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DS2 just 'fainted' again after 18 months.

(38 Posts)

DS2 (ASD) 13 yo fainted and seemed to have a seizure 18 months ago. He had a 24 hour ECG with no problems and had just been signed off by his paed and epilepsy nurse.

He just fainted again. This time I was with him. He had just got out of the (rather hot blush ) bath, was standing while I wrapping him up in his towel. He was talking to me about how to avoid school tomorrow grin then slumped to the floor, banging his mouth on the sink. Once on the floor he was mumbling, had his eyes open but wasn't with me, IYSWIM. Within 5 to 10 seconds his eyes focused and he asked what was going on. He was right as rain within minutes, but I kept him lying down for a bit.

If it wasn't for the fact that he carried on talking nonsense throughout I would have said it was a classic faint, got up from the over hot bath too quickly. But I have been googling faints and talking and nothing is coming up. Talking during a seizure seems more common. He doesn't remember falling or hitting his mouth or what he was saying while not conscious.

Any ideas? I'll be contacting the epilepsy nurse ASAP, but in the meantime?

UnChartered Sun 07-Apr-13 20:10:37

i have no experience of this at all Ellen but bloody hell - how scary for you!

glad you were there and he's over it

is it worth giving your local A&E a call?

Don't think so. smile He's happily jumping up and down now while killing aliens on the computer. As he's had his heart well and truly checked out I'm not so worried about sudden death syndrome etc, more the epilepsy as it is often co morbid with ASD.

DS1 is a frequent fainter, so was I as a child, (and my mum) so I'm hoping it's just something hereditary but not too serious. A normal faint I can cope with, the talking whilst under was a bit outside my experience, though.

zzzzz Sun 07-Apr-13 20:42:20

I think you are correct in saying it was a seizure.

No computer games.

No flashy TV.

No jumping around.

Stay in he same room as him.

Paracetamol if he might be getting temperature (which would lower his seizure threshold)

If he gets a second one A and E would be appropriate.

Look, it could be a one off, but it doesn't hurt to be careful.

Honk honk.

zzzzz Sun 07-Apr-13 20:43:09

Keep him cool

Ah, thanks zzzzz. flowers Keeping him from jumping around is quite tricky, but I will give it a go. His temperature seems fine but the bath was quite hot. DS2 got first dabs, DS3 went in after. blush Will give him paracetamol too. He's just in his PJs now. Thanks again. X

Right, he's now sitting next to me, has had a precautionary dose of calpol, and is quite cool. He seems completely fine, wasn't at all tired after his faint/seizure, wanted to be up and about quite quickly. I'll ring the epilepsy nurse tomorrow. He's back at school tomorrow. I'll let them know, too.

CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs Sun 07-Apr-13 21:35:49

Sounds like a partial sz to me. Def ring the epilepsy nurse. That's pants.

Didn't know that epilepsy often goes with ASD - wonder about myself considering I score 43 on the AQA online test, and the szs...

Hope all is OK, once every 18mo not too bad.

Avoid flashing lights - fluorescent tubes (especially in Asda for some reason...) can also be an issue, as can energy saving lightbulbs.

Also avoid computer games until you've seen someone.

Hot baths also not great.

Cheers, couthy. Avoiding the computer completely will be impossible. He doesn't really have any other activities. sad At least he's back at school which will restrict it.

All our light bulbs are energy saving!

I'm gutted. After 18 months I had hoped it was a one off. sad

CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs Sun 07-Apr-13 22:27:42

Erm, if avoiding computer completely isn't going to happen (I DO get that...DS1...), then check EVERY game leaflet & box, and remove any that have specific epilepsy warnings - not all of them will have.

At least that way, he will still have SOME games to play.

He will just have to understand that if there is a risk of epilepsy, though, that his life will change.

(Yes, I KNOW that's easier said than done!! Change = aaaarrrrggghhhh!)

I haven't got one energy saving bulb in my house - I'm particularly susceptible to szs around them!

All old fashioned (and incredibly hard to buy now!) bulbs here.

I don't play computer games like I used to, I used to play 24/7, now I only have a couple of games I play, that I can guarantee have no flashy bits in.

I MN instead! grin

CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs Sun 07-Apr-13 22:30:00

I can totally 'get' that, Ellen.

I went sz free, off meds, for my whole pg with DS3, AND the whole year I bf for.

I really thought it had gone, and I could start to get my life back.

Then I stopped bf, AF returned, and the hormonal changes meant my sz returned, as bad as they were at their worst. sad

So I REALLY get that hope that it was done with.


Thanks, Couthy. My poor boy, as if he hasn't got enough to contend with. (Selfish moan) I know it's probably small in the grand scheme of things...

I don't know how you do it, Couthy, so many balls to juggle. And you still find time to advise the rest of us. flowers

zzzzz Sun 07-Apr-13 23:35:05

You don't need to avoid computer games forever. Photo sensitivity is only a factor for some epileptics. Dd3 has never had a seizure brought on by lights and she is very seriously effected.

I'd avoid the lights for now, because he's just had a seizure.

Dd3 is mostly unaware of her epilepsy. She takes meds twice a day. She doesn't go up slides or on river banks etc without me near. She doesn't bath alone ever, or swim more than a few meters away from me. She doesn't ride a bike on the road. Mostly she is oblivious to all of that.

Thanks zzzzz, because if he can't play on the computer, life would not be worth living, truly, for him mainly, or for the rest of us. sad The swimming, bikes, tree climbing etc, he can live without. (Ignores the fact we've just been to Center Parcs!)

zzzzz Sun 07-Apr-13 23:52:40

We do it all anyway, just hover a lot!

I would think he is less likely to have problems with lights if he plays a lot normally. But the triggers etc change so that may change too. Hormones play a role too, so puberty will impact seizure thresholds.

I should think the hot bath triggered it. I put dd3 in a very warm bath last night, I'd forgotten about bath temp..

He usually plays the flashiest, kaleidoscopic, fast reactions games imaginable.

This is one of his YouTube videos. It's him playing.

zzzzz Mon 08-Apr-13 00:23:31

grin god I think I've turned into my Mother! I can just about cope itch Lara Croft. That was incomprehensible. grin

Welcome to my world. grin What I don't understand is how he gets them on to YouTube! He's only 13!

I've spoken to the epilepsy nurse this morning. She thinks it was more likely to have been a faint than a seizure, but can't be certain. So he's back on 'watch' again and the nurse will talk to our paed today. I'm lucky that DS2's paed specialises in neurodisability (autistic spectrum) and epilepsy, so she's always been DS2's paed and gave him his DX 10 years ago. The nurse mentioned an EEG, but last time the paed ruled it out as his brain patterns are already likely to be abnormal due to the ASD.

TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission Mon 08-Apr-13 11:09:56

oh blimey, how frightening! Hope he's ok this morning. An eeg might be an idea just so they'd have something to compare to in the future, even if it proved inconclusive on this occasion?

Thanks Ninja. I thought I was fine, then cried on the phone when talking to the lovely epilepsy nurse. She just wasn't sure but couldn't say one way or the other. I'm back from work and no message on the phone, so I'm none the wiser. DS2 would find an EEG fascinating. smile

Oh, and yes, he's fine this morning, just got a big scab on his lip!

zzzzz Mon 08-Apr-13 14:37:39

I have never heard of anyone talking while they fainted.

That said presumably the epilepsy nurse is better placed to draw conclusions.

I wouldn't medicate a child having so few seizures a year, but I would avoid games with flashy light warnings and lone bathing etc. (to be honest even if it's fainting that makes sense).

Honk honk elen tis pants for you all, but whatever it is it is self resolving.

No, nor me, zzzzz. And I come from a family of fainters. I think I'll be watching him closely from now on, but considering his love of flashy computer games, I'm betting he's not photo sensitive yet.

used2bthin Mon 08-Apr-13 15:16:59

How stressful for you, sorry to hear this.

Dd1 has funny turns, and has ages in between. Neurologist was ready to prescribe meds in fact as she had a few in a row at one point but then she had one in hospital and was diagnosed with reflex anoxic seizures which arenon epileptic and in response to stress or fear. They are not harmful, she has had ECG and EEG for them so it was a relief more than anything.

They are more like a faint and very subtle,she has done odd things coming round so I think we still can't rule out epilepsy too but thought I would mention.

Anyway you've had loads of good advice just wanted to offer sympathy really, it's horrible having these things come back at you.

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