Patient's question:
The baby is 2 years old and suffers from epilepsy. They are taking antiepileptic medication. On the first night after taking the medication, the child exhibited restless crying. Starting from the second day, they always had their eyes squinted as if they hadn't woken up, appearing lethargic. On the third day, they developed a fever. We took the child to the local health clinic for a fever-reducing injection, and their fever subsided. However, on the fourth day, they developed a fever again, reaching 39°C. Over these days, they have been squinting and lethargic. Is this a side effect of the medication?Doctor's answer:
General convulsions are usually caused by high fever. This symptom is called "fright shock," which is also known as "childhood acute convulsions" in traditional Chinese medicine. This is one of the common acute conditions in children under the age of eight.Guidelines:
If convulsions occur without a fever, it's not as straightforward. Several diseases can present with this symptom, including encephalitis, brain developmental abnormalities, epilepsy, and hypocalcemia. If the electroencephalogram (EEG) is normal, based on my personal experience, I would suspect hypocalcemia in your child. It's best to go to the hospital for examination and confirmation, and then proceed with symptomatic treatment.