Medication switch behind Musiala collapses - Bayern

Jamal Musiala collapsed for the second time in four days during Bayern Munich's pre-season friendly with Heidenheim [Getty Images] A change in medication contributed to Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala's collapses in recent friendlies, says head coach Vincent Kompany. Earlier this week, Musiala said he is being treated for a "neurological dysfunction", which causes "temporary, brief, but easily treatable" seizures. Bayern confirmed there were signs of the 23‑year‑old's condition before the World Cup and were aware of it before the start of last season, but they had yet to see it affect him playing football. Speaking before Saturday's German Supercup match against Borussia Dortmund, Kompany said a "slight" change in Musiala's medication had led to two collapses in four days against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim. "I spoke with Jamal, he said, 'no problem, you can say it'," said Kompany. "He made a slight change to his treatment, which caused some side effects. It's perfectly normal to make changes to a treatment plan," added the Bayern boss. "The initial shock for us was a long time ago. Therefore, we're not talking about it that much at the moment. "We've received much more information since then and made decisions with the help of leading experts. Jamal has everyone's support." Two collapses in four days - what's happening to Musiala? Musiala collapses during match for second time Bayern's sporting director Max Eberl said the club were fully behind the player, who had wanted his condition to be made public. "We've known about it the entire last season. The players also knew about it. For us, it's become part of everyday life," said Eberl. "We will give him all our support, have already done so, and will continue to do so. We're doing this together." After ruling out Jamal Musiala for the Supercup opener alongside Lennard Maloney and Serge Gnabry, Kompany said he now wants to "get things back to how they were before". Kompany added that Musiala will now train "individually" for the rest of the week before Bayern begin their Bundesliga title defence against Stuttgart. What are absence seizures? Musiala has scored 69 goals and provided 37 assists for Bayern Munich [Getty Images] Following his collapse on Tuesday, Musiala posted a statement on Instagram where he said the seizures have become part of his everyday life. Absence seizures are a type of generalised seizure that commonly affect children and young adults. There are two types of absence seizures: typical and atypical. Dr Meneka Sidhu, a consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, said typical absence seizures usually last seconds and the person affected may appear to be daydreaming or looking blank. In an absence seizure, a person has varying degrees of loss of awareness and can result in the person affected losing balance and being unresponsive during the seizure itself. "It can be very short-lasting, and the person can continue like nothing happened," she said. "With atypical absences that last longer, people may have automatic movements like fidgeting with their hands, eyelid fluttering and lip smacking. Some people may fall." Repeated episodes of an absence seizure over more than 24 hours can be an indication of epilepsy, although the seizures can be treated with medication. "For anybody affected by epilepsy, it is important to try to identify triggers," added Dr Sidhu. "For people who play sport, triggers may include hyperventilation and dehydration. "When effectively treated, there is no reason absence seizures should stop anyone playing sport." Musiala's condition is one that has been managed by other elite athletes. Rugby player Tommy Freeman started having absence seizures as a 14-year-old and, after later being diagnosed with epilepsy, he now manages the condition by taking tablets alongside playing for Northampton and England.