ROCKY HILL, CT — A few missed doses of his anti-seizure medication caused Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton’s to collapse and seize a few weeks ago. That’s according to his doctors.
A day after Boughton collapsed at a campaign event in Avon his campaign staff said it was the result of dehydration, which may have contributed, but wasn’t the immediate cause of the seizure, his neurological surgeon Dr. Robert Friedlander said Wednesday in a Skype interview.
Boughton was joined by his primary care physician, Spyros Smith, and Friedlander at a press conference to address his physical fitness for governor. The conclusion from his doctors is there is nothing in his medical history that would prevent him from campaigning and running for governor.
During the event, Friedlander described in detail the conditions of the mayor’s slow growing and benign tumor that was removed in August.
Prior to the surgery, Boughton had been experiencing morning headaches caused by pressure build up in the brain. This resulted in a surgery to prevent any further growth of the tumor. In good spirits, Boughton, one of 11 Republican candidates vying for governor, promised the press, “Don’t worry, he didn’t make me into a Democrat.”
Friedlander tried to dismiss any concerns the tumor was causing the seizure.
He called the seizure a direct result of a “few missed doses” of anti-seizure medication, dehydration and stress. Earlier, the campaign attributed the seizure almost exclusively to dehydration. Boughton is expected to take a medication called Keppra twice a day in varying doses for the foreseeable future to prevent another seizure. Friedlander called the possibility of another seizure possible, but low.
Pressed about why Boughton missed his evening dosage of the medication prior to the Avon event, the mayor admitted, “the reality is that I felt so good that frankly you just forget.” He promised to make it a priority as the campaign moves forward.
The medication, Friedlander admitted, can cause temporary fatigue that can be overcome with time. The mayor himself admitted he was tired that week, but called his current energy level good.
Addressing the stress of the campaign, Boughton promised, “If they told me I couldn’t take it, I wouldn’t be running.”
The nine-term mayor will have an annual MRI to check the tumor, and will make lifestyle changes to watch his general health, including an hour of physical exercise per day and changes to his diet. As to the prognosis, Friedlander called it “excellent.”
This is the third time Boughton has run for governor. Each time he’s had to try and overcome challenges from fundraising to running mates.
“My family and I, and most importantly, my doctors, are confident that I am fit to continue my campaign for Governor and to serve the people of this state,” Boughton said. “I’m going to be okay, but Connecticut may never recover from the disastrous policies of Dan Malloy. I need your support now more than ever.”
