Epilepsy s

thusspakeblixa

Hi, I'm new to this forum.
Basically I'm nearly 18 and 2 years ago I got diagnosed with a type of epilepsy. It's not severe however, (absence epilepsy?)
Does anyone know what the story is with me being able to drive? I heard I have to wait 7 years after a seizure but I'm not entirely sure

nesf

Not an epileptic myself but a quick google turned up: http://www.epilepsy.ie/Ease/servlet/DynamicPageBuild?siteID=1909&categoryID=140&catName=Driving%20Regulations

thusspakeblixa

Cheers, I thought it was 7-8 years!

cathy01

you should contact brainwave in Dublin, a great great source of information.HTH,
Cathy

Lil' Smiler

I know with my friend it definitely depended on how long apart her seizures were . she started driving when she was 1 year seizure free and now she's up to 3 years!!

Eyespy

Hi,

I realize that you posted a good while ago but I only came across the thread. My sister has the same type epilepsy as yourself and from what I can remember when she got her provisional, she needed to get a letter from her doctor. It depends as well on how severe your particular type of epilepsy is or in your case, how frequently you suffer the absences.

With my sister the real factor that seems to kick off the absences is extreme tiredness but thankfully she seems to be able regulate that herself by taking her medication and getting proper sleep. She's flying around in the car and has been for the last 5 months so there's every chance that you can drive yourself.

Again though it all seems to depend on your own particular type of epilepsy and the frequency of the attacks. Have you identified any triggers that could cause a petit mal attack because I know from my sister that not everyone necessarily gets a warning in this kind of seizure. Your best call would probably be to consult your doctor and specialist and get their opinion. Chances are if your own diagnosis is mild (from what I remember you said that it was not severe) you should have no problem. Just if you do suffer an absence in the meantime, don't drive the car unless you get the ok from a doctor.

Best of luck
Eye

thusspakeblixa

Since there seems to be a lot of people ''in the know'' about epilepsy here, does it trigger depression?
I know the drugs can but I mean the actual disorder

Lil' Smiler

I suppose it's not so much that it can "trigger" depression. People get depressed fr many reasons. IN relation to Epilepsy or being diagnosed with any other illness/ disability, it's the train of thought that you are different and there is something wrong with you.

I suppose maybe it can be a side effect of the meds too. So many things can affect your mood though, I hurt my back a few months ago and was terribly depressed.. still can be if i have bad days with it

thusspakeblixa

Yeah I dunno, it just seems to me that most people I know that have epilepsy suffer from depression to a certain extent
I think in my case it's just that after seizures I just feel hopeless and like I'm doomed, but I just feel like it's not me feeling that, it's the epilepsy.
...If ya know what I mean

Lil' Smiler

Yeah I understand what you mean. My friend will be seizure free in August this year for 3 years and she's said she feels like a new person. She can drink now and enjoy herself, stay out for a full night (hers was mostly triggered by tiredness) and she just passed her driving test which she was determined to do!

You still have to get on with your life and don't let it get you down. Remember nobody's perfect... and there is definitely people worse off (not to put a downer on it kinda thing :pac:)

thusspakeblixa

Lil' Smiler wrote: »

Yeah I understand what you mean. My friend will be seizure free in August this year for 3 years and she's said she feels like a new person. She can drink now and enjoy herself, stay out for a full night (hers was mostly triggered by tiredness) and she just passed her driving test which she was determined to do!

You still have to get on with your life and don't let it get you down. Remember nobody's perfect... and there is definitely people worse off (not to put a downer on it kinda thing :pac:)

Oh I know there is believe me! See I dunno, it's just since the epilepsy has got worse in the last few months I've become really apathetic and lethargic, all my goals have become sidelined.
And I directly relate it to the feeling I get after every seizure of general woe! So I just had a hunch maybe it's not my fault I'm a moany git, maybe it's the epilepsy!

niallon

thusspakeblixa wrote: »

Oh I know there is believe me! See I dunno, it's just since the epilepsy has got worse in the last few months I've become really apathetic and lethargic, all my goals have become sidelined.
And I directly relate it to the feeling I get after every seizure of general woe! So I just had a hunch maybe it's not my fault I'm a moany git, maybe it's the epilepsy!

Not to pry but, are you currently on medication to regulate your epilepsy or are you self controlling?

I ask because you sound to have a fairly similar case to mine. I am 20 and I have had 4 seizures in my lifetime, one when I was 6, one at 8, one on my 18th birthday (fun times!) and the most recent in November 2006. My most recent was provoked during an EEG.

I've found since then however that I've been free to go to night clubs where strobes abound, cinemas, gigs, drink like a fish when the fancy takes me etc. I know I'm tempting fate but I don't think I could've dealt with it if I hadn't taken a "life goes on" policy.

On the note of post seizure depression, I get it too, don't worry. The best solution I can see as to why it happens, for me anyway, is because of how the seizures sneak up on me. I don't get any warning signs beforehand and next thing I know I wake up and I'm told I've had a seizure and all that is going through my head is "I should've been able to stop that" it's just disorientating when your brain essentially says "Right, I'm off for a few minutes kip" without letting you know first!

As regards the driving, Brainwave state 6 months seizure free after a provoked seizure or 1 year free after an unprovoked.

thusspakeblixa

niallon wrote: »

Not to pry but, are you currently on medication to regulate your epilepsy or are you self controlling?

I ask because you sound to have a fairly similar case to mine. I am 20 and I have had 4 seizures in my lifetime, one when I was 6, one at 8, one on my 18th birthday (fun times!) and the most recent in November 2006. My most recent was provoked during an EEG.

I've found since then however that I've been free to go to night clubs where strobes abound, cinemas, gigs, drink like a fish when the fancy takes me etc. I know I'm tempting fate but I don't think I could've dealt with it if I hadn't taken a "life goes on" policy.

On the note of post seizure depression, I get it too, don't worry. The best solution I can see as to why it happens, for me anyway, is because of how the seizures sneak up on me. I don't get any warning signs beforehand and next thing I know I wake up and I'm told I've had a seizure and all that is going through my head is "I should've been able to stop that" it's just disorientating when your brain essentially says "Right, I'm off for a few minutes kip" without letting you know first!

As regards the driving, Brainwave state 6 months seizure free after a provoked seizure or 1 year free after an unprovoked.

No I'm now self controlled as the medication was kinda scary, it just made me a complete pessimist about everything! Well mine iosn't photosensitive, so I'm grand with strobes, and I don't drink, but mine is completely random. I tend to have at least 1 every 2 weeks but that can vary.
And yeah the post-seizure depression is exactly the same. I always feel real guilty - eg. had one at a friends' house a few years ago and they hadn't a clue what to do so the whole party gathered around to watch me! Ruined her birthday and I felt terrible cos I couldn't stop it. And sometimes the guilt is irrational- I know very well I can't control it well and yet I still feel guilty!

niallon

Ye, ultimately I think it's just aggrevation that it has happened.

My last unprovoked seizure was, of all places, at the boarding gate in Heathrow Airport as I was on my way home for my birthday. After the seizure I found myself conscious and feeling fine but I was surrounded by people, two of them paramedics and they were about to haul me into an ambulance. All I could think was "I'm fine, what's the big deal, I just fell asleep for a bit!" ye know? It's just such a disorientating experience with, usually, little after effects bar the actual seizure that I always get the feeling there's a big deal being made out of nothing!

A racy brainrot

niallon wrote: »

As regards the driving, Brainwave state 6 months seizure free after a provoked seizure or 1 year free after an unprovoked.

whats the defination of a provoked seizure?

thusspakeblixa

A racy brainrot wrote: »

whats the defination of a provoked seizure?

I think it's like say, someone with photosensitive epilepsy who has a seizure after seeing strobe lights. That seizure would be ''provoked'' afaik.
As opposed to mine, which occur randomly

A racy brainrot

But surely that means that you arent yet fully controlled? If they are still affecting you? There are aso many aspects.

My body is still continuing to beat me up.
Seven years later and I'm still in the world of trial and error with meds
*rolls eyes*

thusspakeblixa

Well I mean when I say mine are controlled, I mean I feel it coming on, and I can stil stave it off until I can lie down

niallon

Controlled for me was during an EEG. Once the strobes section was complete I then had my one and only Grand Mal seizure. However, due to it being more than one in the year I was off the road for 12 months, it's all over the place!

Eyespy

thusspakeblixa wrote: »

Since there seems to be a lot of people ''in the know'' about epilepsy here, does it trigger depression?
I know the drugs can but I mean the actual disorder

Hi again,

I don't think it does, however I think that if epilepsy develops in later years as opposed to having it from childhood, it can make it harder to accept. Take my sister and I for example. San has had epilepsy for the last 3 years but because of the impact it has made on her life in certain respects such as at least 9 hours sleep every night and the drowsiness caused by her medication, it has led to a lot of tears. It doesn't happen all the time but it is a tough break especially when you're used to being for want of a better word, invincible. It is a mild form of epilepsy but it does affect your life and no matter how little, it takes a long while to come to terms with it.
On the other hand, I myself have photo-sensitive epilepsy that triggers the grand mal seizures. But I have had it as long as I can remember. I have certain triggers, lights, stress, and certain plants eek! but it doesn't bother me nearly as much because it's a part of life for me now.
Are you feeling down or is it worse than that? If it's worse than general blues everyone gets you should consult your specialist. It's possible and this is only from my own experience, that certain medication can cause this but the effects vary for person to person. One mans cure etc. Even have a chat with your GP or get in touch with the epilepsy organisation Brainwave who are brilliant. They can introduce you to a great support base.

Hope I've helped.

Eyespy

Lil' Smiler wrote: »

I suppose it's not so much that it can "trigger" depression. People get depressed fr many reasons. IN relation to Epilepsy or being diagnosed with any other illness/ disability, it's the train of thought that you are different and there is something wrong with you.

I suppose maybe it can be a side effect of the meds too. So many things can affect your mood though, I hurt my back a few months ago and was terribly depressed.. still can be if i have bad days with it

I agree completely. Couldn't have put it better.

Eyespy

A racy brainrot wrote: »

whats the defination of a provoked seizure?

A provoked seizure is one that is caused by a trigger, something known to have induced one in the past. For me, I could cause one by going into a nightclub with strobes.

Eyespy

A racy brainrot wrote: »

But surely that means that you arent yet fully controlled? If they are still affecting you? There are aso many aspects.

My body is still continuing to beat me up.
Seven years later and I'm still in the world of trial and error with meds
*rolls eyes*

Sorry to hear that A racy brainrot. I've been there. 10 years ago when I was taken off my meds indefinitely, I was grand for 6 months, did the Leaving and the day after my final exam - Wipeout! Grand mal seizure. I was hospitalised shortly after a consultation with my new specialist as I had been with a paeditrician prior to this. I knew I was going to have to go back on meds but he wanted to try me on a marvelous new medication. I swear to God, it nearly killed me physically and mentally. The med in question is very good, a lot of people with epilepsy I know are on it. It just didn't suit me. I hope you get sorted very soon with yours.

Eyespy

niallon wrote: »

Controlled for me was during an EEG. Once the strobes section was complete I then had my one and only Grand Mal seizure. However, due to it being more than one in the year I was off the road for 12 months, it's all over the place!

That's awful. Hope you get back on the road soon.

niallon

Eyespy wrote: »

That's awful. Hope you get back on the road soon.

Cheers, I'm back now at this stage. Even managed to pass my test after 6 months without driving!

I honestly have to say how much I admire some of you guys posting here in this thread. As you can gather from my own posts I have a very mild form of epilepsy (but in the sense of when it happens, man does it happen!) and I just can't helpl but be inspired by how you cope with it. I always have that impending fear that a seizure could be round the corner but on the other hand due to the intermitent nature of mine I can put it out of my mind.

To be in a situation where it's essentially a given that it's going to happen yet still get by as normal, well, if there was an applause smiley I'd use it!