Rage - behavior problem or seizure?

[Dee]

Thank you for your response to my Depakote question.  I am still waiting on the insurance to find out which neuro. we can go to.  In the meantime, I thought my son's behavior would return to normal after getting off Depakote.  However, while most of his hours are spent behaving typically that of a 6 yr. old, we've continued to see "rage attacks" that are progressively getting worse.  Since his diagnosis of seizures in April, we've noticed a change in his personality for the worse and the majority of these rages were while on medication - either the Tegretol or the Depakote.  However, since he has been off of it for a week now, I am surprised to see that he hasn't returned to his sweet nature.  I don't know if this is related to his condition such that he can't control his anger, but his seizures are in the right occipital area of the brain.  I didn't think that controlled emotions.  If it doesn't, then I would assume his out-of-control rages are unrelated.  Like yesterday he became violent after a friend came over to say a prayer with the family.  It only took about a minute and afterwards my son said to me that he wanted to use his Halloween money to buy candy and in the next breath he started screaming about how he didn't want to pray and why did he have to and so forth.  This was so out of the blue.  We're not "religious fanatics" but do respect everyone's right to practice their own religion and this neighbor just wanted to gather for a minute.  I could understand if my son was in surroundings where this issue was shoved down his throat, but that's not the case.  We do go to church and talk about prayer, but it was more like he decided he had done something he didn't want to do and couldn't control his anger.  He began kicking me, his sisters, trying to rip our shirts, head-butted me, said he hated me, wished I was dead and wasn't his mother, shouted so loud I thought his vocal cords were going to be damaged.  I just remained calm and spoke in a very soft voice and apologized, saying I understood he was angry with me because he did something he didn't want to do and that he thought that I didn't think about his feelings.  He started to calm down and asked me to hold him and as I started to he jumped up and continued with the kicking and yelling.  Finally, I broke down and cried (which is something I never do) and he said he would never hurt me again and that he loved me, but that he was so angry.  I said his words hurt me and he cried and the rest of the night he just kept saying how sorry he was and that he loved me and he would never say those things again.  Well, he got up this morning and sat down on the sofa, looked at me and said twice he hated me.  After he woke up a little more he said he loved me and was sweet the rest of the morning and went to school.  Something I've also noticed during these episodes is that his eyes are dilated.  I used to think I was crazy, but there's no mistaking it now.  In the middle of all this he constantly complains about stomach pain, but points to his chest.  I wonder if his seizure last week (complex partial) and the fact that he had a long post-ictal state could mean that his brain had suffered some kind of trauma - or maybe I'm just grasping at straws here.  All I know is the little boy that I had in April is no longer here.  Everything has changed from that night on.  I feel hopeless, but know I can't give up.  Any insight would be appreciated.

Dee

[thall]

A related discussion, esclating aggressive behavior was started.

[Bren222]

A related discussion, Rage, behavior problem of seizure was started.

[therapist]

dear Dee, I work at a residential treatment facility that specializes in treatment of partial complex seizure disorder.  I assume that since you are familiar with the diagnosis, you must already be in touch with our facility.  If not, Contact the CNS neuropsychiatric program in Austin TX, or look up Dr. Dan Matthews or Dr. Larry Fisher.  they can help!!!!  good luck.

[therapist]

dear Dee, I work at a residential treatment facility that specializes in treatment of partial complex seizure disorder.  I assume that since you are familiar with the diagnosis, you must already be in touch with our facility.  If not, Contact the CNS neuropsychiatric program in Austin TX, or look up Dr. Dan Matthews or Dr. Larry Fisher.  they can help!!!!  good luck.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Dee,

From your description of the course of your son's illness, the behavior you are witnessing likely is related to the condition. It's too early to expect that he would have returned to his 'baseline' state. The priority now is stabilizing him on a medication that he can tolerate without the kinds of difficulties he experienced on the Tegretol and the Depakote.

Though you want to be sensitive to the difficulty your son is experiencing, be sure to set reasonable limits around any aggressive behavior. Don't allow the condition to excuse him from treating everyone in a reasonable way.