Am I photosensitive?

[Hom3sick]

Hello guys. Lately i use the computer a lot for work and entertainment. The past 3 - 4 days i feel a bit strange... My head gets dizzy sometimes and I have some muscle twitches. I don't really think I had a seizure for now. Basically these happens when I am at the computer. I know I should see a doctor. But do you thing that i am having epilepsy? And in case I have photosensitive epilepsy, will this ever stop without medicines? (if I use the pc less) I am a bit scared....

Sorry for bad english btw...

[Meetz1064]

need to see a doctor, you are right about that. In the meantime, try putting some polarized sunglasses on when you work at the computer (blue-tinted) to see if that helps.....

Is there anything else that makes you wonder if you have E? Or just this? Start keeping a journal. Write everything down--and include what you eat, sleep time, computer time, EVERYTHING. OK, it's A PAIN IN THE ARSE. But you should see a pattern......and hopefully you can figure out a trigger from there.

Did you know that there are foods that trigger seizures, too?

Check out the following link......you'll find a LOT of good information in it.

EPILEPSY 101

Take care,

Meetz

[Hom3sick]

Thank you very much! Can someone ask my last question...?

[Meetz1064]

ever stop without meds? Hmmmmmm. Well, for some people it does, but on the other hand, for some people it doesn't.

HOWEVER: You do need to get into the doctor, FIRST, and get some testing done. Talk to him/her. Be brutally honest--show them the journal that I brought up in my earlier post.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: YOU HAVE TO STICK UP FOR YOU. If you don't like the answers you're getting, DON'T be afraid to ask for a 2d or even a 3d opinion.

YOU PAY THE DOCTOR'S SALARY, REMEMBER.........

[Bernard]

Hi Hom3sick, welcome to the forum.

What kind of monitor do you have for your computer? LCD screens can reduce flicker and might be better than CRT types.

Seizures are serious events. If you suspect you are experiencing seizure activity, you should definitely see a neurologist and have some testing done. If left undiagnosed/untreated, seizure activity can get progressively worse. Food for thought: Can photosensitivity CAUSE epilepsy?

FYI - Z1 blue lense glasses (that Meetz mentioned).

[skillefer]

Hi Hom3sick! Welcome to CWE. As you can see, a friendly group of people. As Bernard pointed out, you DO need to go see a doctor. And none of us here can diagnose you because we don't know you're complete medical history, and the majority of us are not doctors. Yes, we have a couple here, but they wouldn't diagnose you either without seeing you.

OK...first of all, anybody can have a seizure. For most people it takes a lot to trigger a seizure. But for those with epilepsy, it doesn't take as much to trigger one. Now, you said that you have been using the computer a lot lately. Have you been getting enough sleep? OR have you been staying up really late and not getting enough sleep because your busy on the computer? (I know that's easy....I get sucked into the internet wasteland if I'm not too careful. ) People who are photosensitive usually react to certain things such as lights flickering at a certain speed, patterns of light, etc. Do you have the same twitching when you go to specific places? Or is it just when you're in front of your computer? These are the types of questions that a neurologist will as you. He or she will also order an MRI and/or EEG. Don't be surprised if both come back totally normal. Most of us here have had totally normal EEG's and MRI's.

While you're waiting for your neurologist's appointment, I suggest that you keep a journal. Write down everything you eat and drink (when and how much), how much sleep you get each night, any stress you're under, as well as any odd feelings, twitching, weird smells, migraines, etc that you might have. Write down what you were doing immediately before each episode. And PLEASE be honest about everything you write down. This info does the doc NO good if you're fudging what's going on in your daily life. Then, flip back through the journal and see if you notice a pattern. Are these odd feelings happening at a specific time? If so, then you might be able to discover what is triggering them. If it's only in front of the computer, no matter if you get plenty of sleep and are completely without stress, then it might be a particular flickering that's triggering these odd feelings.
The first step is to go see the neurologist.

Now, if they find that you are having seizures, then you have to understand that seizures are serious and can get worse over time. So that what starts out as mere twitching during an isolated event can progress to breakthrough seizures that are far more violent if you do not do anything to try to control them. If your neurologist says that you have seizures, they will most likely suggest a medication. It is up to you as to whether you choose to take the medication route for treatment, or if you choose to investigate and try an alternative approach. Understand that either form of treatment will probably require a few lifestyle changes. For example, you will need to get on a sleep schedule that gives you at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night, as well as cutting back on caffeine. The most common triggers for seizures are lack of sleep and stress. So you will probably be told to cut back on caffeine (sodas, coffee, tea, energy drinks, etc...), smoking, etc. as well as to make sure that you get plenty of sleep every night. If you're found to be photosensitive, then you might want to consider the polarized lenses that Bernard suggested. Some people found that the lenses cut their photosensitive seizures by over 50%. In any case, you're going to have to go see a neurologist to get a diagnosis. Many other conditions such as hypothyroid and hypoglycemia can trigger seizures, so it may not be that you have epilepsy at all. That is why I am so strongly urging you to go see a doctor. I hope this helped.