Laughing fits...Gelastic epilepsy??

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

My son (CHARGE) soon to be 7 has been having laughing fits for

some time now. He gets very excited and his arms and legs go and he

laughs. To me it seems it is usually triggered by something that

amuses him.. something he is watching on T.V. or when people come and

go...kinda like peekaboo ? Anyway we brought him to a nuerologist a

few weeks back who ruled out Angelmans Syndrome (Happy Puppet

Syndrome) has some of the traits of it, balance issues,waking

at night and akward gait.....Anyway his EEG showed some abnormalities

and the nuerologist has ordered some antiseizure medicine and

called it Gelastic epilepsy, I am looking further into this but at

this time just wondering if anyone else has expierienced anything like

this...Thank you all, this just developed as of last night so I have

many questions to redirect to his nuerologist.

Platania (Mom to

6 yr old CHARGER)

[Guest guest]

Our daughter has laughing fits, or sometimes periods of wild mood swings (crying

one second, hysterically laughing the next, right back to crying, then suddenly

stops). These can go on for hours sometimes. We believe these are seizure

related, though no one has given them a formal name yet. She definitely does

have seizures, as shown on a 24-hour EEG she had about 18 months ago. Hers have

gotten progressively worse.

I attended a workshop on epilepsy at 's school a couple weeks ago, and

from the information described there and the videos I saw, I believe has

more than one type of seizure. In fact, the person giving the talk (from the

Epilepsy Foundation) said that most people who have epilepsy experience several

different types of seizures.

We are currently trying to get into the Cleveland Clinic's pediatric

epilepsy center for further evaluation. We've heard they're great there.

, mom to (5)

http://kauffmanlak.blogspot.com/

---------------------------------

Be a PS3 game guru.

Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I thought of when I read that post about Gelastic seizures as well!

pam

>

>

>

>

> Our daughter has laughing fits, or sometimes periods of wild mood swings

> (crying one second, hysterically laughing the next, right back to crying, then

> suddenly stops). These can go on for hours sometimes. We believe these are

> seizure related, though no one has given them a formal name yet. She

> definitely does have seizures, as shown on a 24-hour EEG she had about 18

> months ago. Hers have gotten progressively worse.

>

> I attended a workshop on epilepsy at 's school a couple weeks ago, and

> from the information described there and the videos I saw, I believe has

> more than one type of seizure. In fact, the person giving the talk (from the

> Epilepsy Foundation) said that most people who have epilepsy experience

> several different types of seizures.

>

> We are currently trying to get into the Cleveland Clinic's pediatric

> epilepsy center for further evaluation. We've heard they're great there.

>

> , mom to (5)

> http://kauffmanlak.blogspot.com/

>

> ---------------------------------

> Be a PS3 game guru.

> Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

Dear ,

Thank you for your response...Is on any medicine for this??The

Dr. prescribed Trileptal for ,but I am going to wait until

he gets home from school on Friday to start it...just in case there

are any side effects..Thanks Again,

Platania (mom to 6)

> Our daughter has laughing fits, or sometimes periods of wild mood

swings (crying one second, hysterically laughing the next, right

back to crying, then suddenly stops). These can go on for hours

sometimes. We believe these are seizure related, though no one has

given them a formal name yet. She definitely does have seizures, as

shown on a 24-hour EEG she had about 18 months ago. Hers have

gotten progressively worse.

>

> I attended a workshop on epilepsy at 's school a couple

weeks ago, and from the information described there and the videos I

saw, I believe has more than one type of seizure. In fact,

the person giving the talk (from the Epilepsy Foundation) said that

most people who have epilepsy experience several different types of

seizures.

>

> We are currently trying to get into the Cleveland Clinic's

pediatric epilepsy center for further evaluation. We've heard

they're great there.

>

>

> , mom to (5)

> http://kauffmanlak.blogspot.com/

>

> ---------------------------------

> Be a PS3 game guru.

> Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at

Yahoo! Games.

>

>

[Guest guest]

yes,my son who is 7, recently,about 8 mnths, began laughing fits that

would begin for no apparent reason and last for more than 1 hour. No matter how

I distracted him ,he would still persist in his uncontrollable laughter.His

neurologist ,after taking a full medical history deemed it not indicated to do

an eeg as she felt he was not epileptic. In anycase is on a low dose of

sodium valpourate for his preservative uncontrollable body movements as his

,hands,feet,head and body do not stop moving for a second.It definitely had the

desired effect of integration and calmness in the beginning but unfortunately

the honeymoon period is over and we feel it is not helping at all anymore. he

still cannot be still in his body at all. all the time and all day long.

I am interested more in this Gelastic epilepsy and how does one get a definitive

diagnosis and treatment?

Father of 7 ChaRGE

and Gwynne

22 Copthorne Rd

Felbridge

Surrey

RH19 2NS

01342-322182

[Guest guest]

>

> yes,my son who is 7, recently,about 8 mnths, began laughing

fits that would begin for no apparent reason and last for more than

1 hour. No matter how I distracted him ,he would still persist in

his uncontrollable laughter.His neurologist ,after taking a full

medical history deemed it not indicated to do an eeg as she felt he

was not epileptic. In anycase is on a low dose of sodium

valpourate for his preservative uncontrollable body movements as

his ,hands,feet,head and body do not stop moving for a second.It

definitely had the desired effect of integration and calmness in the

beginning but unfortunately the honeymoon period is over and we feel

it is not helping at all anymore. he still cannot be still in his

body at all. all the time and all day long.

> I am interested more in this Gelastic epilepsy and how does one

get a definitive diagnosis and treatment?

>

> Father of 7 ChaRGE

> and Gwynne

> 22 Copthorne Rd

> Felbridge

> Surrey

> RH19 2NS

>

> 01342-322182

>

>

[Guest guest]

> >

> > yes,my son who is 7, recently,about 8 mnths, began

laughing

> fits that would begin for no apparent reason and last for more

than

> 1 hour. No matter how I distracted him ,he would still persist in

> his uncontrollable laughter.His neurologist ,after taking a full

> medical history deemed it not indicated to do an eeg as she felt

he

> was not epileptic. In anycase is on a low dose of sodium

> valpourate for his preservative uncontrollable body movements as

> his ,hands,feet,head and body do not stop moving for a second.It

> definitely had the desired effect of integration and calmness in

the

> beginning but unfortunately the honeymoon period is over and we

feel

> it is not helping at all anymore. he still cannot be still in his

> body at all. all the time and all day long.

> > I am interested more in this Gelastic epilepsy and how does one

> get a definitive diagnosis and treatment?

> >

> > Father of 7 ChaRGE

> > and Gwynne

> > 22 Copthorne Rd

> > Felbridge

> > Surrey

> > RH19 2NS

> >

> > 01342-322182

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

Have you looked into and dismissed either PANDAS or Yeast overgrowth as being

connected to the constant movement?

Best to you,

Mom to Kendra, and Camille

Re:Laughing fits...Gelastic epilepsy??

yes,my son who is 7, recently,about 8 mnths, began laughing fits that

would begin for no apparent reason and last for more than 1 hour. No matter how

I distracted him ,he would still persist in his uncontrollable laughter.His

neurologist ,after taking a full medical history deemed it not indicated to do

an eeg as she felt he was not epileptic. In anycase is on a low dose of

sodium valpourate for his preservative uncontrollable body movements as his

,hands,feet,head and body do not stop moving for a second.It definitely had the

desired effect of integration and calmness in the beginning but unfortunately

the honeymoon period is over and we feel it is not helping at all anymore. he

still cannot be still in his body at all. all the time and all day long.

I am interested more in this Gelastic epilepsy and how does one get a

definitive diagnosis and treatment?

Father of 7 ChaRGE

and Gwynne

22 Copthorne Rd

Felbridge

Surrey

RH19 2NS

01342-322182

[Guest guest]

,

Trileptal was the first med they tried on, but she had adverse reactions

to it--it actually made her seizures much worse. But it could have a totally

different effect on . That's the hard thing with finding the right

seizure med--it's all trial and error. is on Lamictal right now. It's

helped her some, but she's had a lot of breakthrough on it recently.

Let us know how the Trileptal works for .

, mom to (5)

http://kauffmanlak.blogspot.com/

---------------------------------

Don't pick lemons.

See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.

[Guest guest]

,

I believe an EEG is the only definitive way that a neurologist can confirm

seizures. Videoing your child and having the doctor observe can also be

helpful, but the EEG will definitely show whether or not there is seizure

activity occurring in the brain. From what a nurse at the Cleveland Clinic told

me yesterday, an MRI would be warranted only if the EEG was showing a lot of

different types of seizure activity in one area of the brain. If the seizure

activity is coming from all over the brain, the concern wouldn't be as high--if

all in one area, there may be something going on in that area of the brain that

they would want to check further.

, mom to (5)

http://kauffmanlak.blogspot.com/

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

>

> ,

>

> Trileptal was the first med they tried on, but she had

adverse reactions to it--it actually made her seizures much worse.

But it could have a totally different effect on . That's the

hard thing with finding the right seizure med--it's all trial and

error. is on Lamictal right now. It's helped her some, but

she's had a lot of breakthrough on it recently.

>

> Let us know how the Trileptal works for .

>

>

> , mom to (5)

> http://kauffmanlak.blogspot.com/

>

> ---------------------------------

> Don't pick lemons.

> See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

I couldn't agree with you more however the neurologists always say that because

is on sodium valpourate already (an epileptic med ) that would be their

choice of treatment so why bother kind of attitude.BTW is on SV low dose

for hyperactivity and behavioural related issues such as stimming and hand

biting.

Thanks

,'s father.

[Guest guest]

My son Dylan, age 10 also has " laugh attacks " . which I describe as seizure like.

We have chosen not to take a medication approach at this time, but

instead focus on his HANDLE program, which has helped organize his

nervous system and decreased the occurrance of his laugh attacks and

his frantic states. I have to say though that it is an ongoing

process. My goals are to increase the amount of time he is engaged

with the world, for relationship and for learning. As " cute " as he

can appear, when in a laugh attack, he is NOT engaged. The process is

about figuring out what we can do to help him regulate his system, so

he can be engaged again.

Kim

Certified HANDLE Screener and Intern

Mom to Dylan 10 CHaRGE, Kayla 16, Tyler 18

and wife to Roy who makes all things possible in our lives.