seizure while asleep in the car

I am a 40 year old female who had my first grand mal seizure last week while asleep in the front passenger seat of a car driving on a highway.  At the ER I had a normal CT and blood work. I was told I was dehydrated.  I have no history of epilepsy in my family.  I have a history of motion sickness.  Could my seizure have been triggered by motion?

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Seizure is an episode of nervous system dysfunction. And anything that stimulates the nervous system can cause a trigger. In my view, the dehydration appears to be responsible, rather than the motion. But the possibility of motion as a trigger can not be ruled out.

You need to be careful the next time you are in the car. Also get an EEG (electroencephalogram) done. It notes the brain waves, and is useful in detecting any seizure activity in the brain.

Best regards