Epilepsy (convulsion, convulsive seizures) may be known to many of us but rarely or never have we heard of abdominal epilepsy.
Abdominal epilepsy is a controversial topic because it is not accepted by many.
Abdominal pain is a common warning signal of an impending epileptic attack. Sometimes abdominal pain is the only presenting symptom of an epileptic attack.
The pain is in upper mid abdomen, intense, abrupt in onset, and usually lasts for a few minutes. This may however recur several times a day for a period of several days.
In abdominal epilepsy, there is a state of altered consciousness (disorientation or confusion) during attacks usually ending in a deep sleep. Upon waking up, the child usually returns to normal.
Abdominal epilepsy is often confused with abdominal migraine. In children, it may be initially difficult to decide whether the symptoms of abdominal pain are epileptic or migrainous especially if the abdominal migraine is associated with convulsion and loss of consciousness.
Concurrence of migraine and epilepsy in one patient do happen. Eleven percent of epileptics also have migraine while 6.5 percent of patients with migraine have abdominal – epilepsy. Although electro-encephalogram (EEG) or brain wave changes are seen in these children, very few will develop epileptic attacks.
The child with abdominal epilepsy with EEG (brain waves) abnormalities may be relieved by "Dilantin," a drug used for epileptic seizures. (PVI)
The above information thankfully comes from the sunstar.com at the following link.