The Official Diagnosis is Complex Partial Seizures

On June 13 I explored the relationship between Autism and Epilepsy as I prepared for my son’s appointment with a neurologist. We had our official appointment with the neurologist on July 1st and the appointment went very well. The doctor was fantastic and listened to all of my concerns and then proceeded to do a basic neurological exam on Alexander.

Alexander was in one of his less-social moods. At one point during the exam, the neurologist handed my son a piece of paper and asked him to read the paper. After a bit of silence, the neurologist pointed to one of the lines on the paper and said “read that line” to which Alexander replied “I already did.” I chuckled as I realized that Alexander was reading in his head. I told Alexander that the doctor wanted to hear him read to which Alexander proclaimed “I read in my head.” He flat-out refused to read aloud. The doctor was great and didn’t push it.

The doctor said that the episodes that Alexander is having are all complex partial seizures. According to the Epilepsy Foundation website:

“During a complex partial seizure, a person cannot interact normally with other people, is not in control of his or her movements, speech or actions; doesn’t know what he or she is doing; and cannot remember afterwards what happened during the seizure.”

This helps to explain some of Alexander’s odd meltdowns. These aren’t your typical “autism tantrums” but instead a much shorter but very odd meltdown of which Alexander has no recollection. The doctor said that this might also explain his sleepwalking, night terrors and frequent nightmares. Alexander will have nightmares four or five nights a week on average. I know that nightmares are common in childhood, but four or five nights a week is just not typical.

Alexander started on a medicine called Keppra which is supposed to work very will with these types of seizures. I have only noticed two obvious seizures in the first ten days of the medicine. He is only having nightmares three or four nights a week now as well. I haven’t seen him sleepwalking (which he usually does a couple of times a week) and no night terrors.

The only downside is Keppra can come with some behavioral side effects – someone coined the term Kepprage to describe these tiresome side effects. Alexander is definitely a bit grouchier than normal but so far nothing all out rage-like. Hopefully they side effects will ramp down once he reaches his therapeutic dose in a couple of weeks.

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