Seizure's, "staring spells", etc. UPDATE #2.

[Diana_B.]

Hello ladies,


I have a 4yr old who has what his Teacher calls "staring spells." I knew he had periods where he occasionally stared off but I attributed it to daydreaming but I guess in a class full of kids if it catches her eye I should look into it. Mainly what has recently concerned me is he has lost 15lbs in about 5 months. He was overweight as it was so he really just looked like he was thinning out but now friends are starting to say he looks "sickly" as I also started observing more over the past few weeks. He also used to have a great appetite but he eats hardly anything anymore. Today he had one bite of his sandwich and a cookie. He drinks very little as well. He has a mild form of Autism and I know seizures can sometimes go hand and hand with Autism. I'm wondering if anyone has subtle signs of seizures? My Son is also clumsy and has had a lot of injuries with falling recently. 2 very serious ones and one where he fell down the stairs so hard he vomited instantly and turned pale. We see his Doctor tomorrow morning to discuss everything.

UPDATE #1 THERE ARE VARIOUS UPDATES AND A PICTURE OF HIS EPISODE ON THE 2nd PAGE. DOC REFERRED HIM TO BOTH GI AND NEURO AND TO SEE A NUTRITIONIST AND ALSO ORDERED EXTENSIVE BLOODWORK.

UPDATE #2 I CALLED THE DOC OFFICE TODAY BUT COULDN'T SPEAK TO HIS DOC. OFICE STAFF INFORMED ME HIS URINALYSIS SHOWED PROTEIN IN THE URINE AND HIS BLOOD TESTS DIDNT SHOW ANY "SIGNIFICANT ABNORMALITIES" BUT WOULDN'T GIVE FURTHER DETAILS. HE HAS TO HAVE A REPEAT URINALYSIS TO MAKE SURE THEY DEFINITELY HAVE AN ACCURATE SAMPLE THAT DIDNT GIVE ANY FALSE POSITIVES. And of course now today he has a tummy bug which will probably mean he'll lose more weight. :(

[lovebugs_mom906]

I used to work at a school and there was this little boy named Rudy. He had some behavioral problems, but one if of the sweetest kids. He used to have these moments where he would stare off into space, and rock back and forth. We thought at the time, it was his way if calming down. Come to find out, he was having mini seizures.

Good luck with your appointment tomorrow.

[frndlyfn]

It sounds like he has the mild seizure activity going on.  I hope the doctor figures it out for sure.  The petite mal ones are just as scary as the grand mal ones .    Make sure if you havent already that his eyes get checked out as well for the falling.

[romanceparty4u]

You need a referral to a pediatric neurologist.

[sissyboogs]

It definitely could be seizures. Most people think seizures have to be this big, dramatic thing, but they don't. I used to think that....until I had a resident in a nursing home (when I was a CNA) who would just stare at random times. It was the oddest thing, but it was seizures. 

[SAndrews]

Generalized Seizures  (Produced by the entire brain)	Symptoms
1. "Grand Mal" or Generalized tonic-clonic	Unconsciousness, convulsions, muscle rigidity
2. Absence	Brief loss of consciousness
3. Myoclonic	Sporadic (isolated), jerking movements
4. Clonic	Repetitive, jerking movements
5. Tonic	Muscle stiffness, rigidity
6. Atonic	Loss of muscle tone

Sounds like he may be having Absence Seizures (also called petit mal). For my DH (dx with absence), after he would come out of the seizure, he would be disoriented and clumsy for several minutes afterwards. 

When you go to the doctor, request and EEG and a referal to a neurologist (they are better trained to detect the brain anomolies than a regular doctor). 

[pinkysmommy720]

You need to discuss epilepsy with his doctor. I have a friend thay has staring seizures due to epilepsy and my best friends son was dxed with epilepsy last week after suffering from seizures. He has Aspbergers.

[needadvice1983]

My son had gran mal seizures so his were very obvious. But yours definitely sounds like there is some seizure activity going on. I would have him seen ASAP. They can see what is triggering them (if anything. My DS had no triggers) and get him on meds to help control them. My DS is also autistic.

[MsMimna]

Get Him Checked!!!! My grandson was doing the same thing, I told my daughter to have him looked at and she just brushed it off. Then 2 years ago on Fathers Day they were at a picnic and it was very hot.....he went into one of those staring spells and because of the heat....it became a full blown seizure. He was taken to the hospital, then transferred to Riley Hospital for Children. After doing so many tests....they found he was mildly epileptic and he was also born with  2 parts of his brain missing. 

Please...Please...Please just have him checked completely !!!

[lilmacmama20]

I had epilepsy as a child. I would just stare blankly, but could resume conversation once i awoke. I would get him checked out. I almost got hit by a car, ran into a basketball pole and almost drowned till i was put on meds

[Bonneata]

You have described an absantee seizure. These ladies are right bring this up with his doc ASAP.