Seizures or breath holding

roses25

Addy either had her 2nd seizure or 2nd pallid breath holding spell tonight, and I'm in tears tonight because I know that means calling the pedi neurologist in the morning that we saw the first time and probably putting her out for a MRI. The first time they did a EEG and it was normal. She wouldn't go to sleep and they said sometimes they see more if they fall asleep. The pedi neurologist said wait and see if another one happens and if it does call and will probably do a MRI but she'll need to be put out for this.

This evening my two children and two children I was babysitting were playing outside when I looked at my daughter and she was laying face down on our driveway. Weirdly, I didn't hear or see her fall/lay down. I immediately picked her up, cuddled her, and said her name a few times. She was pale and and had turned blue. She became responsive pretty quickly compared to the first time this happened in the house 1 year ago. She's a breath holder who has blue spells all the time but these specific two episodes look very different than that and either fit a seizure or pallid breath holding spell. She didn't have any toys by her, no other kids were by her so I don't know what would have scared or hurt her for it to be a pallid breath holding spell.

Do you think finding a natural doctor would handle this any differently or would it still be an MRI that we have to put her out for? I've considered just waiting to see if it happens a third time to do an MRI. I really hate to have to put my baby out! I even wonder what good a MRI would do if it can't totally rule out seizures or not and if a child has a seizure once a year if they would even treat it. Can anyone offer one scared mama some suggestions.

Carolyn

christeacher

My Foster son had epilepsy and his seizures were tonic seizures where his whole body would go rigid and he would stop breathing. There are so many different kinds of seizures and an mri can not tell you if she is having seizures but only if there is a structural abnormality. It is actually very difficult to catch a seizure on an eeg, my Foster son had over 6 eegs including a 3 day one and only had seizures on one of them. Feel free to pm and I can tell you anything I know. Best way to get an accurate diagnosis is to take video.

old mama

I have two adopted daughters with seizures. Paige is 22 now and she was about your daughter's age I too knew there was something wrong and was sure she was having seizures but since they didn't happen right in front of the dr. it made it hard to diagnosis. I agree on the MRI not showing much unless their is obvious brain injury. Even an EEG won't measure anything unless she would happen to have a seizure right then and there. There is a study they can do there she is hooked up and you remain in the hospital with her until she would happen to have an episode and they could measure the brain activity and see video what happened...I couldn't do that with my active family...I would make sure everyone who cares for her knows exactly what to look for. Unfortunately if she is having seizures it will get more evident as time goes on...Paige has massive grand mals now and no meds will help. I would resist strongly...I mean strongly the thought of putting her on even low doses of seizure meds just in case...seizure meds even low doses can have awful side effects....

K&H

How terrifying! I'm so sorry this is happening for you and poor little Addy!

Kari

Scary! I was going to suggest the idea of videotaping the next one to show the doctor as well.

I read an article this summer about how some food additives can be the cause of seizures. That might be something to look into as well. She may be particularly sensitive to certain chemicals in our foods. MSG (also goes by about 20 other names including "natural flavors"), artificial sweeteners, caffeine, soy, and cured meats are top culprits. MSG (glutamates) and aspartame are two that can often cause seizures because they are amino acids which affect brain function.

SPJ&E

You probably have this figured out by now, but I wanted to respond anyway.

E was/is a breath holder. He was about 7 months old the first time he actually passed out and scared the sh*t out of us. He turned blue, his whole body stiffened up, he went limp and pale, and a few seconds later a big gasp and slowly returning to normal. This happened about once a week for a few months and then tapered off.

We've found him on the floor more than once, with no idea what the trigger was. Before, it would happen if he got really upseat/mad or if he got hurt (even a little). Now, it's just when he gets hurt (better than before though...it doesn't happen over a scratch or light bump anymore). He is 3 now and still a breath holder, but hasn't full on passed out in maybe a year.

When we talked to his ped about it, she said it was scary, but normal. She said that she had one patient that passed out several times a day for years and it slowly tapered off as he got older! No thanks!