Question:
I have a friend whose 16 year old son has started having seizures in the middle of the night. He has been diabetic since age 4. His doctor has recommended that he be put on an anticonvulsant. They have not discussed
what kind as of yet but she wants to be prepared with some information before she talks to the doctor. Are night time seizures common among teenage diabetics?
Answer:
Diabetes and seizure disorders are both relatively common disorders, so
it's possible that both could happen to the same person. The details of the
therapy of seizure disorders should be discussed with a neurologist if your
friend and her teenager have questions that his physician cannot answer.
However, before diagnosing seizure disorders in a person with diabetes
who has seizures only at night, I'd want to be very sure that the blood
sugar levels during the night are not super-low and causing the seizures.
If this were the case, adjusting the insulin program is crucial, and
anti-seizure medications are not appropriate.
WWQ
Original posting 22 Nov 97
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