June 13, 2005
Hyperglycemia and DKA, Other
Question from Shoreline, Washington, USA:
What causes hyperglycemic seizures?
My daughter was diagnosed with right lateral mesial sclerosis condition and I feel it may have a factor in causing hyperglycemic seizures. She has had these mystery seizures for less than a year and then they stopped. Has anyone in the medical community ever heard of this happening to a child? She’s had the full work up and I can’t get any answers.
I get accused of MSBP (Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy), but the child’s condition worsened instead of improved when away from me. My daughter had multiloculated cystic lesions which necessitated surgery and a pelvic cavity full of pus, plus an appendectomy of perfectly healthy appendix. Could this explain the high blood sugars that hospital could not control?
Answer:
Usually hypoglycemia, not hyperglycemia, can cause seizures. In theory, there would have to be enormously elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) to be associated with seizures. Without a much more detailed review of her medical record, it would be impossible to speculate. If she has a separate neurologic problem which causes seizures, just after such seizures the stress response could include high sugars transiently.
SB
