My daughter used to get these EVERY time she'd get a temp, often the temp would only register after the fit, because it's the sudden shift in temp that sets them off, not the high temp itself, if that makes sense. With her low muscle tone the fit was not at all benign as she doesn't have the same gag reflex to protect her airway from the eventual vomiting. I've had to do ERR a number of times, I've just been lucky to catch it before it got worse... After five years of having to watch her like a hawk every time she seemed a little off, our Osteopath put her on a preGABA supplement. GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) is one of the amino acids that lubricates the brain and stops the synapses from over-firing - It works a lot like oil does in a car engine. You can imagine how the gears in a car engine would grind and spark without oil, same thing happens in the brain, hence the fit from overload.
Anyway, since starting her preGABA supplement DD hasn't had a fit. One day I forgot to give her her supplement and she got a chill that morning because the heater had broken (I was busy trying to fix it, hence the reason I forgot to give it to her) and she started to get a distinctive smell on her breath. I knew she would fit if I didn't get something into her to control the impending temp that would be on it's way. The research I've done since being put on the supplement shows that Febrile Convulsions are connected to two synapses' that are responsible for GABA distribution in the brain, which would explain a lot. Often needing a GABA supplement is connected with malabsorbtion in the gut. You ever wonder why they say if your sick to have chicken broth and why that would work? The goodies in the marrow of the chicken bone feed good bacteria - Good bacteria process toxins in the gut and also increase how much nutrients are absorbed from food - those vitamins etc. help the body fight the infection. I've since worked out that is why my DD gets a smell on her breath; it's a sign that she is going to fit because it is indication of an imbalance in her gut which is stopping her body from absorbing what she needs in order to make to make the GABA amino acid, without the GABA she fits because the brain doesn't have enough oil to deal with the rev of a rising temp.
Last edited by Yeddi; November 11th, 2010 at 12:58 PM.
Your poor little DS and also poor Mummy and Daddy. It is terrible to witness your child having a FC. My DD started having them at 12 months of age and has now had a total of 5. Unfortunately she is one of the unlucky one's that has gone on to have multiples. The majority of children that have them only ever have one. We have a really strong family history of them (I had one as an infant, so did another of my sisters and one of my sisters had them constantly until she was 5 and had to be medicated for them as they were a real problem for her). My Paed has told us that they normally happen near the beginning of an illness where you get a sharp spike in temperature. It isn't really about how high their temp goes, more about the sudden increase. We used to call an ambulance everytime as DD's go for longer than 5 minutes (but less than 10). One of the paramedics explained that it is like a computer rebooting. That is their little brain's are not able to deal with the sudden rise in temp and they switch off and restart. Now we are 'old hands' at it so as long as the fit doesn't go for too long and she becomes responsive, we no longer call the ambulance.
Just know that he will have no memory long term of this. Sometime's I think it is harder for us parents to have to witness this. As long as the fit is a classis FC then there are no long term side effects.
I hope that this is a one off for your little man.
Thank you all so much for the support & information. He had a good night and has been ok today, if still very subdued. He seemed a bit unsteady on his feet after his nap today but imagine that's just his system fighting the bug. And his temp has been good too. Our GP rang to see how he is going and to remind us to bring him back in mon or tues. I can't remember the last time I heard of a GP being that proactive!!
I am hopeful this will be just a once off. There is actually a member of my family who has epilepsy, so we'll just be very observant. The fact his looks like a very straightfoward fc is a good sign. Thanks again.
Thank you all so much for the support & information. He had a good night and has been ok today, if still very subdued. He seemed a bit unsteady on his feet after his nap today but imagine that's just his system fighting the bug. And his temp has been good too. Our GP rang to see how he is going and to remind us to bring him back in mon or tues. I can't remember the last time I heard of a GP being that proactive!!
I am hopeful this will be just a once off. There is actually a member of my family who has epilepsy, so we'll just be very observant. The fact his looks like a very straightfoward fc is a good sign. Thanks again.
DS scared me again last night with his temp climbing again, very listless & lethargic. Between him & little miss reflux I was up from 2-5am. Soooo the logical part of me says call MIL and see if she can help out today & hopefully I can manage a nap (it's usually impossible to nap with my very unsettled DD). But the other part of me is worried I'm outstaying my welcome cos she was over tues & then again yesterday (grudgingly) so I could get DD to her Osteo appt while sick DS slept.
It doesn't help that I've stil l got a cold/bug & I'm worried DD is getting it. But you know how you just get sick of asking for help sometimes? And they might sleep simultaneously...
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glad to read he is on the mend. love your pic of Annika in your ticker, hope you're all doing well today xo
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