[CaptainChaos79]

I have had PTSD for almost 15 years now but last May I had a very unexpected seizure (in wal mart of all places) for the first time in my life and for no alparent reason. My Dr. got me into a very good neurologist under the assumption that I could possibly be epileptic. After a 5 day EEG in the hospital it was determined that my seizures were related to repressed PTSD and brought on by high stress or anxiety. I am curious if anyone else has had this type of issue or symptom related to PTSD. So far medication usually keeps them under control but there are times medication is not fast enough. I don't see a psychiatrist as I see no need since my primary Dr. is better with psych meds than any psychiatrist within a reasonable driving distance and he has actually found better solutions for me regarding medication than anyone I have seen in the past. Clearly, PTSD seizures are out of his normal treatment range...lol. So any help I can get here would be welcome.

[Open Eyes]

((Captain)), I am sorry you experienced that, the closest I came was having a flashback where I could not talk at all, and to me it felt more like a stroke.

At least you have some help and I guess this can happen with PTSD, that I did not know. Maybe another member may come forward with more knowledge/personal experience with this.

((Hugs)))
OE

[Teacake]

CaptainChaos,

You had a seizure on psyche meds prescribed by your physician. I see. PTSD does not cause seizures. Npsyche meds do. Lets get clear about what happened here. You and doc were getting experimental and you made a mess. Live and learn.

Are you aware that psychiatry does not cure PTSD? It knows it does not. Conventional.medicine can only manage symptoms, and not very well. There's a Navy Seal who says psych meds almost killed him but kundalini yoga put him right. Google Mikal Vega. Start there. Find body oriented therapies that do no harm and coax trauma body out of trauma physiology back into peacetime body. It can be done.

Remember...we all come from long lines of people who were chased by wild predators and enslaved and conscripted into interminable religious wars. Other bad things too. They had trauma..They didnt have psychiatry. Indeed, PTSD has been more disabling since psychiatry was invented. Think about it.

Find your way.

[Open Eyes]

Captain, what Teacake is saying "could be the case", I suggest you pay attention to the side effects of whatever medications are being prescribed to you.

We are not "professionals here" what most of us are sharing is what we have learned in our own efforts to understand PTSD and what treatments may have not really addressed our needs, could have even aggravated the condition.

In my honest opinion, drug treatments are basically used to help the person struggling reduce the symptoms so they can have a chance to understand PTSD better and work on whatever kind of trauma, or trauma's they have lived through that challenged them so much they developed PTSD.

As members that have struggled ourselves, many of us will recommend that if you work with a psychiatrist or MD that prescribes drug treatments, make sure you read about the side effects and be sure to report any challenges you may be experiencing that may be a sign you need to change or stop a medication.

OE

[doglover1979]

Medications can definitely cause seizures! I had partial seizures caused by Welbutrin.

In the hospital and in my DBT group I have met two people who experience "seizures" that are actually behavioral, the same way dissociation is behavioral. Its completely involuntary and very real, but can be managed through a lot of self knowledge and good coping skills.

[Teacake]

Low levels of GABA in the brain can cause seizures.
PTSD depletes GABA. Even in well nourished people.

Conventional medicine fills GABA receptors with benzos like Valium and Xanax. That doeant replenish GABA in the brain.

GABA is cheap and easy to supplement. Go slow. Don't overdose.

Check with doc and check online for drug interactions. Myself, I'd drop the drugs and supplement GABA..that saved my life years ago.

GABA will also relieve you of nightmares and night terrors without disrupting REM sleep and pleasant dreams. It will alleviate anxiety.

[CaptainChaos79]

Originally Posted by Teacake

CaptainChaos,

You had a seizure on psyche meds prescribed by your physician. I see. PTSD does not cause seizures. Npsyche meds do. Lets get clear about what happened here. You and doc were getting experimental and you made a mess. Live and learn.

Are you aware that psychiatry does not cure PTSD? It knows it does not. Conventional.medicine can only manage symptoms, and not very well. There's a Navy Seal who says psych meds almost killed him but kundalini yoga put him right. Google Mikal Vega. Start there. Find body oriented therapies that do no harm and coax trauma body out of trauma physiology back into peacetime body. It can be done.

Remember...we all come from long lines of people who were chased by wild predators and enslaved and conscripted into interminable religious wars. Other bad things too. They had trauma..They didnt have psychiatry. Indeed, PTSD has been more disabling since psychiatry was invented. Think about it.

Find your way.

No I was taking 1 psych med at the time. Now I take 2, my doctor added klonopin because stress was an obvious factor in the onset of a seizure. And yes I am aware medicine doesn't cure PTSD but neither does yoga. Yoga is used to channel spirits in hindu religions and I refuse to do yoga as a Christian. I have done some dietary things that have helped the symptoms as well, but yes apparently repressing too much BS can in fact cause seizures. Odd I know but not much I can do about it.

[CaptainChaos79]

And what may I ask made u assume that me and dr were being experimental? My dr is not the type to just get medication happy. In fact, seizure meds, pain meds, and psych meds total 4 altogether. I have one of the best physicians in the country and he actually cares about his patients instead of creating customers for pharmaceutical companies so where did u get that assuption?

[CaptainChaos79]

Originally Posted by Teacake

Low levels of GABA in the brain can cause seizures.
PTSD depletes GABA. Even in well nourished people.

Conventional medicine fills GABA receptors with benzos like Valium and Xanax. That doeant replenish GABA in the brain.

GABA is cheap and easy to supplement. Go slow. Don't overdose.

Check with doc and check online for drug interactions. Myself, I'd drop the drugs and supplement GABA..that saved my life years ago.

GABA will also relieve you of nightmares and night terrors without disrupting REM sleep and pleasant dreams. It will alleviate anxiety.

See that is useful information. I will ask my dr about this and my holistic dr as well. One of them will or both will know what to recommend.

[Teacake]

Originally Posted by CaptainChaos79

No I was taking 1 psych med at the time. Now I take 2, my doctor added klonopin because stress was an obvious factor in the onset of a seizure. And yes I am aware medicine doesn't cure PTSD but neither does yoga. Yoga is used to channel spirits in hindu religions and I refuse to do yoga as a Christian. I have done some dietary things that have helped the symptoms as well, but yes apparently repressing too much BS can in fact cause seizures. Odd I know but not much I can do about it.

OK. So stretch and move your body, sit or stand tall and sing psalms or hymns in a relaxed way and beautiful voice. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

Get in your body. Be embodied. Enliven and soothe your nerves. Too many time we ptsd folks are hunched over books or computer or ashtray ignoring, even snubbing our bodies. Jesus got back in his body. So must we.

[doglover1979]

It's true that PTSD is a chronic condition, but it can be put in full remission.

IMHO to say it is "incurable" isn't entirely accurate. Let's keep hope alive!

[Nammu]

In the beginning of the end of my life I was Diagnosed PTSD, & DID w/ depression. As things came to a head I too had seizures. I however had them in my sleep for the most part, I had a few in daytime when I was really stressed out. They diagnosed me with Tonic-clonic nocturnal seizures and gave me phenobarbital as I could not tolerate they other class of drugs. Fortunately or no I had the first seizure when I was in the hospital. It was really confusing to go to bed and then wake up surrounded by doctors and other personal with all their paraphernalia. As things got better, I became integrated and life was less stressful. I decided to stop taking the meds(w/ a doctors permission) and I have not had a seizure since. I under went tests and was cleared of the epilepsy. I'm no longer DID and as long as stress remains low the PTSD is in remission.

I went into this detail because I wanted to give you hope. It may be possible that your seizures too will not be be life long. Breathing exercises and meditation help me a great deal. I do use yoga as a form of meditation. It has nothing to do with religion for me, but there are many ways to do breathing exercises it does not have to be yoga. Use what ever works to help relieve the stress.

[JadeAmethyst]

I would like to share with you all a personal experience that happened to my Mother who had spent years with undiagnosed anything other than "normal" aging processes.
This happened in 2002, she was overwhelmed and stressed at the time. One day in her kitchen she had 2 seizures and in the hospital 2 more....no family history of the disorder or prior diagnosis...stress induced it was. Gladly, today she is still on seizure meds, but leads a full life with activities and friends in her home independently at the age of 82! So, yes it does happen, she is still anxious, but less stressed today.

Glad to bring this subject to light, good to share!
thanks
Jade

[Parley]

Originally Posted by CaptainChaos79

I have had PTSD for almost 15 years now but last May I had a very unexpected seizure (in wal mart of all places) for the first time in my life and for no alparent reason. My Dr. got me into a very good neurologist under the assumption that I could possibly be epileptic. After a 5 day EEG in the hospital it was determined that my seizures were related to repressed PTSD and brought on by high stress or anxiety. I am curious if anyone else has had this type of issue or symptom related to PTSD. So far medication usually keeps them under control but there are times medication is not fast enough. I don't see a psychiatrist as I see no need since my primary Dr. is better with psych meds than any psychiatrist within a reasonable driving distance and he has actually found better solutions for me regarding medication than anyone I have seen in the past. Clearly, PTSD seizures are out of his normal treatment range...lol. So any help I can get here would be welcome.

This is scary~

I'm not on meds and I believe I had a seizure in front of a psychiatric nurse. It was bad and it took me few days to remember what happened and I'm still missing pieces.

I went to her because she is a trauma therapist my past trauma was choking me. We were talking and boom I was hit with a rush that would have knocked me on my *** if I wasn't sitting. It was a process before i hit seizure mode. I blamed the therapist and thought she hypnotized me or something because I have never had anything like that happen. She said it was an "adverse reaction" but I'm still undecided.

It's been a bit over a year and it scares me to think of it happening again and it has stopped me from relaxation techniques. I cant go there again. no thank you!!!

I have staring (partial complex) seizures and am a long-time c-PTSD sufferer. The seizures are similar to the "deer in the headlights" symptom of PTSD. Sometimes, I can't tell which is which though the epileptic seizures are usually accompanied by a slight shaking of my spine or are induced by consumption of even a little alcohol, foods with a lot of sugar (including things like pasta), looking into bright lights or a lack of sleep.

I have been taking anti-seizure meds for a while now but have had to cut back because of side-effects. A recent epilepsy test came back negative. I have been meaning to discuss with my MD whether I have epilepsy at all and it's just the c-PTSD that is causing the seizures.