Connection between seizures and PTSD

[winka]

Is there a connection between seizure disorders and PTSD? I am a 32 year old woman who had a seizure in late August 2005. I have a history of PTSD due to childhood sexual abuse. The PTSD is a very substancial part of my life that I am actively working on it in therapy. Ever since  I confronted my father (5 years ago)I have worked to manage my behavior/trauma reaction in my life. In late August I had the seizure, was rushed to the hospital. My cat scan and mri came back normal but the eeg was abnormal, showing misfirings in one hemisphere of my brain. I asked my neurologist about this and he said, in laymans terms, that in about half of seizures, doctors do not know what caused them. My doctor thinks that the PTSD played a part in my seizure. My therapist, who is in no way trying to diagnose my seizure disorder, said that in her experience with PTSD (25 years), the amount of adrenaline that your body pumps out during the manic phases can become toxic to your body. Her husband is the head of the local ER. I had been living under extreme conditions for the past few years and wonder if that contributed to the seizure. There have been no ill effects since the seizure and my doctor is amazed at the level I'm functioning. I am currently on Klonopin and will have another eeg in January. If the eeg is normal, I wish to discontinue with the drug since it is addicting but want to establish more productive ways to manage my PTSD. Is there any documented history of the connection of PTSD and seizure disorders? Thanks

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

There is no connection between PTSD and epileptic seizures. Non-epileptic seizures (for which anti-seizure medications have no benefit and EEGs are usually normal) could be co-associated with PTSD. I am not sure what you mean by the EEG abnormality, if the abnormality was epileptic then you likely have a tendency to have epileptic seizures, but you do not state this. Anti-epileptic drugs are not reccomended after one seizure, unless there is an epileptic EEG or abnormal MRI. Klonopin is generally not a first choice anti-epileptic drug as it has problems with dependence and tolerance (decreased effetive ness over time). I sugest you see a neurologist to clarify whether you had an epileptic seizure or tendency to them or not. A normal EEG does not ruleout the diagnosis of epilepsy either.
Good luck