Adult onset epilepsy??

[jeonster]

Is it possible for a 50+ yr old male to develop epilepsy?

[ethanlirbras]

any advise you can give for me?

TIA's, mini stroke or possibly epilepcy?

symptoms
vertigo, loss of balance, dizziness, weeknees in limbs, blurry vision (sometimes), confusion, memory loss after an episode followed by major fatigue for a couple of days. During last nights episode  or before lastnights episode I felt like I was having tunnel hearing (like tunnel vision) 2 times before my episode and then during my episode lost sounds completly until came to. my vision went black for a couple of seconds. Can you loose your hearing during an epileptic episode I have been tested by the ENT dr. Tests came out negative for inner ear, have has sleep studies came out fine. i dont drink and i do not use recreational drugs. did have a TIA almsot 8 months ago. I am on meds for migrains(verapamil)and blood pressure, asprin, meclizine and zofran( on MRi were leisions which is what neuro said was from migrains since the verapimil I dont ever get headaches (about 6 months) except after last nights spell.and I ahve noticed this week my dizzy spells have been more frequent. Today i am extremely fatigued. Since Sat I have had two episodes which I dont remember, and constant dizzy spells.IS this a type or signs of epilepcy? Or Tia? Primary called it an epileptic episode. I see neuro on Monday

[dbg39]

Sorry. Didn't realize you were asking about your dad. Anyway, the "absent seizures" you described may just be strong auras (pre-seizure activity) that aren't breaking through to full blown seizures. Auras are different for different people. I get the Deja Vu thing (very common), really weird, where I might be having a conversation with you and I would swear it's a conversation we've had before, and I know what's going to come out of your mouth 3 seconds before it does. What struck a cord with me is the swallowing thing. When I have an aura, my mouth waters and I get a strange feeling in the back of my throat that makes me swallow a lot too. Also, while I feel flushed, I'm told I go very pale. So, while I obviously can't be sure, it sounds familiar in some regards. Is your dad currently on any meds? If so, he may want to discuss a small bump up or possibly adding a low dose of a second drug to get the seizure activity under control. I'll be the first to admit that it's not fun being on seizure medication. They all have side effects, some worse than others. Each effects people differently. He needs to work with his neurologist to find the one that's most effective with the least side effects. The thing to remember is that seizures can cause brain damage and worst case scenario, death. That's worse than any side effect, right?
As far as the Bell's Palsy goes, I have to admit to complete ignorance in relation to epilepsy. All I can recommend is what I said in the last message. Make sure he has all the tests to make sure his brain is ok and there's no organic cause for the seizure activity.
Take care.

[jeonster]

Hey no need to be sorry about anything I'm just glad you replied.

My dad said he started having these this past summer but never told us about it. We (family) found out eventually when he had the typical tonic clonic seizure around 5 am this past December. I was freaked out because I never saw anything like it. I didn't know what to do. He got out of it after a couple min and he didn't even know what happened. These days he doesn't get the tonic clonic seizures but he gets these (I don't know what they are called) maybe absent seizures? I know....50 yr old man with absent seizures is not common. I asked him if he could explain it and he said "It just feels like a dream" and he doesn't even remember any of it. He said "the scenery changes". He doesn't fall down or anything but he just gives a blank stare and starts swallowing.

Oh I forgot. Right after the Tonic Clonic seizure in December his left side of his face drooped down. It was Bells Palsy.

[dbg39]

I'm afraid that epilepsy is an equal opportunity disease. My seizures started out of the blue in my early 20s. Until that time, I thought you were either born with epilepsy or it was brought on by brain injury or some other specific cause. I have since learned that many cases of epilepsy, like mine, are diagnosed as idiopathic (no known cause), and you just take your meds, adjust your life and live with it. Of course, you should try to find out if there is some treatable cause. Do the CT scans, MRIs, etc. to make sure you're ok, but be prepared for the fact that your neurologist will probably be much more interested in treating the symptoms than searching for a cause because, in most cases, they never find one. Sorry I don't have better news for you. When I'm tempted to feel sorry for myself, I think of all the people dealing with cancer, and then I suck it up. Good luck.