Epilepsy or not please reply…eeg results attached - #11731

Hello Beulah, thank you for sharing your concern. I went through your history and EEG report and here is my advise for you -

1. Eucalyptus oil is known to cause seizures in some people.

2. The EEG findings are typical of tendency for generalized epilepsy. But such findings do not appear in normal people after eucalyptus ingestion after the toxin clears out.

3. So the eucalyptus oil probably triggered the first seizure. But the EEG suggests she has an underlying predisposition to epilepsy (otherwise the EEG would have been normal). So, even without eucalyptus oil in future, she may still be at risk of seizures.

4. Phenytoin and Levetiracetam are standard anti-seizure medicines. They help control seizures and prevent recurrence. Duration of treatment depends on clinical course and your neurologist’s advice (often at least 2 years seizure-free before considering taper).

5. Lastly, Prognosis is generally good if medicines are taken regularly. Please avoid all possible seizure triggers (sleep deprivation, alcohol, missed medicines, certain oils/camphor, flashing lights in sensitive individuals).

Feel free to reach out again.

Regards, Dr. Nirav Jain MBBS, DNB D.Fam.Med

The eucalyptus oil likely triggered her first seizures, but the EEG findings are not explained by eucalyptus toxicity alone. They are consistent with underlying generalized epilepsy.

1. The EEG report shows frequent bursts of sharp and slow wave discharges on both hemispheres, which is a typical finding seen in generalized epilepsy.

2. Eucalyptus oil in high doses can act as a toxin and trigger convulsions in some people, but its effects are usually short-lived and do not produce lasting EEG changes.

3. The abnormal activity in your EEG taken days after the episode suggests that there is an underlying seizure tendency, not just a temporary effect of eucalyptus oil.

4. The medicines prescribed, phenytoin and levetiracetam, are standard anti-seizure drugs and are appropriate for controlling generalized epilepsy.

5. Having two GTCS seizures on the same day and then an abnormal EEG pattern supports the diagnosis of epilepsy rather than a one-time toxic reaction.

6. With regular use of the medicines, seizure control is possible and most people can lead a normal life when they stick to treatment.

7. To confirm further, your neurologist may repeat EEG in follow-up, and continued monitoring will help decide how long you need medication.

Hello Beulah,

Thank you for sharing the details.

1. About the event

Ingesting 5 ml eucalyptus oil is known to cause neurotoxicity and can trigger seizures, even in people without prior epilepsy.

So, the two GTCS (generalized tonic-clonic seizures) on that day could very well be directly due to eucalyptus oil ingestion.

2. About the EEG (done 3 days later)

The report mentions frequent generalized sharp and slow wave discharges → this is an inter-ictal epileptiform abnormality, typically seen in generalized epilepsy syndromes.

This pattern is not explained solely by eucalyptus oil — if seizures were only toxin-induced, the EEG is usually normal after recovery.

3. Interpretation

The presence of such EEG abnormalities suggests a tendency for epilepsy, even if the first seizures were provoked by eucalyptus oil.

In practice, doctors treat this as epilepsy and continue anti-seizure medicines (like phenytoin, levetiracetam), especially since she had multiple seizures.

4. Next steps Continue medications as prescribed. Follow up with a neurologist for regular review and possible long-term management. Avoid seizure triggers (sleep deprivation, missed meds, toxins, alcohol, etc.).

Hello I suggest you to visit a NEUROLOGIST for best opinion and management. EPILEPSY is a serious issue and you may need to switch medicines and tale precautions. So, have an in person session with the specialist ONLY.

Take care

Ingestion of eucalyptus oil is known to cause side effects like respiratory depression,seizures,gastrointestinal symptoms. Though there is no antidote for eucalyptus oil , the treatment is usually supportive with use of antiepileptic drugs(usually phenytoin is not used in toxin induced seizures).The only thing Your doctor can do is to optimise the antiepileptics to find a minimum dose at which you remain seizure free

Thank you for sharing the details. From what you have described, the seizures occurred after ingestion of eucalyptus oil, which is known to be neurotoxic and can provoke generalized tonic–clonic seizures even in individuals without a prior history of epilepsy. However, the EEG done a few days later shows inter-ictal generalized epileptiform discharges, which is more in keeping with an underlying predisposition to epilepsy rather than just an acute toxin-related event. Toxin-induced seizures usually resolve once the offending agent is cleared, and the EEG tends to normalize; persistent epileptiform discharges suggest that the patient may indeed have generalized epilepsy. In clinical practice, such cases are treated as new-onset epilepsy, and antiseizure medications (like phenytoin and levetiracetam) are continued for some time under close follow-up. It is important for her to have ongoing neurological evaluation, as the diagnosis cannot be made on EEG alone — history, recurrence of seizures, and follow-up EEGs will help clarify whether this was purely toxin-induced or the unmasking of an underlying epilepsy. So oil likely triggered the initial seizures, but the EEG findings suggest that she has an underlying tendency for generalized epilepsy, which needs continued neurologist supervision.

In this case, the seizures were likely triggered by eucalyptus oil ingestion (a known neurotoxin that can provoke seizures), but the EEG showing generalized epileptiform discharges suggests an underlying tendency toward epilepsy rather than just a one-time toxic reaction. A single toxic exposure usually causes seizures with a normal EEG once recovered, whereas persistent inter-ictal epileptiform activity points to an inherent seizure disorder.