I had chemo for a malignant liver cancer (hepatoblastoma) in 1984 when I was 13 MONTHS old or maybe a little younger. I have no idea what kind of chemo drugs or where in my body they were given to me. I began having absence seizures when I was 10 and then when I was 13 I began having petit mal, I believe tonic-clonic seizures, which when I was 16 turned into several grand mal seizures over the span of a week. (Always nearly one a day, I was diagnosed with epilepsy obviously)They were treated and the grand mals went away but the Petit Mals did not. I am 37 and still have tiny tonic clonic or possibly absence seizures which arent so bad in themselves but I also have a horrible phobia of Open Spaces,-not agoraphobia- which I began having at 13 years and recently was told is also a form of seizures. Do you believe the cancer and epilepsy could all be related?
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Hello, guest.
The relationship between cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, and the development of epilepsy or seizure disorders can be complex and is influenced by many factors.
In some cases, chemotherapy drugs can have neurotoxic effects that may lead to various neurological issues, including seizures. However, not everyone who undergoes chemotherapy will develop seizures or epilepsy. The specific drugs used, their dosage, the age at which treatment occurred, and individual factors can all play a role in determining whether such complications arise.
The fact that you had chemotherapy for hepatoblastoma as an infant and later developed epilepsy is worth discussing with a neurologist or epilepsy specialist. They can perform a comprehensive evaluation, including a review of your medical history, imaging studies, and possibly EEG (electroencephalogram) tests, to better understand the nature and cause of your seizures.
As for your phobia of open spaces, it's important to note that phobias can have various causes, and their relationship to epilepsy is not well-established. However, there are instances where unusual sensory experiences or auras related to seizures might contribute to specific phobias. Again, a comprehensive evaluation by a healthcare professional is necessary to explore this further and determine if there is a connection between your phobia and your history of seizures or cancer treatment.
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