Gelastic Seizures

[LaurenZ]

My Husband Started having Gelastic Seizures at age 30 (about 5 months ago). He has no history of seizures of any kind. These seizures began with a two month period of both absence seizures and gelastic seizures and has progressed to multiple gelastic seizures daily, usually at the end of the day and during his sleep. We are very limited financially and have no health insurance so we have not yet been able to afford his prescribed medication. I tried to do some research on my own about gelastic seizures and I have only found case studies on children. I  was wondering if these seizures have any damaging effects on the brain, since we haven't been able to start his anti-seizure meds yet. I was also wondering if these types of seizures are known to become progressively worse in adults.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Though more common in children, adult onset Gelastic Seizures are also known. These seizures are known to affect the cognitive abilities and may progress to generalized seizures, if not treated promptly.

Regards

[griben]

my daughter has had seizures from birth we have allways thought it was because she was born with the cord around her neck and she was not breathing she was treated by alderhey hospital until she was fourteen but they never diagnosed anything it was only when we took her to walton neuoroly centre they looked at her old scans and told us she had a cyst on the brain and she has been suffering from gelastic seizures

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

If your daughter has Gelastic seizure, chances are that the cyst is somewhere near the hypothalamus. Have you discussed further treatment plan for her, with the doctors?

Regards

Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD