Dementia and Epilepsy

noelphobic

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Feb 24, 2006
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Liverpool
Is there any kind of link between dementia and epilepsy ie could epilepsy occur because of changes in the brain caused by dementia?

I ask because my mum has dementia of indeterminate origin - depending on who you talk to it's Alzheimers, Vascular or Lewy Bodies. She also has Parkinson's disease and an under active thyroid plus I have suspicions that she may be on her way to type 2 diabetes. At some time during the last year Epilim appeared on her list of medications although no one can remember exactly who prescribed it, when and why! I have vague recollections of getting a call from her former 'care' home last year to say she had had some kind of seizure/fit. This will sound awful but I took it with a pinch of salt because the description was so vague and she seemed OK afterwards with no further incidence for quite some time. I was so complacent about it that getting Epilim taken off her prescription was on my extremely long list of things to do. Until today that is! I got a call this morning from her nursing home to say she had had a seizure this morning. They said it was only 'about 2 minutes' which, thinking about it, is quite a long time. She was also OK afterwards and seemed OK when I saw her tonight.

I am now wondering if the epilepsy is a 'side effect' of the dementia or even if it is epilepsy at all. There are other causes of fits and I am reasonably sure that in a younger, fitter person further investigations would be carried out.

Any advice/thoughts much appreciated.
 

connie

Registered User
Mar 7, 2004
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Frinton-on-Sea
Hi Noel, so sorry to read of your situation. No answers,this is outside of my experiences, but wanted to assure you that someone will have some thoughts soon.

Take care now, Connie
 

Margarita

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Feb 17, 2006
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london
I am now wondering if the epilepsy is a 'side effect' of the dementia or even if it is epilepsy at all.

Any fits (Now its called seizure )are epilepsy if recurrent My 19 year old daughter has Partial epilepsy .

If she does not take her medication, I think it’s the right side of the brain the memories would be lost , when told that all I could think of was OMG she get AD when older

http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk/pages/info/leaflets/seizures.cfm#describe.

Any brain damage can course seizure , & if you think what happen to the brain of a person with AD ,it could be a Side effect
 
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noelphobic

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Feb 24, 2006
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Liverpool
Margarita said:
Any fits (Now its called seizure )are epilepsy My 19 year old daughter has Partial epilepsy .

If she does not take her medication, I think it’s the right side of the brain the memories would be lost , when told that all I could think of was OMG she get AD when older

http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk/pages/info/leaflets/seizures.cfm#describe.

Any brain damage can course seizure , & if you think what happen to the brain of a person with AD ,it could be a Side effect

Hi Margarita

I don't agree that any fits are epilepsy. My teenage son had a seizure last year whilst on holiday in Bulgaria - long story that I won't bore you with! He does not have epilepsy, he was hypoglycaemic (he has type 1 aka insulin dependent diabetes).
 

noelphobic

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Feb 24, 2006
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Liverpool
Margarita said:
Any brain damage can course seizure , & if you think what happen to the brain of a person with AD ,it could be a Side effect

I do think you may be right there, Margarita, which is more or less the question I was asking.

As I said in my previous post, when my son had his seizure he was hypoglycaemic. Severe hypoglycaemia affects the brain, it does not, however, make the individual epileptic.
 

noelphobic

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Feb 24, 2006
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Liverpool
Margarita said:
Sorry should of put if recurrent , look at that link i left

Hi Margarita

Apologies!!!

You did say if recurrent. I just didn't read everything. The link you left looks extemely useful and informative so thanks for that.
 
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noelphobic

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Feb 24, 2006
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Liverpool
Margarita said:
are you talking about diabetes when they go low on insulin?

did you son have a brain Scan ?

No, hypoglycaemia means low blood sugar. If someone is 'low on insulin' then their blood sugar is likely to be high - hyperglycaemia. Or do you mean that the insulin makes their blood sugar go low?

Insulin lowers blood sugar

Food raises blood sugar

There is a lot more to it than that, obvously!

He didn't have a brain scan as there was no need, they just needed to bring his blood sugar up to within a normal range.
 

Margarita

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Feb 17, 2006
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london
Its just that my daughter had a friend that when she did not eat right ,(she was diabetic) she use to have fits & someone ales at my work.

my daughter use to give her coke or something sweet & she would come out of it after a while .

Is that hypoglycaemia ?
 

noelphobic

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Feb 24, 2006
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Liverpool
Margarita said:
Its just that my daughter had a friend that when she did not eat right ,(she was diabetic) she use to have fits & someone ales at my work.

my daughter use to give her coke or something sweet & she would come out of it after a while .

Is that hypoglycaemia ?

Hi Margarita

Yes, that does sound like hypoglycaemia. If someone has diabetes and has insulin then, ideally, they need to eat healthily and they need to eat regularly. If they take their insulin and then don't eat then they are in trouble. Their blood sugar can drop dangerously low and, worse case scenario, they can die or suffer brain damage if they are not helped. The ideal 'cure' is Lucozade, failing that then Coke (not diet) or another sweet drink.

Apologies for this not being directly dementia related but this advice could save someones life one day. That someone could be my beloved son!
 

Margarita

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Feb 17, 2006
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london
Lucozade yes that it , I use to get that for my mother sister who was diabetes insulin ,But never took them & never saw have a fit .



My mum has diabetes ,but tablets . It’s a worry, it must be for you with your son like me with my daughter & on top of it we have are parents with AD.

How old is your son ?
 

noelphobic

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Feb 24, 2006
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Liverpool
Margarita said:
Lucozade yes that it , I use to get that for my mother sister who was diabetes insulin ,But never took them & never saw have a fit .



My mum has diabetes ,but tablets . It’s a worry, it must be for you with your son like me with my daughter & on top of it we have are parents with AD.

How old is your son ?

My son is 17, he was diagnosed with diabetes just under 2 years ago while he was sitting his GCSE exams. He will soon be taking his A Levels.
 

Margarita

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Feb 17, 2006
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london
Gosh my daughter was at university (spelling) year half ago & on holiday with me in Gibraltar when she had her fit, I did wonder if it was the stress of mum, me living in Gibraltar while sorting how to bring mum home to England, she was having black out, but did not know what was going on until she had the big fit in front of me in Gibraltar ,anyway she got her degree & now she going to do her Master .

He will soon be taking his A Levels
wishing him all the best & let us know how he got on with the A levels
:)