Are seizures common in late stages bedridden patients and does mean things are coming

LeedsLass

Registered User
Oct 13, 2014
107
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Essex
Mum has been rushed to hospital from the nursing home today after having a seizure in the shower. It's the first time it's happened but she's been been pretty much bedridden since October and latterly not even been hoisted into the wheelchair. She is very weak and not eating. I'm still waiting to hear back from the hospital what the situation is but I have a 3 night holiday booked and I leave at 5 am in the morning. I live over 200 miles away and came back yesterday after spending 5 days up there. Obviously I don't want Dad (84) to have to go through anything on his own if anything happens to Mum so I'm a bit in limbo. So many things are against me going away but I'm having the week from hell! Anyone had loved ones with seizures?


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LeedsLass

Registered User
Oct 13, 2014
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Essex
As a postscript everything seems to have stabilised and will be discharged soon. Just another chapter I guess.


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Ash148

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Jan 1, 2014
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Dublin, Ireland
Hi leedslass, sounds like your mum is at a similar stage to mine. Her doctor reckons she is having seizures semi-regularly in her sleep.
 

Soobee

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Aug 22, 2009
2,731
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South
yes it's quite common from what I can gather. My mum had seizures in her last year and was on Anti-convulsant medication.
 

jenniferpa

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Jun 27, 2006
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Does your mother have vascular dementia or had any strokes? My mother had and I was told that the seizures are a result of healing lesions in the brain: basically scarring. Like Soobee's mother, she ended up on anti-convulsion meds (although I did have to do a bit of foot stamping to get them - I was told she had to have 3 seizures before they are normally prescribed but I told the GP that as she had already had 2 seizures that were witnessed and was quite likely to have others that were not I wasn't taking no for an answer).
 

LeedsLass

Registered User
Oct 13, 2014
107
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Essex
Thank you, I'll certainly bear that in mind. My previous husband had a brain tumour age 39 and suffered the same. Very similar symptoms.


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canary

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Feb 25, 2014
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South coast
My husband, with an acquired brain injury (from an accident) has epilepsy.
Epilepsy acquired later in life just reflects damage within the brain - not a precise cause. :)
 

Lady in blue

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Mar 6, 2015
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Sheffield
My Mum suffered 2 grand mal seizures shortly after going into 24 hour care 4 years ago.
She has Alzheimers disease and vascular dementia.
At the time, the doctors thought the Aricept she was taking had caused the seizures and stopped it then put Mum on anti convulsants. Shortly afterwards the Aricept was started again (this story is on another thread) and Mum was weaned off the anti consvulsants and hasn't had another witnessed fit since.
In hindsight the doctors told us that the fits where probably as a result of the series of small stokes she had had in the past and resulted from scarred brain tissue healing causing a 'short circuit' .
Hope this helps.
 

LeedsLass

Registered User
Oct 13, 2014
107
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Essex
Thank you for all your replies, it's just one blasted thing after another with this terrible disease, love to you all.


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nipper

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Dec 27, 2012
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hertfordshire
This may not be the best place for this comment but here goes. My wife has early onset Alzheimers for about 3 years now and is now in a nursing home. Last Sept she had her first seizure whilst at home, she was taken to hospital and had another whilst waiting to be admitted.

To cut a long story short she later went to a nursing home in October. She then had another seizure in January whilst the carers were getting her up. In February she had another whilst walking so she fell and cut her head which required stitches (she was not admitted but dealt with at the A&E). This last week she has had another seizure. She is now 65 (so still quite young) and until 6 months ago had never had a seizure and since then has now had 5. Each time it has occurred between 7.30 am and 9.00 am and last for 2 to 4 minutes. She has been on epilim since Sept but obviously it does not stop repeat seizures. I am getting very concerned about these as they have caused a deterioration in the Alzheimers (not every time though) so wondered if anyone knows of any other alternative way forward. To make matters worse my wife now does not speak - she does mumble but is not understanable. How common are seizures in Alzheimers disease?? A very worried husband.
 

angelface

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Oct 8, 2011
1,085
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london
My aunt had seizures , but did not has vascular dementia, she was diagnosed with Alz. The GP said it was just the Alz progressing, certainly she never had seizures early in life . They occoured at a latish stage, but auntie was still walking.

The GP also said they could be a passing phase, but she was also medicated for them.
We did notice that stressful situations, eg hospital seemed to make seizures more likely.
 

mackie

Registered User
Feb 9, 2015
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My mum also had seizures after being admitted to hospital after a fall. To cut a long story short, she had been taking Aricept for over 5 years and the consultant told me that it was likely that this caused the seizures. My mum was in the last stages of Alzheimer's so that probably had an impact also. The hospital stopped the Aricept because she was taking epilepsy drugs and they did not mix. She never had any more seizures which was a blessing.Don't know whether this helps.
 

LeedsLass

Registered User
Oct 13, 2014
107
0
Essex
Thank you for your answers, she hasn't had any more but the doctor has said she mustn't be taken out of bed at all in case it being more on, not even for a shower . They are trying her with medication. Just how much more can this horrible disease throw at our loved ones?


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Linbrusco

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Mar 4, 2013
1,694
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Auckland...... New Zealand
I am sorry to read all of your posts regarding loved ones having seizures.
My Mum is the one with Alzheimers but my husband has seizures as a result of 2x surgeries and treatment for a brain tumour 11 yrs ago.
Absolutley horrendous to witness one, especially a grand mal ( tonic clonic ) seizure.

From over the years I have learnt that any thing wether its from surgery, TIA's, prior strokes, interaction of medications, any physical deformity of the brain can cause a seizure.
Even a resulting infection or UTI, even if on anti seizure meds can cause a seizure.

Initially 11 yrs ago my husband was put on Epilim ( Sodium Valproate).
His dosage was increased every time he had a seizure until he was on the absolute maximum. In 2011 he had not had a seizure or even a partial seizure since 2007, when a bladder infection resulted in a tonic clonic seizure. He was asleep in bed at the time.
His Neurologist decreased his Epilim and added Lamictal ( Lamogatrine) he has not had a seizure since.