Petit Mal Sezuires

With all due respect to Laeh G. these types of Absence Seizures can occur daily. In fact, they can occur hundreds of times a day. I was diagnosed with Absence Seizures when I was 10 years old. I had been telling my parents for months that I couldn't remember parts of conversations, or some of what was taught in school. It took a while for them to catch on, but not terribly long because luckily other people in my family have seizure disorders, so my parents were familiar with the wide range of symptoms. ANyway, I had my EEG and they put me on Depakote for a few years. I'm not sure if that is still the drug of choice for this type of seizure (we're talking 20+ years ago). After about 3 years they weaned me off and I haven't had any seizure activity since.

As far as the behavior is concerned, perhaps you could consider putting her in therapy. I know it might sound extreme, but she is trying to deal with a disorder which robs her of her time and attention. She probably "ignores" her friends at times without meaning to, and I"m sure they notice it and do not like it. SHe doesn't have any control over it, it just happens to her. That would make anyone feel frustrated. I would just validate, validate, validate. Validate her frustration, give a hug and ask if she wants to tell you about why she is frustrated. Keep the lines of communication open. I realize you have to use discipline when she is out of line, but couple that with compassion and words that indicate that you understand why she is lashing out. Let her know that while her feelings of anger or frustration are understandable, the behavior is still unacceptable. Then offer other outlets for dealing with those feelings, like deep breaths, hitting the couch cusions (if that's ok with you), or jumping up and down. Even do those things with her so she can see that yo'ure on her side. I've been trying these things out with my 3 year old when she tantrums or has anxiety.It takes some practice but it has been helpful. Anyway, if you want to chat some more about the seizures feel free to send me a messege. You daughter will probably need to do a sleep-deprivation EEG which means you will deliberately deprive her of sleep the night before the test. My parents made it fun by baking and decorating cookies with me in the middle of the night. We also went for a moonlit walk around our neighborhood.

I've never heard about sugar contributing to seizure activity, but to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if it played a role. There is no harm in trying to reduce her sugar intake while you note whether or not the frequency of her seizures has changed. Her health will benefit as well, so I say, go for it. Good luck! This must be stressful for you as well. Hopefully your daughter will grow out of it like I did.

My son has special education needs. We have been through a journey that has been quite intense. What I have learned is that minor brain injury can cause huge behavioral challenges. He does not have seizures, but he had 3 really good bumps on the head as a toddler. He had a QEEG done, and it showed minor brain injury in his auditory system - he has auditory processing disorder but nobody else in the family does so we know it's not hereditary. He has just started neurofeedback therapy which will reverse some of this brain damage and will likely relieve him of most symptoms.

I'm not a doctor, but I would imagine continuous electrical stimulation to the brain via seizures could effect the way a person's brain functions. This could include behavioral changes. I have 2 friends who have had traumatic brain injury and in both cases their behavior was significantly effected -- to the point they have been trying various medication combinations to try and alleviate the symptoms.

There was a mom I met whose son did the neurofeedback. He also had brain injury due to mild concussion. He had severe ADHD and was a very angry person. At 14 he had begun to use drugs. The mother had tried everything, including medication. She then found the neurofeedback. After 30 sessions nearly all of his ADHD symptoms went away, and his personality went from angry and mean to kind and calm.

I think an EEG is the way to go to figure out how her brain is functioning. If there is anything I have learned with my son's journey, it's that you never really know what will and will not effect the brain.

By the way, as far as discipline, you might want to take a different approach. My son would also act out, often hitting or having tantrums. What I realized is his behavior was in reaction to be overstimulated. If you see negative behavior from your daughter, don't assume she can control it. Instead try to figure out the stimulus that caused it. Ask her if she needs time to herself or ask her what is going that is causing the negative behavior. You'd be surprised the answers you'll get.

As a young child my son never listened. I thought he was being bad, but quickly realized it was something else. I'm grateful I took this approach because he was 6 before I figured out the auditory processing issue. It's not that he wasn't listening -- he couldn't understand what I was saying. It wasn't his fault he didn't do what I would ask.

I hope you find something that helps!
B.

you will find that children on the autism spectrum (no, I am not saying your child has autism) have these same kind of results, when they have a fever, they will behave different, better, more involved. It is about the infllammation going on in their body all of the time and now you are probably giving them an anti-inflammatory (motrin - we stay away from Tylenol) to reduce fever and such.

Go to www.tacanow.org and read up on seizures there. Lots of great information.

Good morning. I am sorry you are going through this. It can be really scary. My son had several different types of seizures including absence / petit mal. (I am happy to provide the information/insight we have from going through this over the last 6 years, so please email/message me if I can help that way.)
Diet can be a factor and there can be some success in reducing the seizures. Try eliminating foods with red dyes (natural and artificial - we don't even eat red apples anymore). Also, I have heard that gluten free foods can help. We also now eat mostly organic foods and very little chemically processed foods, which has helped a lot. (more brown or raw sugar than white...)
When my son would seize, he didn't remember much so he'd have periods of time that were blank, and his also gave him blinding migraines, so do you think this may be something that causes her to be angry or anxious and lash out? I would imagine it's very scary, especially if she's just starting to realize it or it's affecting how she feels or her friendships.
As a side note, as she starts through school, watch out for her being labeled as lazy, stupid, ADD, etc. Unfortunately this happens a lot if they don't know that your child has this type of seizures.
Good luck and please let me know if I can offer any other insight!

No, epilepsy is not associated with behavioral issues.

Put her in gymnastics class three days a week. That will help her with self discipline and these rages.
Petit Mal is a very light form of epilepsy. You miss a word or you have the shakes. It isn't a daily thing.
These behavioral problems are not related.
Acupunture can stop even severe epilepsy from happening at all.

I suggest that you make an appointment with a child psychiatrist. This may or may not be related to her seizure disorder. A child psychiatrist can help figure it out. A psychiatrist has medical training and would know about the physical as well as the emotional sides of this condition.

Do you consistently give her an immediate consequence when she acts out? Have you tried using the same consequence over a period of several weeks? If you are not consistent she'll keep testing by acting out.

This behavior is similar to a 7 yo foster daughter that I had. She was eventually diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Your description also fits an oppositional disorder. Yes, her behavior may be related to the seizures but I suggest that it's just as likely to be the result of a behavior and/or emotional disorder. A psychiatrist can help you figure it out.

What you use for discipline and how consistent you are can also determine a child's behavior. A parenting coach might also be able to help you. Or you could start with a child therapist instead of a psychiatrist.

Behavioral changes can certainly be a part of any brain disruption. What worked for me was to speak very softly. Reinforce that you know she didn't mean to be mean. If you are in a public place, remove her to a safe environment. Get on your computer and do as much research on the brain as you can so that you go to your appointment well informed enough to ask the right questions. You might be interested in the work of dr. Amen. My heart goes out to you, I wish I had more to offer than a huge E-Hug

PS, although the behavioral issues may not be caused by the same brain disorder than causes the seizures, the frustration from having the seizures and the resulting confusion CAN