Seizure?

[krystal]

I have been battling this gluten sensitivity thing for a while (actually, battling myself about it). I have gone through a really stressful time lately and have not paid ANY attention to what I am eating. Sometimes it takes a while for me to feel sick enough to force me to do something about my diet - I have evening symptoms mostly, and some of the daytime symptoms I have aren't bad enough that I really can't function with them. The migraines haven't returned this time around (yet).

But I have a question to ask of people who have seizures. I know how weird this is going to sound, but many times I have dreams that "explainn away" things going on in my real life. Often if I'm nauseous from eating something I shouldn't, I will have dreams about me vomiting. I had a dream once that my arm was trapped in a car when in fact it was just being laid on by my (very large) husband. I incorporate conversations by people around me into my dreams as well. The thing is, these "outside" sensations have a different quality to them in my dreams - I recognize them in my dream as being "not of the dream".

OK, now that you REALLY think I'm NUTS....

I am home by myself while DH is vacationing. My dream involved me being in a bed that was violently being shaken, to the point where my face, mouth, hands and feet were uncontrollable in my dream. It had that "not of the dream" feel, and in my dream I could HEAR the shaking as well. When I woke from the dream (at 4AM), I felt like I had been wrung out, I was full of sweat and was very nauseous and had trouble moving. )

I am wondering if this was possibly a seizure? It scared the crap out of me - I have never felt that way upon waking AT ALL. For the most part, I am an active healthy person, and to feel so debilitated upon waking is unprecedented. I had no other symptoms, though aside from what I mentioned. No sounds, smells, incontinence, etc. No damage inside my mouth or tongue. I would love nothing more than for someone who has firsthand knowledge of a seizure to say "No way, because you didn't have XXXX".

I have had weeklong episodes where my lips have gone numb, but that is about it for truly funky symptoms I believe are related to my diet. (I have nonconfirmed gluten issues as well as possible other food issues that I still have not gotten a handle on.

Thanks for your input.

[mushroom]

Since there were no witnesses, it is very hard to say whether or not it was some kind of seizure, though it sure sounds suspiscious. Do you have any other neurologic symptoms other than numb lips? My brother used to have mini seizures which I am now convinced were gluten related; developed them in his late 30's, had no residuals afterwards. Had other gluten suspiscious symptoms in retrospect.

I do understand about the dreaming thing. I always know when I should go to the loo at night because it gets incorporated into my dreams and I endlessly search for a loo. So, no, I don't think you're nuts, but I would think you were if you didn't get serious about keeping that nasty gluten away from your body

[ravenwoodglass]

I would mention this to your doctor. There is testing they can do, an EEG, during which they can try to bring on seizure activity. Even more important though is that you get strict with your diet.

[TotalKnowledge]

Part of what has been happening to my sister is seizures. More over sticking with a gluten free diet has helped me with my restless leg syndrome, insomnia, and the general thrashing I used to do at night.

The benefits of maintaining a gluten free diet go way beyond any intestinal discomfort. If you know you have it I would stick to the diet.

[gigantor98]

I know all about strange dreams. But I can not say forsure that it was a siezure you had or not. I to suffer from siezures. I only started suffering from them that I was aware of Last June. These come around my ovulation cycle. Usually 2 within a 24 hour period and they last for 25 min. a piece leaving me feeling physically unplugged for 24 hours after the first attack. Than I am back to normal. These where not like anything any health provider around here had seen before. My hands and mouth draw up like a stroke than I can not feel anything from my knees down to my feet. A migrane usually triggers these with a intense knife stabbing pain behind the right eye. But I did have a siezure one time during a nap. I was not suffering from a headache than and my dream was of some one heavy setting on me. I woke up to find myself in that crazy postion and could not release my hands or mouth. I knew after several mins. that this was a siezure. Once my docs. found out that I had this attack during my sleep thats when they concluded it must be a siezure. I have taken several eeg tests to all come up neg. for this activity so in stead of doing a week long eeg test they assumed that was what was happening before being diagnosed with celiac disease. I am on siezure meds for 7 days out of the month and it lessons the side effects of these siezures. Does not stop the migranes. Since my celiac disease diagnoses in Nov of 08 last month was the best month I had had with these attacks. I am going to give myself a little more time before I update my docs on my progress with the meds and the diet before I ask them to try and release me off of the meds. I want at least 3 good months without these eposiodes before I give up the meds. I may never be able to but I am not sure. My docs just tell me I am an experiment.

It would be a good idea to keep a jounral of your daily activities as well as what you eat and if you are female your period cylce. I have just seen my endo and he is concerned with my parathyroid glands. He thinks celiac disease has destroyed at least one and hyperparathyroidism is known to cause seizures as well. I will let you know that I am fully aware of what is going on around me when these attacks happen I just can't control my body and it hurts. If I did not keep a journal of my activities they would have never tested me for celiac disease and I would still be on the anti depressent meds that left me in the corner of my living room drooling on myself while I was trying to take care of my 3 kid under the age of 7. My docs wanted to list me as paniac attacks. I am still upset at how easy our medical community can right you off as crazy and others around them believe them and their recommedations without listening to the patient. Having a siezure in my sleep was the only blessing that happened during this scary time in my life b/c it finally woke them up to listen to me.

May God Bless you and answer your prayers to your health problems. Jesus took this to the cross it is not yours to burden alone. Get off of gluten as soon as you can. If it is affecting your nuerologically than your small intestines is down to aobut a 1/4th of a gas tank full villi hair. At least that is how they described it to me. Once your nuero system is checking out than you are in some serious trouble but you can heal. YOU CAN HEAL. May God help you with your stress and burdens to allow you time to affectively stick to this diet.

[DreamWalker]

Definitely mention it to your doctor & get an EEG.

Right before I slid downhill, (losing 20+ lbs on an already bordering underweight frame + more GI issues) I *thought* I was having seizures. However, I never went to the doctor for them as there were no witnesses. A few times a week, I'd be lying on the couch, then suddenly find myself on the floor with my concept of time completely lost. And the next day, I'd have bruises up & and down the backs of my arms & legs. Anyhow, I had to move across the country so I continued putting it off, then the GI issues became more problematic & I was afraid of mentioning the episodes to any doctors lest they think I was crazy. (I was more afraid of the stomach pain continuing.) I'm not sure how many I had (or whether they were even seizures)... at least three... the rest are too fuzzy.

Although, for years before my gluten-free diet, I'd randomly fall asleep (in cars, during a movie, in the middle of a conversation). I vaguely recall that and probably wouldn't mention it had numerous friends never pointed it out. That, and I'd often just fall "out of it" my friends told me it was like I was in a trance. . .I just remember feeling sleepy(?) If I'm recalling anything at all.

All of it cleared up when I was diagnosed with Celiacs & went gluten-free though, which is why I never mentioned it....

I can't comment about the dreaming much. I remember half-sleepwalking to the bathroom numerous times at night. (D.) It felt like a dream and my housemate (who was always awake during the wee hours) said I'd pass by countless times when I'd only recall one or two.

Hope you find the answer.. :\

[Mother of Jibril]

Another idea for you to consider... anaphylaxis. That could definitely explain the "wrung out" feeling. Histamine levels naturally peak around 2am. I have idiopathic anaphylaxis (it's not food, medication, exercise, cold/heat, insects, etc... the classic allergy triggers) and my last two attacks started in the middle of the night. The main treatment is taking antihistamines on a daily basis... both H1 (zyrtec, claritin, allovert, benadryl, etc...) and H2 (pepcid, zantac, tagamet, etc...).

Incidentally, the brain has a lot of histamine receptors, so some people with IA also have problems with seizures. It's definitely something to ask a doctor about. My guess is that you'll need to be persistent to get answers

ps - I often get that "is this a dream?" feeling... and my sister has an unexplained seizure disorder