive pretty quickly compared to the first time this happened in the house 1 year ago. She's a breath holder who has blue spells all the time but these specific two episodes look very different than that and either fit a seizure or pallid breath holding spell. She didn't have any toys by her, no other kids were by her so I don't know what would have scared or hurt her for it to be a pallid breath holding spell.

 

Do you think finding a natural doctor would handle this any differently or would it still be an MRI that we have to put her out for? I'm open to any suggestions. I've even considered waiting to see if it happens a 3rd time. I really hate the idea of putting my baby out!

 

Carolyn

[911RN]

My son has LKS and this syndrome is only noticeable on an asleep EEG--nocturnal seizures that occur during sleep. If you are fearful re: MRI, at this point, and don't want to put her out then why don't you request a 24 hour asleep and awake EEG first? If nothing shows then you can proceed to MRI. The sedation that they use for these procedures is very safe and very short acting...while, I understand your nervousness at her age...she will likely do very well. The Pedi neuros always want to confirm normal brain pathology via MRI before proceeding to next step but there is certainly nothing invasive about 24 hour EEG. I can't imagine one not agreeing to this prior to the MRI.

 

As an aside, turning blue and pale in the absence of seeing any "real" seizure activity can be a sign of cardiac issues, as well. I would not go down the narrow road of just Neuro for answers. Following true seizures (tonic, clonic--grand mal)...there is a post ictal phase where the sufferer is very tired, fatigued and may be confused. You cannot keep them awke even if you try...they just wnat to sleep. This is not usually the case if source is cardiac. You may want to see Pedi Cardiologist, as well?? Blue spells concern me more for cardiac than neuro in origin.

[Chemar]

so sorry to read of this problem Carolyn and hope you get answers and the right treatment ((hugs))