Seizures in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: Origin and Management Strategies
Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, can sometimes lead to seizures. This article explores the connection between the two conditions, treatment options, and the importance of seeking medical help in case of a seizure.
People with MS may experience more severe disability, including seizures. The most common types of seizures in MS include focal aware, focal impaired awareness, and focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures. These seizures are often caused by paroxysmal symptoms, which are sudden symptoms lasting a few seconds to a few minutes and are caused by an abnormal electrical signal in a nerve of the brain or spinal cord that MS damages.
When a person has a tonic-clonic seizure, the first aid recommendations include easing them to the floor, turning them to one side, placing something soft under their head, loosening their tie or any restrictive clothing, removing their eyeglasses, not holding them down or restricting their movements, not giving mouth-to-mouth breaths, not putting anything in their mouth, and not offering food or drink until they are fully alert. If the person has difficulty waking or breathing after the seizure, has an injury, has another seizure soon after the first one, has a health condition such as heart disease or pregnancy, the seizure occurs while they are in water, the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, or if there is any other concerning circumstance, someone should call 911 or the local emergency number.
Doctors may treat paroxysmal symptoms with antiepileptic medication, which often helps reduce the symptoms. Common antiepileptic drugs used to treat seizures in MS include phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), valproic acid (Depakote), lamotrigine (Lamictal), and levetiracetam (Keppra). However, stopping or reducing the use of antiepileptic drugs should always be done under the supervision of a doctor, as suddenly stopping the use of this medication can trigger a seizure.
Researchers explain the link between MS and seizures primarily through the location and nature of brain lesions caused by MS. MS can sometimes cause seizures because the lesions it creates in the brain can disrupt normal neural activity, potentially triggering epileptic events. This connection reflects how MS lesions affect different brain regions, which may increase the risk of seizures in some patients.
Although epilepsy and seizures are linked to MS, the exact biological mechanisms remain an area of ongoing study. Research also explores how seizures in MS relate to other factors like sleep disturbances and different epilepsy subtypes. For example, some epilepsy subtypes show distinct patterns of causal relationships with sleep traits, which may be relevant to understanding seizure risks in neurological diseases.
It is important to note that several other conditions can resemble seizures, including fainting spells, low blood sugar, sleep disorders, movement disorders, migraine headaches, non-epileptic seizures, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, if you or someone you know experiences seizures, it is crucial to seek medical help immediately.
In summary, MS lesions in various parts of the brain can disrupt normal neural signaling and increase seizure risk. Seizures are relatively more common in people with MS compared to the general population. The link involves complex neurological changes due to MS pathology, including inflammation and brain scarring. Research suggests broader interactions between epileptic activity and systemic factors like sleep disturbances, but the precise pathways connecting MS and seizures need further investigation.
- People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) may experience seizures as a result of brain lesions disrupting normal neural activity, potentially triggering epileptic events.
- In health and wellness, it's vital to recognize that various conditions like fainting spells, low blood sugar, sleep disorders, movement disorders, migraine headaches, non-epileptic seizures, and post-traumatic stress disorder can resemble seizures, necessitating immediate medical attention when they occur.
- Treatment for seizures in MS often involves antiepileptic medication such as phenytoin, carbamazepine, valproic acid, lamotrigine, and levetiracetam, but alterations in dosage should be made under a doctor's supervision to prevent triggering seizures.
