A very close call

I had a seizure at work on July 5th and nearly died. The seizure was caused by low sodium levels, but the doctors aren't sure what caused my sodium balance to be so dangerously low. It's possible it was a new prescription medication that I'd started two days before the seizure.

I have amnesia of the seizure and the two 1/2 days I was in the intensive care unit. When I awoke, I thought I was lucid dreaming :? I had to reality test and ask my husband "am I dreaming" 8 times to convince myself that I was really in the hospital. They told me that I'd pulled out my breathing tube (I was on a breathing machine) and tried to pull out my IVs while I was in ICU. I had trouble talking for a few days after I woke and initially couldn't remember where I lived or how to use my cell phone :shock:

I feeling almost back to normal now. However, since the seizure, I've noticed that my dreams have been frustrating and stressful. This has been going on since Saturday.

Does anyone have experience with the after-effects of seizures? Is this normal? Thanks!

:( Wow Eagle Eye, I'm so glad you're doing better! That's so unbelievable; I hope they figure out what caused the low sodium soon.

I guess lucid dreaming has really gotten into your SC, for you to think of it first thing when you woke up.

I can imagine that the stress your body has been thru, and the worry that you have now, are causing your dreams to be upsetting.

Well I'm so glad that you have pulled thru this. I'll be hoping that you and your doctors get that figured out so it can be avoided happening again.

Thanks so much, Moonbeam! It's really good to be back on the board.

Yep, lucid dreaming and the study of dreams really can get into one's system.

One of the doctors who saw me said that, if this was related to the medication, it was the most acute reaction he's ever seen.

Wow, how scary that must've been for your husband, EagleEye! :shock: Especially if this has never happened before. I'm glad to hear you are doing better now. I hope they figure out what caused the sodium imbalance so you can prevent it from happening again. Because what if it happened while you were driving or something??

Take care of yourself!

Thank you so much for the well wishes, Burns! It is scary, but the doctors are going to monitor my sodium levels closely. And, I know that I'm surrounded by good and faithful friends, neighbors, and spouse. I have no doubt they'd get me help ASAP if I need it.

Just as a safety precaution, the doctors asked me not to be alone for two weeks. That's easy enough. My husband is doing all of the driving, too, to be on the safe side.

I'm feeling pretty well, except for the remaining muscle soreness from the convulsions that resulted from the seizure. When I woke up last week, I felt like I'd done a triatholon. I went to yoga class on Friday and it was brutal lol.

:shock: That must have been so frightening, I'm so glad you pulled through! :hug:

Your dreams may be frustrating and stressful because of the trauma that that experience has caused. Well "trauma" may be a strong word, but you know what I mean. I would suggest some deep breathing or meditation exercises and trying your best to keep your spirits up throughout the day.

EagleEye, that must be very scary. I wish you the best. I'd definitely pin the bad, stressful dreams on that experience if that's when they started. A sudden realisation of one's own mortality like that can certainly hamper your dream life since so many dreams are influenced in some way by what occupies our waking mind.

I hope you feel better soon. Best of luck with the treatment. May your dreams become pleasant again very soon.

Mes Tarrant and Oneironaught, thank you both for the well wishes. I think you're on to something about the stress/trauma affecting my dreams. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon. I sure could use an LD where I flew lol !

:shock:

I know how that feels. Scary stuff. Glad you didn't get seriously injured during that episode. Take care and take it easy. Your body and mind need time to recover and yeah, your dreams may be absent or odd for a while. They'll get back to normal evenually.

about 3 years ago I had a siezure (spelling) at school. I had no recollection of it. They never found out what caused it. I dont have epilepsy, which is characterized by having 2 or more episodes. If you havent done so already, I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO GET IT CHECKED OUT. This can be a sign of a serious problem. Go to a neurologist and get an EEG. the EEG is a recording of brain waves that tell the doctors if you are functioning correctly. Your healthcare or whatever should pay for it. I still have EEG's once a year. Please dont just assume you are ok just because they did not find a cause for it.

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Originally Posted by LBT Petrie

about 3 years ago I had a siezure (spelling) at school. I had no recollection of it. They never found out what caused it. I dont have epilepsy, which is characterized by having 2 or more episodes. If you havent done so already, I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO GET IT CHECKED OUT. This can be a sign of a serious problem. Go to a neurologist and get an EEG. the EEG is a recording of brain waves that tell the doctors if you are functioning correctly. Your healthcare or whatever should pay for it. I still have EEG's once a year. Please dont just assume you are ok just because they did not find a cause for it.

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I'm sorry you went through a seizure, LBT Petrie. :( That is so scary, especially when they can't figure out what caused it.

Thanks for the advice on the EEG. They did an EEG on me while I was in ICU, (although I don't remember it) and they told me when I was awake that it wasn't epilespy. But it's a good idea to ask my neurologist to check me out on a regular basis with an EEG. I'll definitely ask him. I usually have a head MRI done every 12 - 18 months for my pituitary. So far, so good on that...it's somewhat enlarged but not changing.

Good news, too! My sodium levels are completely normal now and a few points higher than when I left the hospital.
:banana:

I'm glad you're not dead. Cause if you were, I would have never known you.

Glad to hear everything is fine. Its really shocking to have something like this happen to you outta nowhere. I consider myself perfectly healthy, and this random thing just happens. I know I was shook up for a few days after it occured.

That sounds like a scary experience, Eagle! Glad you're okay! You seem to have a very caring husband, too. Best wishes & hope it doesn't happen again! *hugs* :hug: