Seizure after Sleeve

[Happy Camper 266]

Well friends, I was back on the boards trying to get reconnected to lose the last 30 lbs and then.... WHAM. Came home after hard day in the office last night, hubby had dinner prepared: brisket with rub slow cooked on BBQ for 5 hrs, like smoking. Beautiful green salad with avocado, cucumbers, green onion and 1/2 glass Merlot breathing for me. It was soooo nice. So, I grabbed the wine (had not had anything to drink in about 6 months), drank it in about 15-20 mins, then ate BTW, never drank a lot before surgery and even less now.

We finished dinner and I had about 1/4 c frozen Greek yogurt. Stared falling asleep watching TV about 9pm. Got up went to kitchen to get bottle of Water, asked my son to get it from the bottom drawer as I did not want to put my head down, thinking I was a little woozy from the wine still. Felt worse tried to get to kitchen chair to sit down, and the next thing I remember I am on the floor with my hubby in my face and son the phone with 911. Apparently,I had a grand maul seizure and my son caught me from hitting my face on the wooden kitchen tale. I ended up with a broken toe and was low on potassium and dehydrated (ER tests!).

Last year, Nov 7 just about same time at night I had leg cramps got up from bed to try to push my toes down because they cramped so bad, that I ended up passing out, stopped breathing. Ended up in ER at that time and guess what....low potassium and dehydrated (i think I posted last time too). So now, definitely last night was seizure, I had urine incontinence, eyes rolled back, tonic/clonic - I am thankful my hubby and son were there. Today, exhaustion and now I am not ale to drive until cleared by neurologist. My daughter did a google and asked me if others had seizures post weight loss surgery. So I began to look and there have been folks who had them after RNY. Hypoglycemic seizures, so not sure but I got a blood test kit and before eating I was at 119, after eating I was 109. Now going to gather stats until I go to neurologist.

Need to find out why. Why seizure, why low potassium when I take it daily for almost 2 years in liquid form, why dehydrated when I drink minimum of 96 oz of water (crystal light tea flavoring). Anyone else had issues like this or know of anyone?

Thank you for reading, I had a complication after surgery some of you may recall, I had abscess needed second surgery and treatments for several months. Then last November the "passing out", which could have been a seizure but we did not recognize it. Now this grand maul confirmed seizure. I have to find out why.

[swizzly 901]

Sorry to hear about the seizure, scary stuff I'm sure! I hope you are feeling better already though.

I wouldn't necessarily connect this to WLS. If you have passed out in the past, that was also likely a seizure. It might be that you just have a mild form of epilepsy that has not been previously diagnosed. Your experience is quite similar to a friend of mine (always quite thin, no WLS, a former ballerina) who was just finally diagnosed with epilepsy in her mid-40s.

I personally doubt it's blood-sugar related either. But that's not based on any medical knowledge, so feel free to ignore me entirely LOL. In any case, this is what the neurologist will sort out for you, and you will know what it is and how to treat/manage it. How soon will you see the neurologist? (Are you taking any meds that have seizures as a possible side-effect? Might seem like an obvious question, but there are more that can cause this than people realise. I doubt it's anything to do with the wine unless it was an interaction with something else you might be taking. Half a glass of wine is not even a 'therapeutic' dose in terms of alcohol content, if that makes sense.)

Feel better, and keep us posted!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I am so sorry and glad your son was there to catch you!

For me, that dose of wine could cause issues if I drank it before eating ..if it had been many hours since previous meal. Sleeve changes ability to handle alcohol, but this sounds like something different to me too. Keep us posted.

[Happy Camper 266]

Swizzly and Jane,

Thank you for the well wishes. Just so strange for me, I will be finding a neurologist today and hopefully get appt next week. Today marks my 2nd year surgiversary and,in my wildest dreams never thought I would have to be finding out why due to another medical condition. I will keep you all informed, sharing is important to me. It was through Tiffikins and a few others real life experiences that I gained the confidence to have my sleeve surgery. I still so believe in it.

Have a great weekend.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Tiffikins was my inspiration too. She was also a band to sleeve and was so successful... just gave me hope that the sleeve might work for me too.

I hope you start getting some answers soon. Keep us updated.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

Yikes this is frightening stuff, I too have low potassium, they noted it on a recent blood panel. But how to get in the potassium? don't say bananas, they make me hurl.

[Happy Camper 266]

Yikes this is frightening stuff' date=' I too have low potassium, they noted it on a recent blood panel. But how to get in the potassium? don't say bananas, they make me hurl.[/quote']

Globetrotter, I never had low potassium until my surgery. I have been taking potassium since month 2 post surgery; then last year when I passed out in November, we blamed it on the dehydration and low potassium. When I was discharged from hospital they put me on liquid potassium, change from pills. I have never gotten to a point where I could go without it, my labs after the seizure Wednesday night showed I was at 3.3 which again is low. Not good to be low, so I am changing when I take the potassium to try to get it to stay in my system, more with food. Maybe you can try that approach? Your doc will prescribe meds if you are low, can't eat that many bananas.

My bariatric surgeons office also told me NEVER have carbohydrates without Protein. Well, in the last year I definitely began eating fruit, and sometimes without Protein. So now, apples with Peanut Butter. banana with Peanut Butter. Beet greens, sweet potatoes, white Beans are all sources of potassium. I am not sure for you but, I am also backing off the caffeine. My neurologist I suspect will be running multiple tests and anything I find out, I will share because if my misfortune helps someone else to look for something, then that is meaningful to me. This board and all the experiences has been so helpful, I believe in sharing back the good, bad or otherwise.

Take care all.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

Yes please, HappyCamper, keep us informed, this is all very timely information for me.

[NORCALRN 60]

sleeved 7-12, and 6 weeks ago started having partial complex seizures...on meds cannot drive either. wondering since i am weaning off my feeding tube (jejuostomy) if that had something to do with it since it is packed with so much nutrition. hhmmm, i hope your seizures get under control. in CA, i can drive after 3 months and seizure free. good luck and please, like everyone says, keep us posted.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

My friend had a seizure and was tested for epilepsy which turned out to be positive. She is in her 50's and never knew she had epilepsy. She had never had a seizure before.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

taking medicine daily, i am a controlled epileptic

about 5 months PO, I had lost about 60 lbs

i had a seizure since i was taking too much meds for my new lighter self

neurologist knew i was having WLS - did't forsee any problem

meds were reduced thanx to WLS, and i have been seizure free these past months

i have lost 105 lbs, GOAL - and I'm a very happy camper too

good luck

i hope this gets figured out soon

kathy

[sleevinIT 88]

My mother has those leg spasms as well she is like 15 years out gastric bypass....but certain things spark her episodes like if she eats alot of salt...i guess thats what kinda contributes to her dehydration..but that is very serious hope u feel better soon

[Arts137 1,811]

seizures are NO fun, just find and work with your neurologist. Note, they may limit your driving for a while, just to be safe!

[Georgia 2,908]

Wow! Hope you get answers, Camper! I have had the low potassium and have taken liquid a few times. Once so low they wanted to hospitalize but I convinced them otherwise.

Take care. It can cause heart attacks if your potassium gets extremely low.

[Happy Camper 266]

Hi all,

Merry Christmas, I hope it is okay and does not offend anyone.

I thought I would update this post. I saw a neurologist and after tests etc, bottom line is they found a slight abnormality in my left temporal lobe. We are watching it and I am now taking meds but other than some weight gain and NO desire to exercise it seems to be fine, but I was fine up to the day I had the seizure too.

So all in, does not seem to have anything to do with my sleeve! Good news.

Take care