15 yr. old girl having seizures-WHY?

Posted By Jennifer on February 07, 1998 at 18:38:21:









Hello. I have a friend who is the mother of a 15 year old girl. The girl  is in overall good health. Last December she began having some sort of seizure which her doctor is claiming to be "anxiety attacks".  Here is what happens when an episode begins:
1) Sudden extreme headache
2) Nausea
3) Dizziness
4) Trembling, shivering and shaking
At this point, she becomes unresponsive.
These episodes usually last 20-30 minutes.  The frequency has gone from one episode every few days to 2-3 episodes per day.
The family's doctor ran several tests. The thyroid function test came back a bit high, so the doctor referred them to an endocrinologist, who felt that even though a bit high, it was not enough to be of concern. A CAT scan revealed nothing significant. An EEG was insignificant. Her blood sugar levels are fine, both fasting and non-fasting.  
The family doctor has determined this to be anxiety attacks, and put the girl on 50mg of Zoloft per day. The mother took the girl off of the Zoloft because she felt it was increasing the episodes. They are to see a psychiatrist in 2 weeks. In the meantime, the principal of the girl's school wants to suspend the girl from school for the rest of the year until they decide what the problem is, and how to treat it! He claims the "attacks" are disruptive to the class.
There are two factors which I feel play an important role in this problem. One month before the episodes began, the girl developed a severely infected abscessed tooth. The infection is so bad that they haven't been able to treat the tooth until the infection is gone (according to the dentist). Could the infection from the tooth have somehow spread to part of her brain, causing it to "short-circuit"?
The second factor is this:
The girl's maternal grandmother had some sort of tumor which was located behind her ear, going into her brain. She had it surgically removed. Evidently, the tumor was not seen by a CAT scan, or xrays, or any type of test except an MRI. She claims that she had the same sort of "attacks" as the girl in question, before the tumor was removed. Could this type of tumor (it was non-cancerous) be hereditary? The grandmother spoke to the family doctor, and explained about her experience, but the doctor didn't seem concerned.
I have advised my friend to speak to the doctor, and demand that her daughter be seen by someone at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana (we live near there) and to also demand that he order an MRI.
I just think it is extremely coincedental that the abscess developed shortly before the seizure-like episodes. Your opinion would be greatly valued, and  helpful to this situation. Thank you very much!!!
Please answer by email, if possible.
Jennifer Messer
***@****