Abdominal Epilepsy

[emmalily]

Hey, this sort of stuck out to me, especially the pressure in the chest, the episodes lasting an hour or so, and the exhaustion following the gut pain. Let me know what you think. Also, I've heard it can be linked to neurological disorders so it would seem to fit with the PANDAS.

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_2188449_have-abdominal-epilepsy-autonomic-seizure.html

http://www.meridianinstitute.com/abepilep.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1856820/

[emmalily]

Just adding this article too:

 

http://www.tarunaoils.com/articles/abdominal-epilepsy.asp

[mkur]

Here something similar but older:

 

Mov Disord. 2002 Jul;17(4):817-20.

Post-streptococcal autoimmune neuropsychiatric disease presenting as paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis.

 

Dale RC, Church AJ, Surtees RA, Thompson EJ, Giovannoni G, Neville BG.

 

Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust and Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom. R.Dale@ion.ac.uk

Abstract

 

Paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis (PDC) is an episodic, non-kinesogenic, extrapyramidal movement disorder. It is postulated that PDC is an ion channel disorder. We describe a sporadic case of paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis occurring after streptococcal pharyngitis. The episodes were characterized by abrupt-onset dystonic posturing, choreoathetosis, visual hallucinations and behavioral disturbance. Each episode lasted between 10 minutes and 4 hours, and occurred up to 4 times per day. In between attacks, examination was normal. The episodes waxed and waned in frequency during a 6-month illness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was normal. Post-streptococcal neuropsychiatric disease has a proposed autoimmune etiology, which is supported by the presence of serum antibasal ganglia antibodies. Western immunoblotting of this case's serum demonstrated antibody binding to a basal ganglia antigens of molecular weight 80 kDa and 95 kDa. Immunohistochemistry examination demonstrated specific antibody binding to large striatal neurones. We propose that autoantibodies produced in post-streptococcal neuropsychiatric disease cause alteration in neurotransmission, possibly secondary to ion channel binding. Copyright 2002 Movement Disorder Society

 

PMID: 12210883 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[emmalily]

That's really interesting mkur...sounds like it would explain tics, right?

But does it cause the IBS symptoms like abdominal epilepsy?

[mkur]

That's really interesting mkur...sounds like it would explain tics, right?

But does it cause the IBS symptoms like abdominal epilepsy?

 

I did a quick check but I couldn't find anyone relating the two, I'll keep looking when I have more time.

I know that dystonia can cause pain and discomfort. If the lower stomach muscles were contracting against the lower intestines, I believe this could cause you discomfort and the need to purge.

[emmalily]

Mmm, well this Abdominal Epilepsy is really more problems with the gut that often diagnosed as IBS but are actually being caused neurological things.

 

I know a lot of people here on the boards have kids with stomach problems and I just wanted to know if they fit the outline (summed up really well in the e-how article) for Abdominal Epilepsy as well as I do. It might be a link for the GI trouble Dr. K is investigating with PANDAS patients.

 

Also in the articles it mentions dietary changes making this better, which a lot of us have seen, going gluten free and such.

[mkur]

My son has these events which I have always thought were seizures so I have done a lot of reading about epilepsy. I'm currently going to try to treat the pandas and if that doesn't fix it then I am going to go back to epilepsy treatment.

 

Dr. Orrin Devinsky, director of the epilepsy center at New York University Medical Center was with the NIH and has written lots of articles. I would start with him. He believes epilepsy can cause all kinds of symptoms - major and minor. I personally think epilepsy is under diagnosed. I am really surprised that pandas doesn't cause epilepsy - it seems like any type (physical trauma, infection, chemicals, genetic etc) of brain damage causes epilepsy.

[Kay]

I am finding this interesting too Em, as a kid you would have attacks of unexplained stomach pains, no fever, no other symptoms only that you felt you would have to vomit it would never be associated with an illness that we knew of, once you did you felt better (stomach wise)and could usually resume activity. The interesting part of it is that you would be all over the place waiting for it to happen, you had jerky movements and shakes and confusion. It was very weird how you moved around the room when this was happening, it was clearly agitation, I was unable to comfort you at all. At these younger ages you did not have the anxiety or ocd (outwardly anyway, as we know you felt some of these things when younger but the did not interrupt you life)

 

Now older, that part (the vomiting) has seemed to subside but the GI discomfort comes out of no where and really ramps you up. You hold your body in such an odd way, you are very uncomfortable,with stomach and back pain usually one eye is dilated, it last for about an hour and then subsides and you are totally exhausted.

 

Again from the articles I am reading it says this is of course "rare" or "uncommon" well of course it is!!!! I feel it is worth looking in to.

 

I am not seeing it as a separate issue from Pandas, there is too much criteria that fits Pandas for you, I think once again just perhaps just another part of the puzzle.

[mkur]

I would definitely rule out seizures. Good luck.

We don't have those issues. However, one of my son's first symptoms for a strep infection is vomiting - no fever.

Edited July 24, 2010 by mkur

[Kay]

Trying to see if there are any connection looking into information on the Epilepsy Foundation board I found this old post.

 

mamaruns

Posts: 160

Joined Forum: 10/02/2007

Finally, after over 4 years of having sp's and cp's and not feeling right, my new neuro has diagnosed me with epilepsy. A 24 hour EEG finally showed much spiking in the temporal lobe. I kept a month-long diary of all my symptoms for my doc to read, and he is convinced that I have an autoimmune disorder and/or CFS or fibromyalgia and that the seizures are being caused by this. I'm pretty sure he's right and will be seeing a rheumatologist soon. Is there anyone else here that has seizures caused by an autoimmune condition? Am I the only one? -------------------------

Sudden onset TLE 4/2003; currently trying Keppra; OMMP

 

 

 

I don't think this is for everyone, I certainly don't think everyone has epilepsy with Pandas, not all seizures are the really big ones either, not frighened or worried about it, it just seems to really explain exactly what Em has been feeling throughout the years, Dr. K does seem to say there are non-specific GI issues that seem to come with the adolescent variation which she fits well. Just wondered too if anyone out there who have kids with GI issues if any of this sounds familiar. We will be bringing this up to a Dr. as soon as we can to see if there is any connection for us.

 

http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/efforums/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=3&threadid=55939&highlight_key=y&keyword1=abdominal%20epilepsy