Information on Grand Mal Seizures

A grand mal seizure, which is also referred to as a tonic-clonic seizure, involves the entire body. It is characterized by a loss of consciousness, muscle contractions and muscle rigidity. Grand mal seizures can appear at any age. There may be a single occurrence, or they may occur chronically such as in epilepsy.

Symptoms

• Prior to a seizure you may experience an aura, which is a warning from your senses that includes taste, smell, vision, hallucinations, sensory changes or dizziness. The initial stage (tonic phase) includes loss of consciousness and contraction of your muscles. The clonic phase includes rhythmic contractions that alternate between contracting and relaxing. Convulsions usually last no more than two minutes. Other symptoms may include loss of bladder and bowel control, along with unresponsiveness or confusion, sleepiness and headache following the seizure.

Causes

• Grand mal seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. They may be a result of underlying conditions such as traumatic head injuries, brain tumors, strokes, infections (encephalitis or meningitis), brain injury resulting from lack of oxygen, malformed blood vessels in the brain, genetic syndromes or very low levels of calcium, glucose, sodium or magnesium.

Risk Factors

• You may be at a higher risk of having grand mal seizures if you have a brain injury as a result of stroke, trauma or previous infection; a family history of seizure disorders or electrolyte imbalance due to medical problems, heavy alcohol use, illicit drug use or sleep deprivation.

Diagnosis

• The first step in diagnosing your condition is a neurological exam to test your muscle tone and strength, reflexes, gait, posture, sensory function, balance and coordination. Your doctor may order blood tests; an electroencephalogram (EEG), which records the electrical activity of your brain; or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which provides images of your brain in great detail. The results of these diagnostic tests may help to indicate the reason for your seizures.

Treatment

• Medications used to treat epilepsy and seizures include Tegretol, Trileptal, Depakene, Dilantin, Topamax, Lamictal, Neurontin, Phenobarbital, Lyrica, Gabitril, Zonegran, Keppra and Felbatol. Your doctor may begin with a low dosage of one of these medications and increase it slowly to control your seizures. Some individuals may need a combination of two medications. Side effects of these drugs may include dizziness, fatigue and weight gain.

Complications

• If you have experienced grand mal seizures, it is recommended that you wear a life preserver while swimming in the event that you have a seizure while you are in the water. Injuries can result from falling during seizures, including head injuries, fractures and joint dislocations. You can also be in danger if you are driving when a seizure occurs.