Re: sleep apnea/seizure

Posted By CCF neuro MD MM on October 14, 1998 at 09:15:08:

In Reply to: sleep apnea/seizure posted by ggd on October 14, 1998 at 01:11:47:






I am the 35 year old female who had a seizure in my sleep a month ago. An MRI indicated a brain tumor on the temporal lobe and surgery revealed inflammation.  This was my first time in a hospital and the the current diagnosis is vasculitis.  Something has just occured to me-I occassionally wake up in my sleep with a deep gasp and then chatter/shiver for about 30 seconds (although my skin is not at all cold).  I go right back to sleep and it hardly disrupts me.  I have been doing this about 2 years.  It always happens from 10-60 minutes after I go to sleep and only once in the night.  It may occur once in a month or 3 times in a week and then not again for 4 weeks.  Could this have anything to do with the seizure?  I have been on dilantin for the past month and this "apnea episode" has happend 3 times.  Is this even sleep apnea?  I am not overweight and do not snore.  Any thoughts or info you have on this would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.



  
The episodes you mention do not sound like either apnea or seizures, apnea
implies that you stop breathing (by definition )and there is no implication of this.
As regards seizures this is also unlikely since you retain conciousnes during the
episodes. I suspect