Is there a definate link between anxiety and seizures?

I am in the military and have had a pretty normal and uneventful time of it until recently. I was married about a year ago and then stationed away from my wife, the circumstances of the transfer had been, in my mind, extremely unfair and had deeply angered me. At any rate for the past year I had been feeling a constant anger towards the situation which wasn't helped by a couple other events during the time. Then about a month and a half ago I experianced what I thought was an anxiety attack. But about twenty days later I had the same symptoms followed by a grand mal seizure during a situation at work where I was feeling particularly uncomfortable. My family has no known history of epilepsy and all medical tests were negitave. My question is; do I really need to be put on medications for the rest of my life for it or is it something that can be treated by managing anxiety and stress? Many military doctors leave something to be desired when it comes to things other than broken bones and bleeding and I have seriously considered paying out of my own pocket for a second opinion.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Most doctors would not recommend medication for life unless there was very specific eeg findings that indicated an area of irritability.  You should request an eeg, and if that doesn't satisfy you, then definetly pay out of your pocket.  Yes, anxiety and anger can trigger a latent grand mal, so managing your anger and anxiety may be all you need, along with some medication during this immediate period of irritability.

[anacyde]

I'm certainly not a doctor, but I do have a psychology degree and a grandmother who went through a very similar episode to yours.

My grandmother just went and had a grand mal seizure one day, no forwarning and absolutely no family history.  All of her medical workups were also completely normal.  She had not been under additional stress at the time.  Her neurologist (one of the best) says that sometimes some people's brains just "misfire", just like some people have heart arrhythmias.  No body is perfect.

The reason it is necessary to be on medication (now this is the psychology degree speaking) is, simply put, because once your brain "learns how" to have a seizure, chances are it will do it again.  With medication, there's a real good chance you will never experience a seizure again.  Without it, there's a real good chance you will.  Seizures carry the risk of brain damage, particularly when there are multiple events.  Isn't it just really cool that they have advanced in medicine far enough that just a pill can prevent all of that from happening?  

Do be sure to follow up and have the blood levels of your medication checked as recommended, they must remain at a constant level to be effective.

I am very sorry to hear that you were stationed away from your wife, that must be terribly difficult for the both of you.

Anger is an awful thing.  I know it all too well.  It can make you ill, for sure, but I haven't ever heard that there is a relationship between these two issues.  

I wish you the very best of luck with resolving your seizure issue - and the anger - and hope you and your wife are reunited very soon.  Try to focus on how much more you will appreciate each other for the separation you've had to endure.

Take care.

[norm0027]

Thanks for the reply, and yes my wife and I will likely be much closer after this is over and we are together again. I understand it being important to be on the medication and initally I didn't have a problem with it...that was until I got a hold of the list of side effects. It just isn't something I want to be hooked on for the rest of my life if it could at all be avoided. Hell some of the side effects look worse than any seizure could be.

[LOGIKonline]

Norm0027....

When I was 18 I attended a military school and spent many hours trying to obtain extreme perfection (suffering from a sort of add).  As a result I placed myself into a extremely high state of anxiety.  One morning while in class, after receiving only a 93 on a test - I placed myself into such a state - that I enduced a seizure.  Not knowing what happened afterwards, the class experienced the full incident.  I was quickly rushed to the hosipital where I received a MRI and a CAT scan.  It resulted in zero findings and was passed off as stress induced (but doctors would not say).

As an answer to your question, for me it was exactly that.  I must watch myself every few years and the tasks I place myself in - becuase I do not know a safe limit to my dedication.  I refer to the incident as a "reset button".  Do not put yourself in situations like the one you experienced often - and consider yourself lucky.  I of course can not know your exact case but I do not take drugs for treatment... but a natural anxiety supplement occasionally (much like a multi-vitamin).