Conor's 3rd Tonic Clonic (Grand Mal) Seizure

Two and a half hours ago Conor suffered his 3rd Tonic Clonic or Grand Mal seizure.  (A Year ago he also suffered an episode of rhabdomyolisis, a serious adverse reaction to his previous seizure medication).  On the previous 2 seizures Conor was in a room by himself when they started, this time he was with me in the living room after we had returned, together with his mother, from a trip to the Superstore.  I sat down in a chair in the living room and Conor came in and fell backwards like a tree falling in the woods.  Fortunately he fell into a soft, well cushioned chair and did not hit his head on anything hard or sharp. I thought at first he was joking but then I saw that the cheese which he had sought out at the Superstore had been flung across the room. I noticed then things were not right.  

His mom was home and together we moved him to the floor on his side with a soft pillow under his head.  When he spewed up fluid it went on to the pillow and a rolled up blanket we had also put under his head.  His body went into convulsions and he was unconscious for a period of 3-4 minutes.  We called 911 and they sent the emergency response team (thank you again 911 and EMT responders) and they measured his body temperature, took his blood pressure and heart beat and observed him for a period of time before agreeing that he could stay home wihout an emergency room visit this time.  They gave us signs of things to look for and be concerned about.  Conor has recovered more quickly this time than on previous occasions and he has been bouncing off the floor as always (and playing on Dad's computer). 

Seizures are more common in persons with autism than in the general population and even more common if the autistic person, like my son, also suffers from an intellectual disability.  This is stuff you don't hear often from those persons, high functioning autistics or their family members, who fight against the rights of people like my son to have a cure, who fight to prevent research into causes and treatments of autism and other neurological disorders including seizure disorders.

To those people I say you have no right to fight against cure oriented research.  If you are fortunate enough that your alleged autism is not a disorder from which you suffer, enjoy your business successes and your literary and lecturing careers and stop oppressing my son and others like him who actually suffer from autism disorders and the other cognitive, neurological and other disorders that so often accompany them. 

I am tired of listening to your complaining while my son suffers.

For those who suffer from autism and seizures or those who care for them the US NIH, through its MedlinePlus service provides the following information about tonic clonic seizures:

Generalized tonic-clonic seizure

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Generalized tonic-clonic seizure is one type of seizure that involves the entire body. It is also called grand mal seizure. The terms seizure, convulsion, or epilepsy are most often associated with generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Causes

Generalized tonic-clonic seizures may occur in people of any age. They can occur once (single episode). Or they can occur as part of a repeated, chronic illness (epilepsy). Some seizures are due to psychological problems (psychogenic).

Symptoms

Many persons with generalized tonic-clonic seizures have vision, taste, smell, or sensory changes, hallucinations, or dizziness before the seizure. This is called an aura.

The seizures usually result in rigid muscles. This is followed by violent muscle contractions andloss of alertness (consciousness). Other symptoms that occur during the seizure may include:

• Biting the cheek or tongue
• Clenched teeth or jaw
• Loss of urine or stool control (incontinence)
• Stopped breathing or difficulty breathing
• Blue skin color

After the seizure, the person may have:

• Confusion
• Drowsiness or sleepiness that lasts for 1 hour or longer
• Loss of memory (amnesia) about the seizure episode
• Headache
• Weakness of one side of the body for a few minutes to a few hours following seizure (called Todd paralysis)

Exams and Tests

The doctor will perform a physical exam. This will include a detailed look at the brain and nervous system.

An EEG (electroencephalogram) will be done to check the electrical activity in the brain. People with seizures often have abnormal electrical activity seen on this test. In some cases, the test shows the area in the brain where the seizures start. The brain may appear normal after a seizure or between seizures.

Blood tests may also be ordered to check for other health problems that may be causing the seizures.

Head CT or MRI scan may be done to find the cause and location of the problem in the brain.

Treatment

Treatment for tonic-clonic seizures includes medications, changes in lifestyle for adults andchildren, such as activity and diet, and sometimes surgery. Your doctor can tell you more about these options.

Alternative Names

Seizure - tonic-clonic; Seizure - grand mal; Grand mal seizure; Seizure - generalized