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kyethra
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25 Nov 2008, 4:06 pm

well anyone is at risk of a seizure, esp. with things like high fever. But if one doesn't have a high fever it is unlikely. and without a history of seizures that chance is low. These things don't tend to start after puberty without some sort of head trauma.

I have AS. My brother has a more severe form of autism. He has severe epilepsy and actually had another very rare neurlogical condition involving strokes. I do not have epilepsy but I do have another, rarer, neurological condition, narcolepsy. Now there is a genetic factor to both disorders. So if someone in your family has something like epilepsy you are greater risk. But the link is likely just that, a link. It tends to be that if one has one neurological disorder there is a greater risk for a second one. The preexisting disorder makes another one more likely to occur esp. when the brain is developing. And epilepsy can even cause autism or autism like symptoms if it is severe enough. Ask your doctor if you are really concerned.



SeizeTheDay
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25 Nov 2008, 10:15 pm

I have Epilepsy, so I'm not concerned about that.
My seizures, as far as we know, were because of a head injury. But of course, you can never be 100% sure. Some doctors say it may have been an underlying condition that just came out after I hit my head.
I have AS, but in this case, I don't think the seizures are related. -who knows for sure though.
Since AS is a little more mild than classic autism do you have less [than people with classic autism] of a chance of developing seizures or any other neurological impairment because of your AS?
-Or would it be possible even to tell at all?


25% of people with autism have Epilepsy (including those with AS?)


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Purplefluffychainsaw
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26 Nov 2008, 4:41 am

I have HFA and juvenile myclonic epilepsy. It's a huge pain in the arse - most of the ways that my autism affects me creates problems with the epilepsy. Luckily I mostly have absences, so it's not too bad. I got seriously depressed when it first came out though - I've never had to deal with the stress of a diagnosis before (I was ten when I was diagnosed with HFA so I didn't really notice).

kyethra wrote:
well anyone is at risk of a seizure, esp. with things like high fever. But if one doesn't have a high fever it is unlikely. and without a history of seizures that chance is low. These things don't tend to start after puberty without some sort of head trauma.


That's not true. I think there's a couple of adult developing forms of epilepsy (but don't quote me on that, when I look up epilepsy I tend to skip over the information that isn't relevant to me). I developed mine a couple of years after going through puberty.


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MomofTom
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26 Nov 2008, 9:53 am

I used to have abscence/petit mal seizures as a child. My sister has juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, which she still takes meds for. I'm on the spectrum but am not sure if my sister entirely belongs on there or not.


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MizLiz
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27 Nov 2008, 1:56 am

I have AS and epilepsy. Epilepsy diagnosed in my late teens... AS not til early 20s.



andriarose
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27 Nov 2008, 11:35 am

I'm HFA, and I have seizures.
It isn't epilepsy though, it's a type of allergic reaction (to sulfites, msg, latex).



InTheWoods
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01 Dec 2008, 3:48 pm

Yes, I have AS and a type of epilepsy called temporal lobe epilepsy. I also had some petit mal seizures when I was a child.

Loud noises, high-pitched noises, and flashing lights, among other things, can trigger the seizures. If I weren't so sensitive to external stimuli, I think I would have had less problems with the seizures.



dband
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14 Jan 2009, 12:35 am

i've never been diagnosed with AS nor have i been treated for seizures.

but i think i have AS. and i had seizures (with convulsions) at age 5, 9, 14, 20, 25 and 27. also, every time i have an injection or blood test, i faint (no convulsions).

i always know just before its going to happen. i gradually lose my sense of sound and gravity. if i extend my arm straight out, it just rises up towards the ceiling like a balloon. and i feel an overwhelming need to get away from wherever i am.

the last time it happened, i escaped to a bathroom (NB: ESCAPING TO A SMALL ENCLOSED AREA IS A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE IDEA) and when i blacked out i fell and hit my head real hard on the edge of the toilet seat. lucky not to have suffered permanent brain damage from that one.

if it happens when i'm alone, i dont tell anyone about it. age 14, it happened at school so of course they sent me to hospital in an ambulance. but the doctors seemed convinced it was a puberty thing, and i just wanted to get out of there so i downplayed the event as much as possible.

i also saw a neurologist for migraines about 10 years ago, and i told her about the seizures, but it seemed like i was bothering her and she didnt seem interested in the seizures.

one other interesting thing. any time i faint/have a seizure, i usually have the same recurring dream of a light aircraft in a nosedive, against a murky backdrop of browns and grays, and i wake up just before the plane hits the ground.

i believe that the fainting is triggered by an intense fear of needles, and the seizures are absolutley triggered by stress. the last seizure was triggered by overwork and extreme emotional stress.



theQuail
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14 Jan 2009, 4:52 pm

I've read that seizures in ASDs are correlated with intellectual impairment, so they're probably not as common in AS.



ngonz
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14 Jan 2009, 11:05 pm

My husband has seizures due to cortical dysplasia--a lesion in the left frontal and parietal lobes of his brain. The lesion is right in the middle of where his speech and language area is. Consequently, he does have Asperger's disorder. I asked his epileptologist about this, and he said that they are diagnosing more people with cortical dyplasia, although it is quite rare, but also that cortical dysplasia is strongly linked with "Asperger's autism", as they call it in Spain. (They recognize Asperger's syndrome as a form of autism.)

The reason they are diagnosing more people is because of better technology. Also, most people on the spectrum do not have cortical dysplasia, but most people with cortical dysplasia do have some form of autism or Asperger's.

The relationship overall of epilepsy being co-morbid with autism and Asperger's is higher than in the normal population. (This is from several sites I have read.)


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mixtapebooty
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18 Jan 2009, 10:09 pm

My mom has an epileptic seizure disorder, unspecified, and my Dad is really Aspergerish, but in denial. I have wild nervous and sleep issues, major depressive symptoms, social issues, and general issues that are cross linked in the many disorder spectrums. If I'm not exhibiting one sign or problem, then it seems like it's another. I'm really all over the place. I've never had a seizure, though.



middlechild
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18 May 2009, 1:04 am

I'm wondering the same thing. I had my first seizure at age 31 in my sleep. No family history I am 46 now and I have had about 3 or 4 seizures since then. All in my sleep. I have just been reading up on Aspeger's and I am going to request that I be tested for that on June 1st when I see the neurologist again. The similarities are remarkable. I can't believe the doctor's were so quick to diagnose me with epilepsy. I am sooo angry. I was never comfortable with that diagnosis. OH YES and they say I am depressed too!! ! I am not!!

I really hope they listen to me....... Sometimes she just looks at the computer and asks me quick questions and sends me on my way. What bedside manner.

To answer your question... I think there is a relationship between seizures and Asperger's. If I remember I will get back to you on what the Neurologist has to say.



Magnus
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23 May 2009, 12:27 am

I wondered if I might have seizures at night. I wake up all the time and it's always been that way. Seizures can be very short and last just seconds. These are very hard to detect unless a person is looking for it.


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ClosetAspy
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26 May 2009, 8:03 pm

I used to have temporal lobe seizures until about 10 years ago. No one could figure out why they started. The doctor I have now said that sometimes they go away at menopause, which seems to be the case here.

There does seem to be a connection between AS and seizures. I am not sure why that is, and it might be something for me to look up on-line when I haven't anything else to do. When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy there wasn't much known. I remember telling my neurologist that I had the ability to control my seizures when I felt one coming on and he said very curtly that was not possible. Later another neurologist said that there had been some research into using biofeedback which seemed to indicate it might work in some people. From what I understand, epilepsy is a very complex condition and there are different kinds and different causes. It is just like AS, there is a lot of research going on, but it does not always filter down to the local doctor's office or clinic.

Not only that but my experience has been that many doctors and clinics are understaffed and overworked, and if you don't have the means to pay and the determination to fight the insurance companies, you are not going to get quality care. Especially if you have an on-going condition that is poorly understood. So you have to educate yourself which takes work.



Hokua_oe
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28 May 2009, 1:31 pm

I was told by my son's psychiatrist who said he had Asperger's and that she thought I did too that she thought I was having pitmal or frontal lobe seizures too, when I described some blackouts I was having.

Sometimes, "The room goes black as I am walking through a room. A tingling sensation shoots through my ear and it is like somebody hit the down volume button on the entire house. The entire left or right side of my face goes numb depending on which side of my face the hearing went out on. Their will be a sensation of what feels like a hot rod (not painful just hot) being pushed from the front to the back of my head. (not fun at all.)"

Other times, "The hearing will go down in my ears and I'll start shaking uncontrolably in my arms and hands. If I am suppose to be talking to someone, I will start stuttering and stammering as I fight for control. (probably not a great idea, but I like to be in control). My head will ocassionally twitch." If I was talking to someone I usually politely excuse myself.

Usually I am very upset or scared at the time of these events or just under a lot of stress. I have friends now tryingto help relieve my stress, and and all natural diet along with catuaba bark seems to help. They said even my temperment has changed for the better, but they say I'm like a teenager with a high set of moral values. I hate noise and crowds. They scare me.



Hokua_oe
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28 May 2009, 1:43 pm

Careers to avoid – suggestions
Careers that rely on short term memory should be avoided. e.g.:
Cashier
Waitress
Taxi dispatcher
Air traffic controller
Receptionist

Career Suggestions for Visual Thinkers:

Computer programming
Drafting
Commercial art
Photography
Equipment design
Mechanic
Appliance repair
Handcraft artisan
Webpage designer
Video game designer
Building maintenance
Building trades

Career Suggestions for Mathematicians or Musicians:

Accounting
Computer programming
Engineering
Journalist, copy editor
Taxi driver
Piano (or other musical instrument) tuner
Filing positions
Statistician
Physician
Mathematician
Bank teller
Telemarketing

Here is a place with some good information for people with Asperger's:
aspergerfoundation dot org dot uk


They have info for:

An introduction to Asperger’s Syndrome
The Effects of Living with Asperger’s Syndrome
Issues for Partners of Asperger’s Syndrome Adults Responsibility
Further Education and Colleges
Employment
Career Ideas
Sensory Issues
Depression or Mental Health Problems
Diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome