autistic child...EEG...seizures...hypoglycemia. HELP

any experience there?

My son will be 4 next month. He is autistic and after a couple of weird "episodes" he now has to have an eeg. I'm anticipating complete disaster. First of all, he has a bit of an aversion to having his head/hair messed with. Second, I know he has to sleep at some point during the test. Well, they have it scheduled for 7:30 AM   I tried to reschedule it for later in the day but because he is autistic, they have scheduled an "extended" eeg....I guess to allow extra time in case he has a meltdown. They will only schedule the extended eeg early in the morning, which is frustrating because I don't know how I will get him to sleep for it unless they keep him there until like 2pm. If he doesn't sleep, the test will need to be repeated  

I guess what I'm looking for is for someone to tell me about their experience. Specifically if you have an autistic child and had an "extended" eeg.....and even more specifically, if your child has issues with his or her head being messed with.

Also, if your child has seizures....how do they present? The other possibility is that my son is having hypoglycemic episodes. The doc thinks that's less likely as she does not believe his blood sugar was alarmingly low. However, if your child has had episodes of hypoglycemia, how did that present? Just trying to figure out what's wrong with my baby  

Thanks!

I have no insight just want to say I hope someone can relate.

Quoting wombie:" any experience there? My son will be 4 next month. He is autistic and after a couple of weird "episodes" ... [snip!] ... child has had episodes of hypoglycemia, how did that present? Just trying to figure out what's wrong with my baby   Thanks!"

Does your kid like pressure or to be covered, snuggled, or in water after these episode? Have they considered sensory seizures?

Quoting Just Ames:" I have no insight just want to say I hope someone can relate."

<3

The only thing I have experience with is the low blood sugar. I faint. I will just stand there, get hot and dizzy, and then fall over. I have to keep glucose tablets with me.

If its @ 730 wake him up @ 3 and keep him awake. They will let you hold him during test. We are currently having an ambulatory eeg. Went in to have it put on this morning. If theres no clear evidence of a seizure on his 1st eeg, they may make you do this 24 hr one.

Aidan can't STAND to have anything touched on his head. When they did his 24 hour eeg they had to distract him while they placed all the wires...when that stopped working...had to hold him down. Then they place gauze over and he has to lay in a bed/crib like thing until it's done and can't move while attached to the machine. Does he like the innotab or anything like that? I'd bring lots of movies on a portable DVD player.

Here's what Aidan looked like during:


After a little while he got used to it. But they tape it on pretty good so he can't tear it off.   I'm sorry wombie.

I am hypoglycemic. If I don't have enough sugar, I go blind and deaf and slowly start to pass out. However, my brother had a seizure from his.

We keep sugar, chocolate and orange juice in the house to keep it up.

Hope you get some insight
<3

Quoting Naocorn:" Does your kid like pressure or to be covered, snuggled, or in water after these episode? Have they considered sensory seizures?"

He has had two episodes and this is what happened both times.....they were EXACTLY the same.

I woke up before him which NEVER happens. After a while of him still laying there, I decided to wake him up. I turn on the light to find him grey (almost cyanotic) in the face, nearly unresponsive and totally floppy. The first time it happened, I took him straight to the ER. He started to kind of come around in the car and did end up drinking a little bit of juice. He continued to improve and looked better color wise once we got to the ER. He vomited about 30 minutes after we got there and then bounced back to nearly normal. I'm pretty sure they thought I was a paranoid mom and they discharged him home without any work up and with a diagnosis of "virus".

The second time it happened, he woke up the very same way. This time, I wasn't even messing around with the ER and urgent care wasn't open so I took him to the fire station and asked them to check his vitals. All of his vitals seemed within normal limits. I asked them to also check his blood sugar. They did and it was 53. I thought that seemed fairly low. He drank some juice but this time it took him about 3 hours to return to a fairly normal state.

I followed up with his pedi who felt 53 was not a low enough blood sugar (at his age) to cause the symptoms he was having. She is more concerned that he may be having seizures and that's why the eeg was ordered.

so, in a nutshell.....yes, he does have some sensory issues but there is also something very wrong (medically) that is causing these episodes. We just have to figure out what it is.

man, that was long....sorry  

Quoting khigh:" The only thing I have experience with is the low blood sugar. I faint. I will just stand there, get hot and dizzy, and then fall over. I have to keep glucose tablets with me."

for the time being, I'm making sure he eats very regularly and gets a good snack before bed.....just in case it is hypoglycemia

Quoting *Mommy for life*:" If its @ 730 wake him up @ 3 and keep him awake. They will let you hold him during test. We are currently ... [snip!] ... to have it put on this morning. If theres no clear evidence of a seizure on his 1st eeg, they may make you do this 24 hr one."

I almost wish they'd just admit him over night and do a 24 hour eeg.......I just anticipate this thing being a mess

I can relate a little. My sister has Asbergers and she is also epileptic. She has a HORRIBLE fear of any type of doctor. Usually my mom is in there to keep her calm but there have been cases where she has had to be restrained because she is a fighter.

Quoting Legendary Bonnie Beaver:" Aidan can't STAND to have anything touched on his head. When they did his 24 hour eeg they had to distract ... [snip!] ... After a little while he got used to it. But they tape it on pretty good so he can't tear it off.   I'm sorry wombie. "

awww, bless his little heart <3

Myles does like the ipad so I'll definitely be bringing that with us!

Quoting Squid Kid:" I am hypoglycemic. If I don't have enough sugar, I go blind and deaf and slowly start to pass out. However, ... [snip!] ... pass out. However, my brother had a seizure from his. We keep sugar, chocolate and orange juice in the house to keep it up."

how scary