What kind of seizure?

[J&K Mom]

OK, I've seen the classic tonic/clonic. But what is Katie having? Is it also tonic clonic? Or like a complex partial? Or what?

I'll find her not moving with her eyes deviated up and to the side. No movement at all. Not breathing. Unresponsive. Like this for 2-5 minutes. She'll start to come out of it, if you talk to her she'll turn towards you but her eyes are still deviated and she can't actually look at you. Comes all the way out of it and starts twitching arms and legs. And falls asleep like this. Is this concidered a t/c?

I assumed it was t/c, but is it? The t/c's I've seen, the people fell, were out of it and full out jerking, it slowed and then went to sleep.

[Firewing]

Tehya TC's start out with her going stiff, and I mean so stiff if she is in her carseat it looks like she will hurt herself,she will stop breathing for up to 40 seconds, then she will jerk rythmically extremely hard. This usually lasts about 5-9 minutes, then her jerking will slow down. Her TC's last anywhere from 11-25 minutes(on average). I think tonic means stiff, clonic means jerking?

[mama z]

I wonder if they are tonic seizures. Andrew has tonic and he'll suddenly get really stiff and stop breathing. He'll sometimes have twitching fingers though. I too thought he was have t/c because so often he'll start out in that stiff tonic, but then he starts grunting (sounds like he's laughing), twitching and his face will change color. But I was told by the neuro that thats not a true t/c so she's still calling them tonic seizures. I'm gathering it's because he's not doing all the jerking, just the twitching. He's also not completely wiped out by them. He'll get really fussy and cranky or get very quiet and just kind of not "there", if you know what I mean.

Take care,
Laura

[hunterjjumper]

I tried to post a reply to this before, I hope it doesn't come through twice.

My daughters have the same kind of seizures, complex partials that generalize. Jill does the classic convulsing once it generalizes. I have never seen the beginning of her seizures as they occur in her sleep, we only see or hear the generalization. Helen's eyes deviate to the right or left. If she goes long enough she will start the lip smacking and drooling. Her ped saw her have one and said that it was a tonic/clonic the stiffness is subtle but you can see it in her limbs, if you have the mind to look for it(I usually don't). After her first seizure my husband and I had a disagreement with the neuro about which way her eyes went, the neuro was very diplomatic and said they probably went both ways. He said it is a natural response to deviate the opposite way after the seizure, something about muscle response.....or maybe he was just playing mediator!:rolleyes:

I also find that Helen's seizures vary depending on what med she is on. Don't know if it is med related or just due to her growing.

Tammy, Mom to Helen 5 yo, Hydro, VP shunt, CP, seizures.
Jill 10 yo seizures (controlled)
Evan 13 yo smart alec