Can stress cause convulsions?
The other night I was worried about something, however, I have been way more worried about stuff in the past. I fell asleep after shopping on the internet, next thing I know, I couldn't catch my breath and had convulsions/uncontrollable all over body movements over and over for about 3 hours. ER said it was stress, but they did no x-rays, bloodwork, etc. Breathing rate was 40 per minute and heart rate was 183. In shape, exercise everyday, weight is great. Smoke 1/2 pack of cigarettes a day, but no pot, drugs,etc. Only vitamins or meds is 3 folic acids a day. I have had panic attacks and anxiety attacks years ago, but I can tell you what I experienced was nothing like any panic attack I have ever had and I used to get them bad. Can stress really make you go into convulsions?
I do have problems with low blood sugar, but my sugar was fine (83). I ate pasta and salad twenty minutes before I went to sleep. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!
November 23rd, 2010 - 14:23
Did they do an EEG? Stick electrodes on your head and see what is going on.
Calling something stress related without doing tests is lazy, and possible grounds for a lawsuit.
Stress can elevate your blood pressure and cause seizures. However with your heart and respiration rate, I would worry about other things.
Three hours of seizing is very bad. If I were you, I would set an appointment with an internist or a neurologist and find out what’s going on. Even if it is stress related, it needs treatment.
You aren’t even supposed to drive until they confirm the cause and that it won’t happen while you are driving.
November 23rd, 2010 - 14:23
I’ve never heard of that before!
November 23rd, 2010 - 14:23
A seizure may be related to a temporary condition, such as exposure to drugs, withdrawal from certain drugs, a high fever, or abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood. If the repeated seizures do not happen again once the underlying problem is corrected, the person does not have epilepsy.
In other cases, injury to the brain (for example, stroke or head injury) causes brain tissue to be abnormally excited.
In some people, a problem that is passed down through families (inherited) affects nerve cells in the brain, which leads to seizures. In these cases, the seizures happen spontaneously, without an immediate cause, and repeat over time. This is epilepsy.
Idiopathic seizures are chronic seizures that occur without an identifiable cause. They usually begin between ages 5 and 20, but can occur at any age. The person can have a family history of epilepsy or seizures.
Other more common causes of seizures include:
Tumors (such as brain tumor) or other structural brain lesions (such as bleeding in the brain)
Traumatic brain injury, stroke, or a transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Stopping alcohol after drinking heavily on most days
Illnesses that cause the brain to deteriorate
Dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease
Problems that are present from before birth (congenital brain defects)
Injuries to the brain that occur during labor or at the time of birth
Low blood sugar or sodium levels in the blood
Kidney or liver failure
Use of cocaine, amphetamines, or certain other recreational drugs
Stopping certain drugs, such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines, after taking them for a period of time
Infections (brain abscess, meningitis, encephalitis, neurosyphilis, or AIDS)
Check with your doctor for a more definitive diagnosis. Hope this helps. Good luck to you.