Auras and warnings
People with tonic clonic seizures may or may not experience a warning. Some people experience a sensation called an aura before a seizure starts.
The aura may occur far enough in advance to give people time to lie down and prevent injury from falling.
The type of aura experienced varies from person to person, as auras are in fact a simple partial seizure, for example: 
a change in body temperature, a feeling of tension or anxiety, a strange taste or smell, even musical sounds or visual disturbance. Auras are not necessarily followed by a tonic clonic seizure. Where this does happen, it is known as a secondary generalised seizure.
Some people report a sense of heaviness, depression or general feeling of not being quite right in themselves before a seizure. This experience can happen for hours or days before they have a seizure. Doctors call this a prodrome and, if a person can learn to recognise it, it can be a useful guide.
When a person has no warning, this obviously has its drawbacks as the person does not have a chance to ensure their safety beforehand. Unfortunately, it is this lack of warning that can result in accidents or injury. People who have this type of seizure need to be a little more safety conscious than others.
Further information can be obtained from Epilepsy Action by using the Email Helpline or if you live in the UK, by phoning the Freephone Helpline on 0808 800 5050.
Information checked Monday 18 July 2005
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Comments
Hi, i have never been the type of person to expose my thoughts and feelins to compleate strangers. however reading this page(the page that relates to me most, closely followed by the stress page) i have decided to talk to you guys, people that will understand. I had menigitis when i was 17, after that i devolped epilepsy . i have no memory of being in hospital with menigitis. I am now 22 i was diagnosed in jan 2007, i was living in newmarket with the job i had always wante working with horses. when my boss found out i was goin to start taking drugs he decided not to renew my contract. tegrotol was the 1st drug i was put on and it made me very ill i had more fits and all i could was lie on my mums sofa day in and day out for 6 months.i have been put onto to lamotrogine, i was told this was the best drug for women of my age as there are not alot of side affects, i sitll have fits on these drugs and came out of hospital yesterday for havin 2fits at work which lasted 2 hours. it is not the fits themselves that are the problem it is the build up, these "auras"or warnings. i feel like there is a huge river behind a dam, in my body and the river is goin to break through the dam then there will be carnage. the only problem is the river takes so long to break the dam and i am left with this stuck feelin. i cant talk or see properly, nor stand my legs just gently twitch over and over again. people around me are tryin to talk to me to find out if there is anything thay can or do they need to call someone i can hear everything goin on around me i jus cant respond. then eventually the dam will break and i will have my fit then everythin feels better.calmer then all i want to rest i dont want people to ask me questions or get me a drink. the issue with my warnings or auras is that they are happenin more now i have taken on a higer pressured role at my current job. i was a yard girl at the local ridin school then i became a riding instructor, i have recently had 2 fits in the arena whilst teachin payin customors, i am so afraid im goin to loose my dream job again,now that the fits are hapening alot, i hadnt had any since nov, in the past 2 months ive had 4 and now three in the space of 3days. how do i stop this feeling of being stuck? how can i get rid of the river and the dam before i loose another job? i would love to talk to some of you guys out there who have auras or warnings as these to me are the most stressfull part of my epilepsy. my wonderful boyfriend, mum and friends try their hardest to understand and make me feel comfortable when im havin my build up but i dont know how to help them help me.
I understand exactly what you are saying about the feeling and tension that you get knowing an aura is taking over your mind,life and capability to do things. The reason I felt and still do feel that way is due to the fact that when I have a seizure I am unconscious and therefore incapable to try and prevent things happening. Whereas when I have an aura it is so frustrating as I am still aware of my surroundings but try to calm myself down or think of a way to get rid of the tension.
I once had a specialist who told me to begin to pretend to play a piano with my fingers and also count to five so that it takes my mind off what is happening - i tried this and it did calm the aura down to a certain degree. Also I play music - classical as that is a known way of calming a brain.
I began having fits 29 years ago and since then I have not been able to drive which really drives me bonkers but I have been able to have a child - son,which is my way of thinking epilepsy will never rule my life.
I have been known to have tonic - clonic seizures after my aura's but for the past 18months - touch wood I haven't had any major seizures. I must admit though if I had to chose between still having these aura's or having tonic clonic I know which I would prefer - the latter.
I went into the Chalfont Centre and it was amazing and the amount of experiments/tests available there are amazing and since I stayed there to enable me to try various types of medication my seizures have improved against the degree that they use to be.
There is light at the end of the tunnelxx
Don't feel strange! Believe me, with 55-million people around this world of ours who have epilepsy, the majority of us know exactly how you feel. I have had my versions (many) of seizures for most of my life, and am now a middle-age man. And I've learned from people who see me going through a seizure that they don't last as long or are as intense as I once imagined them. But...those days and hours that build up to a seizure are quite a challenge. In some ways, I guess we're "lucky" because Mother Nature makes it possible for us to foresee, in a sense, that one might be coming on. I have trouble sleeping on the nights before a seizure. I get ongoing headaches. I'm short of temper. And all this even though I'm on two top anti-seizure pills (Keppra and Depakote). It takes getting used to, sometimes years. But please, please remember that millions of us out there know what you're going through!
I have a bit of an unusual situation, 7 months ago I had a hypoglaecemic attack due to type 1 diabetes and this caused a swelling in the rear right area of my brain which resulted in symptoms of stroke (loss of proper control of my left arm and leg) and I also had 2 seizures whilst in hospital. The doctors reassured me that I wasn't epileptic and had not infact had a stroke but my symptoms were caused by the swelling, which rapidly went down. I made a full recovery and assumed that it was a problem caused only because of the pressure on my brain when swollen. Recently I had what I assume was an aura when I had a slightly anxious feeling that reminded of being in hospital in what I can only describe as a memory link and a feeling that something wasn't right in my head. Less than an hour later I passed out and have to assume I had a seizure ( no witnesses). This morning I had exactly the same 'aura' and passed out minutes later with no memory of what happened. I was only out for a minute and suffered no injury or incontenance. I am concerned that I have epilepsy or some brain problem and am awaiting a followup appointment to see the neurologist. I don't know what's wrong with me but have experienced these auras along with a more active 'memory' where smells especially bring back previously forgotten memory and feelings. Sorry to ramble on without being able to describe things very clearly but having been told I am not epileptic I find these 'auras' quite a cause for concern (despite being thankful for the warning I now feel I have!) next time I plan to sit on the sofa and video what happens!
Hello Nick this is a common thing for me and I am sure for alot of people who experience seizures like I do. I have had the most horrible time before I was diagnosed with a cavernous angioma two years ago. I kept having auras and seizures not realizing what they were. At first I though I was crazy. How do you explain this kind of thing to family members or friends. People see your face and think you are normal but this stuff is going on inside your brain. I have had two mini strokes not realizing what they were. Take the auras seriously they are a warning to let you know a seizure or stroke type symptom may be comming. I can honestly say after over 2 years of seizures I have grown to appreciate them. They let me know stay in a safe place. If I am in the kitchen they help me to keep myself away from potential danger. One time I was cutting my grandsons birthday cake holding a kitchen knife the aura gave me a signal to redirect myself to a safer place. Having the seizures is an awful thing for anyone to experience but have a warning like the auras you and I experience are a blessing in disguise. Some people have seizures and have no warning at all. I often smell something rotten before a seizure or have a fear that so overwhelming it can be explained in words. Just take things one day at a time. Dont think you are going crazy because your not. Hopefully your primary care physican recommended an MRI. This is how my brain malformation was diagnosed. The neurologist will give you a better idea of what is going on in your brain when you see him or her and give you the best advise as to correct or controll what is going on. Take Care
I had a fit about 2 weeks ago. I'm now being investigated for epilepsy. I had about 5-6 auras for the 2 weeks before the fit and they were really strong; deja vu and impaired hearing. How do you cope with auras? Does medication generally keep them at bay? Has anyone gone down the complementary therapy route for help?
Hi i know how you feel im 16 and started having seizures since i was 14 the first one i had was the most firightning thing i had ever experianced i was standing beside the football field talking to my friends then suddenly i couldnt move and i was repeating my friends name over and over this happened for about 30 seconds everything happened in slow motion i couldnt hear anything but i could see everyone looking at me wierd they looked concerned nd i fell to the floor next thingi know im looking at the wheel of a medic car i dont remember being taken into the ambulance but it was awful thankfully i've only had five over one and a half years i had 4 in 2007 and was free for a year and had another just a few weeks back however i dont what happened but the other day i was helping with a performance in school and i had an aura i knew from my first experiance what to expect so i tried outsmarting it i didnt try to talk i kept trying to swallow nd kept moving even though my body was moving at a million miles per hour i got myself against a wall and sat down nd then i got really angry nd hit myself in the head and it stopped once this happened i went nd got some water on my face and drink and i felt perfectly fine after that you not alone and its a shame you suffer these awful things i hope it stops for you and you keep your dream job unfortunatly for me i cant join the airforce anymore
Hi Nick,
(please scuse spelling etc, had a seizure last night so am a bit wibbly today!)
I have epilepsy, but I'm not a medical expert... saying that, it might be a good idea to go to your GP or MD again now or ASAP, tell them what has been happening and ask for your referral to the neurologist to be pushed along in the queue - don't wait to video the next episode first. Even if it's not eventually diagnosed as epilepsy it sounds worth investigating. Some surgeries have a GP who has a specialism in neurology and/or epilepsy so it might be worth asking if that's the case when you book the appointment.
In my case when the seizures started my GP at the time was delighted as he'd never had a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy(TLE) before ! BTW I've had several MRI brain scans, waking and sleeping EEG, and typical of TLE they showed no seizure activity or apparent cause in the brain... fortunately (if you can call it that????) my seizures follow a typical pattern for TLE so the Neuro was happy with that... Either way I had to alter my life quite drastically and re-assess a lot of my priorities and choices, work etc :(
I started having simple partial seizures about 5 years ago, never preceded by an aura unless you call the immediate prodrome (pre seizure) as one; mine go roughly like this... feeling of DOOM, deja vu (or Jamais vu - where nothing is familiar), then seizure (feeling of unreality/confusion/too odd to describe adequately). Afterwards I have to sleep for hours and may feel confused/spaced out for days after.
However, before the seizures were well controlled (I take Tegretol Retard (carbamazepine) - took me over 18months to get over the initial dopeyness and function normally-ish) I also started to have complex partial seizures where I'd come-to from darkness (probably having only been out for a second or so), feeling confused with visual hallucinations for a minute or two and again afterwards needing to sleep - and more and varied aura episodes. Both these seizure types are sometimes called "petit mal" seizures.
Like another poster here sometimes my seizures can be started off by memory or trying to remember something (I think the memory centres of the brain are in the temporal lobes so I s'pose it's linked!). Either way no warning aura before a seizure...
once the drugs started to control the full seizures I got more of what my neuro still calls "interictal auras" - that is auras between seizures, so for instance I'd feel like there was a radio on in my head with voices or music just out of full earshot, or I'd see things (some of the "best" were, pages of a book I was reading rippling as if water was dropping onto them, and flying mice!!!!). I also see things or sense things that aren't there (I bet that makes sense to some of you!) or images pop into my head for a few seconds so vivid that I could only see them, not what was around me (hence I still can't drive, sigh - yay for my free bus pass!). Occasionally I get the "Alice in Wonderland" feeling of things growing or shrinking rapidly around me (Macropsia/Micropsia).
Most happen when I'm tired, but not always - I also get a feeling of impending doom every so often that will last for hours, but with no other auras. A lot of these symptoms have happened all my life so my Neuro thinks I've probably had TLE all my life - I just thought everyone was like that and it was normal! Some people get nasty smells as aura phenomena; I do, but rarely. Others get a feeling of euphoria and out-of-this-worldliness.
It's only recently that I've started getting a warning aura before a burst of "activity" - yesterday afternoon I got the "radio in my head", then last night kept on getting vivid images. This is probably because I've just been gradually reducing my daily meds (on the neuro's advice), so I know I've reduced enough now. I'll report this to my GP & Sapphire (Epilepsy specialist) Nurse (they're wonderful, but sadly not every hospital has them!) when I see them next and also get my bloods done again now to check the Tegretol levels.
I was diagnosed a few years ago and initially lost my driving licence for a year. This was terrible for me at the time. I take the drugs but recently have had a strong "aura/warning", I have never had a proper "fit" just the auras. I am now worried something is going on but a also worried I might lose my licence again! My other half was made redundant in August and although has recently gone self employeed my money is essential. If I have to stop driving again this will be a major problem. Can I just go back to the doctors and ask for an MRI scan? Thank you.
My name is Jess and I have been having seizures since I was 15. I am 21 now and pregnant with my 2nd child. I believe my 1st child, a 2 yr old boy, is having seizures. He blinks rapidly over and over til someone snaps him out of it. He cant tell us what hes feeling. He is mostly deaf and is developing slowly. My seizures are grand mal and i dont have an aura. I just lose control of my voice. My boyfriend says that i yell out then convulse. I dont know because as soon as i lose control of my voice everything turns gray, then black and next thing i know im dressing myself and getting ready to go to the hospital. Im terrified of having a seizure. Im on generic lamictal. I have had two seizures in three years. (knock on wood) These two seizures were within 5 months. I dont know if its because im pregnant or what but im scared for my babys sake and for my own. I wouldnt wish seizures on my worst enemy. If anyone feels like talking or wants to discuss this please reply to my post.
I never really had any experience in having auras but over the last three to four months Ive had a noticeable aura where my vision goes extremely blurry in my left eye, and a little in my right. The only way I can describe it is trying to open your eyes underwater with goggles made of frosted glass. It sounds crazy but it really happens without fail and is a sure sign that something is coming. Not the most pleasant feeling but at least I get warning I guess.
Kevin
Hi Jasmine- your comment is a long time ago but i thought i would give you my strategy when experiencing an aura. It does not work all the time but does quite a lot. Take a deep breath.Count slowy to 7 as you do. breathe out counting to 11. repeat. Once you have a small amount of internal control back do marginally challenging sums in your head (eg57 + 147 or 4x 234)- do 2 or 3 - this helps restore function to the front of your brain. Then repeat breathing, then sums- repeat until aura dampens. Get yourself in a safe place sitting or lying down as early as you can, If you have good folks around you have a small agreed signal so you can communicate what is happening. IN ORDER FOR THIS STRATEGY TO WORK YOU MUST PRACTISE IT LOTS WHEN NOT EXPERIENCING AN AURA, This way it becomes an instinctive technique when an aurra strikes. I cannot always make myself do the technique but if I do it often works, just used it half an hour ago- got a small measure of control on the aura and *fingers crossed* averted the fit. Good luck in everything you do - remember the epilepsy is just one part of you, If there is a positive spin on this- we get experiences of the world 'normal' people don't. Also, in the scarey auras try and have an instinctive ' done this before, got the t-shirt, it wasnt so bad' comment to yourself. Hope this helps a bit, Chris
Hi Chris, I have stumbled across some blogs whilst looking into gastric bypass post op health problems which are linking seizures with the particular op that i had several years ago. I'm actually feeling quite frightened right now as it is dawning on me that many instances both pre op and post op could be seizures when i have always just casually passed them off as 'fainting'. I am especially researching it currently as i 'fainted' last week, gashed my chin open, fractured my cheek and was taken to hospital as my friend called an ambulance when she thought i wasn't breathing after finding me 10 mins later , face down in the toilets. ( let me be clear that i had been drinking but most definitely not excessively or anything more than i can usually manage)
I'm hoping that if i describe what happens before, you may be able to advise if it seems similar to the auras you have; 90% of the time i get a 'warning' that i'm about to faint and 90% of the time it follows an injury such as a sprained ankle ( which now dislocates easily as i've sprained it so many times, and i always faint when it also dislocates) even an accidental cut. I get a high pitched humming in my ears, get very hot and sweaty, feel nauseus. All this onsets very quickly, I would say that I get maybe 30 seconds, in which time I usually just lie down to stop myself getting hurt. When I come out of it, I get a cold sweat and usually feel fine within 20 minutes. I've had a few incidents that haven't involved an injury prior to fainting. With the latest incident last week, i felt odd, like I just needed to leave right away, I felt 'out of sorts' and sickly and kind of heavy ( maybe thats a bit too odd??!) I went to the toilet, don't recall leaving the cubilce or pulling my clothes back up, the next thing I was being brought around and within a minute(?) paramedics were there. i felt really strange for the following 24/48hrs, i was actually concerned about concussion as i really smashed my face and chin. Now that i come to think of it, someone told me about 20 years ago that i kept my eyes open when i fainted, don't know if this is relevant or not. I had a similar incident 2 years ago, again after a couple of glasses of wine, again not exessive or anything out of the ordinary, this time I 'fainted' twice within 10 minutes during the night when i got up for some water, again an injury of a carpet burn to my cheek. No one else was awake, i didn't tell anyone as i felt embarassed and didn't want anyone thinking I had drank more than i had. I know this isn't exclusively alcohol related as I have about 10 units most weeks and have fainted when not drinking aswell. any insight is most appreciated, from anyone, thanks.
i am 22 and ive had epilepsy since i was 11, most of the time its controlled but the last year has changed. i took a fit a few months ago for the first time in 3 years and since them i keep getting the feeling i am about to take another fit. its got me so nervous to leave the house as every time i do go out i have a panic attack. This is so distressing as i have a young child and i cant take her places like i used to without gatting into a panic. Does anybody else have theese feelings or is it just me?