had seizure in chair

[texasstyle]

At this morning's session my husbans had a short lasting seizure in the chair. He said he remembers his left leg cramping up extremely bad like an elctrical jolt was going through it. It was towards the end of the session, not begining. The nurse told me it happened very quickly. He hand sorta contorted into his body and his rolled back into his head. She said definetlya seizure, but very short. He has no seizure disorder. She metioned it may be from fluid removal. Today was 13 lbs. ( about normal for him. I dknow, I know,...we don't have to get into that part-yikes! *sigh*)  I always though tthat seizures were from electrical activity in the brain. I'm wondering what is is going on here. I know dehydration can cause electroltye imbalance, but I'm thinking that is not the same electrical activity type in the brain. I'm very confused. If someone could explain it would be very helpful. Thanks

[jeannea]

You can have seizures for various reasons, not just a seizure disorder. Two years ago I had 2 seizures. The doctor said it was my brain's way of saying Enough you're sick and need help. In my case I had really low nutrition from not eating due to intestinal viruses combined with a medicine overdose. Your husband's seizure could be due to electrolyte problems or toxin overload or any of a ton of reasons. The doctors will figure it out. But it is a sign that he needs to work on his care and change something to get better.

Did you say 13 pounds? I'm stunned. There may be a clue there.

[texasstyle]

Jeanna, everyone's always stunned .This is about his average often. We've has some discussions here about "not normal" things, becoming "normal" in our lives. I know this is very bad but it has become the normal. *sigh*. Anyway, the fact you're metioning nutritional aspects is interesting to me because they were good for a short time but have fallen by the wayside again. Toxin overload? Maybe be that too. Ogh geez...so many things. The nurse had mainly metioned the fluid removal but I know that by coming here, I get more great information that helps me as a cargiver to know what's going on and do the best job I can.

[looneytunes]

Hey Tx...My hubby has now had 3 seizures during dialysis, here at home.  Yes, they come on very quickly and they are very scary.  In the first one, he actually went into cardiac arrest.    Our neph feels they are due to an electrolyte imbalance that is impossible to predict short of doing blood work prior to each treatment (which is not possible).   He specifically mentioned potassium.  He also mentioned fluid being removed too quickly could cause this but that was not the case as we never pull more than 1 kg per hour and a max of 2.5 kg per treatment.   Like yours, my hubby has no seizure disorder or history other than while in the chair. 

I'll be thinking of you.   

[Poppylicious]

Oh Texie, it's just one thing after another.  How scary!  Has this helped at all with him taking stock of all the naughty stuff he's doing?

*huggles* - sorry, I've never experienced this with Blokey so have no words of wisdom to impart!

[jeannea]

Specifically, ask if his albumin level is low. Mine was down below 2 and it should be above 4. He needs to be getting enough protein. Don't give up on protein because of the phosphorus, just take the binder.

[MooseMom]

I don't have the slightest clue, but this is very interesting, and I am would love to know what is causing this.  By what I've read here, I agree that it seems not to be linked to some sort of brain injury but, rather, to something else entirely. Wow, 13 lbs.  To gain that much and then have that much pulled off, over and over again, simply HAS to be physically traumatic.

[rsudock]

sorry TS I have no wisdom to share...that must be scary for you! I know I would be terrified, especially when there are no clear cut answers!!  But here is a     Hang tough!!!

xo,
R

[billybags]

tex that must have been so scary for you both. I believe, can not remember the word I am looking for,  any way its to do with the balance of the drugs in your body. My husband had a good blood test when he had his last heart attack and he was short of potassium, apparently if it is too low it can cause a heart attack and other things. he is now on Folic Acid and has to eat bananas. We try our best not to eat this and that but at the end of the day your body seems to know what it is short of. Its just about juggling the drugs at the end of the day. Hope your hubby is feeling better.

[RichardMEL]

All I have is hugs for you

 

[Ang]

looking at it ,from the outside fluid is the most common cause, but would look into those other

possibilities mentioned above.

on a side note when i started dialysis and fluid was a nightmare to maintain, i asked my surgeon the possibilities

of implanting a tap on my hip and re routing fluid through there , so i could DRINK DRINK DRINK

[RightSide]

Electrolyte imbalance is the first thing I would have thought of.  What did the latest blood test show?

Here's what I would ask my neph, if this were happening to me:

A dialysis session in which I get a blood test for electrolytes both immediately before AND immediately after the dialysis session.  It would be worthwhile to see what the dialysis is doing to the electrolyte levels.

[Phil]

It could have been caused by high blood pressure....I know that high blood pressure can cause you to seize...I've seen it happen numerous times

[texasstyle]

sorry it took so long to get back to everyone but my computer is a mess . *sigh*  His Albunim was low. I know we can't be positive that caused it but it was metioned here. I starting to think it the body's way of reacting to not being in good shape as far as blood work and stuff goes like as also been metioned. No seizure since. I get so nervous all the time.

[jeannea]

I'm sure you get nervous. The only thing you can do is control the things you have any control over. Is it possible to get those 13 pounds down to something less? Try to work on getting his albumin up. Feed him high quality protein. If his stomach feels funny eggs are always good. Find out from the doctor what his electrolyte levels are and how he needs to change his diet to make those better. He sounds like one of those who doesn't like to follow the rules but maybe the seizure scared him a little too.