Bipolars, have you experienced seizures or brain trauma?

[journeymom]

Somebody else's thread about brain scans reminded me that I've been meaning to ask the bipolar mommas here about their childhood brain health history (for lack of a better term).

The incidence of bipolar disorder is greater in the seizure population. I've read a couple of theories that childhood injury or fever is linked to future onset of bipolar disorder.

Ack! I meant to make it so you can vote for more than one option. I'll see if I can fix that.

In the mean time, I voted that I had a seizure when I was a kid. I was a baby and had a high fever from Roseola. See, I needed to vote for two options.

[rowantree]

i had several high fevers as a kid. broke 2 thermometers, the old mercury ones that could shoot straight out the end. Course high fevers run in my family (the kids) and so does bipolar, so which came first the chicken or the egg? Im not real sure the exact defination of siezure, ive gone into convulsions a few times as a result of freaking out but I dont know if that counts.....


ok thanks to this site : http://www.childbrain.com/seizure1.shtml
1. What is a Seizure?

A seizure is an abnormal electrical discharge from the brain. It may affect a small focal area of the brain, or the entire brain (generalized). The area affected by the seizure loses its regular ability of function and may react uncontrollably. For example, if an area of the brain that controls an arm has a seizure, the arm may shake repetitively. If a seizure affects the entire brain, all the extremities may shake uncontrollably. Some seizures may present with staring and unresponsiveness. Theoretically, any function of the brain, motor, smell, vision, or emotion may be individually affected by a seizure. The seizure, however, for the most part will always follow the same pattern in a given individual.



ok that given I have seizures

[mamakay]

I'm super facinated with this subject.
Last year I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy after years of having been thought to be suffering from a "psychiatric" problem. It's kind of funny how there's a line drawn in the sand between problems (and patients) that belong to either the neurologist or the psychiatrist.
With all my being I believe many "psychiatric" problems, including bipolar, are actually neurological in nature..
The relationship between seizure disorders and bipolar disorder is greatly underestimated, IMO. For example, we know that one in 10 epileptics is also dxed bipolar compared to one in 100 in the general population. But also, add in the fact that bipolar symptoms are considered part of having a seizure disorder (Geshwind's Syndrome and Temporal Lobe Personalty), and the fact that the medications for a seizure disorder also treat bipolar, and it starts looking more like 50%, or more.
I, for example, lost the "bipolar label" after having a few tonic clonic seizures that solidified the epilepsy diagnosis.
There's a really long, interesting thread on this at the neurology forum I go to if anyone's interested. (If you are, PM me and I'll send you a link. )

[ConfusionFusion]

Wow fascinating stuff! I'm seriosuly considering going back to school and majoring in psychiatry...I want the link!

[journeymom]

See, why wouldn't bipolar simply be a seizure of the mood controling part of your brain? Doesn't that make eminant sense?

My husband has migrain head aches. His neurologist prescribes Depakote for him. My psychiatrist prescribes Depakote for me, too.

Oh well. A few thousand years ago philosphers like Aristotle were also considered scientists and doctors. I suppose as the mental health field progresses psychiatrists could go by the wayside.

[Snowy Owl]

Fascinating.....I was unaware of any link between seizures and bipolar disorder.
I had a serious seizure as a child, which led to a brain scan and spinal tap, and no explanation. I kind of forgot about the whole thing....the only time I ever stayed in the hospital. I don't know if I could be considered bipolar or not... but have cyclical erratic moods, have gone through major depression and phases of wingy self-exhaltation. So what the hey....there are many degrees of chemical imbalance, and various causes.

Also have a history of occasional migraines.

I wonder now if there is a link between these events in my life.

[lauraess]

well, No I have not had seizures or brain trauma or high fevers that I know of. I beleive once I was possibly hit in the head with a metal sled and that my glasses were broke and I have a dent in my forehead from it tho. :LOL
When I was maybe 8 yrs old I began having these "episodes" which lasted about 3 minutes each. For some reason they seem to be triggered by light or something about the light. Dont know why i say that, I've always just "felt" it. Anyway, I would feel suddenly as if I was in a different place/space, scared, panicy and really strange. I would need someone to help me feel safe. It could have been a kind of panic attack but who knows?
That's all I have to add.
~L

[mamakay]

Originally Posted by lauraess

well, No I have not had seizures or brain trauma or high fevers that I know of. I beleive once I was possibly hit in the head with a metal sled and that my glasses were broke and I have a dent in my forehead from it tho. :LOL
When I was maybe 8 yrs old I began having these "episodes" which lasted about 3 minutes each. For some reason they seem to be triggered by light or something about the light. Dont know why i say that, I've always just "felt" it. Anyway, I would feel suddenly as if I was in a different place/space, scared, panicy and really strange. I would need someone to help me feel safe. It could have been a kind of panic attack but who knows?
That's all I have to add.
~L

That sounds a LOT like a complex partial seizure. Also, really intense deja vu is a seizure. I had no idea what they were till I started having "gran mal" seizures last year.
I'm not saying run to a neurologist, but you might want to google search "complex partial seizures", and see if anything rings a bell.

[lauraess]

Mamakay: wow... really?? never knew... who would know... but it was really strange and weird.. I remember feeling like I really needed some kinda serious help but... that was then and my parents werent into dr.s
Thanks. gonna go google now.
~L

[lauraess]

well, checked it out. I really dont think I had any of the other symptoms going on like: repetitive movements etc. but than who knows?
~L

[BabyBumblebee]

Ooooops I voted, but then forgot to reply

I had scarlet fever twice as a child, and that resulted in febrile seizures....oh and some pretty nifty hallucinations.

I have also had 'petit mal' episodes, and get migraines....

Wow, now I really want to know how all of the neurological connections work....hmmmmmmm

[BelovedK]

Originally Posted by journeymom

See, why wouldn't bipolar simply be a seizure of the mood controling part of your brain? Doesn't that make eminant sense?
.

Maybe that is why so many bipolars are given epilepsy meds. I am fully functional on anti seizure meds, though i don't remember having a major head trauma or a seizure as a child. When my son has an episode, his brain just 'locks in' on a subject and he can't give up on it . it will escalate ,until he has to be restrained, then wear off, and he is his sweet self again.


Doesn't that sound like a brain seizure?

[lauraess]

Beloved, that makes a lot of sense, As does what JOurneymom is saying. 'simply a seizure of the mood controlling center of your brain' would be nice-- ahhh, but it's never simple is it?
The brain seems soo complex. Sometimes it seems less complex now that the scientists and dr.s are doing so much studying and finding more and more, yet wildly complex still I'm sure
~L

[trinity6232000]

I didn't answer the poll, cause none applied to me. I had
some normal fevers as a child, no head trauma that I know
of, and no seizures. I have always assumed that my bipolar
/depression issues/mental illness came from genetics. My
Mother has mental issues, all my siblings have suffered, and
my paternal grandmother was treated with shock treatments
in the 40's. What a lucky gene pool I fell into.