Seizure

I had a seizure at the gym last Thursday!  Never had one before.  My potassium level was "really low" according to the ER nurse.  Can a low level of potassium cause a seizure?  Thanks

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Yes, low potassium can cause / trigger a seizure, especially if you are prone to seizures. Potassium is a major chemical substance which takes part in neuronal signal transmission. Low potassium leads to uncontrolled signal production and leads to seizure.

Regards

[raptorrooter]

This thread is a it old but I found it through a search.

I'm 55 and had a first seizure 13 months ago while running.  CT, MRI showed nothing.  The only comment by the ER nurse (to my wife) was that I had a low potassium level.

The neurologist , however, didn't bring up  anything about potassium when he checked me over a few weeks later.  He couldn't find anything obviously wrong and stated that if an adult has one sezure and  doesn't have another seizure within 3 months that there was a good chance they will never have another.

It's now been 13 months  and no seizure.  I went running 2 days after I had my seizure and most days since. With this amount of time passed, the anxiety has lessened considerably.