first eeg

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy Forums

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy forums - a peer support community for folks dealing (directly or indirectly) with seizure disorders. You can visit the forum page to see the list of forum nodes (categories/rooms) for topics.

Please have a look around and if you like what you see, please consider registering an account and joining the discussions. When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no ads, access to members only (ie. private) forum nodes and more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

Thinking about others 2day.


Some persons have it hard in life so i am thankful for all i have(though there are things that i still need) but i try to be contented until better can be done.
with that note, their are persons who have been having a tough time with E as well as other matters and sometimes it makes me really really sad that they have to be going through this on top of dealing with E.Life can be a BITCH!!!
But we still find giving a kind word or very helpful advise(What a lot of people have and continue to do)on this site is maybe just what the doctor ordered.
I just thought i would say THANK YOU TO ALL from all that is my whole heart for being so caring to persons that you can't see who may be a stranger and all.

I hope my writing makes sense.I have been feeling crappy for a few days and last night(i went to bed at 10:20 pm) i had seizures from that time frame until three the morning.NO SLEEP!! I was feeling so neasious,hot,dizzy,i couldn't see,everything was a blur melded and squished together and i felt like someone was playing football with my head(i couldn't get myself together)LORD i can barely descibe what was happening to me last night!!I almost passed out a few times and i guess i may have cause i woke up this morning feeling so tired and i was made of lead.

You see being on medication(lamictal 100mg daily,i am thankful that i am cause i know i would be a resident of my local hospital)when i get auras they often don't progress to any thing(although a few times they have)but i got it good last night.I have felt tired for most of the day and have dragged myself to do things today.Still getting mild auras but trying to ignore.
have been feeling stupified if that is a word.There but not there.Still have a bad taste in my mouth(i have found that i have some added symptoms besides the ones i usually get) what could that possibly mean?I am going to mention this to my neuro when see him on Wednesday or is it Thursday.Problems with memory,spelling,fishing for words.

Even though,BLESSINGS TO ALL.
 
Hi Marths, sorry you had a tough time lately. I hope that your neurologist can help to reduce the seizures. You are right about being grateful and appreciative for what we have...it helps to have a positive attitude. I hope your day is better today! :)
 
Thank you BrandiBrat.

How have you been? I was reading a few post on other sections of this site(can't remember if they were recent or how old the posts were) did the test you were to take of any more help to your doctors?I hope they were so that your doctors can offer better management of your E.(lord, i hope i didn't mix you up with someone else lol)

I have been having auras still.Take today i was nauseous,dizzy,didn't know whether to laugh,cry or how to quell the feeling of being afraid of god knows what(jumbled emotions)everything seemed brighter,sharper,my head felt funny and my appetite is almost none exsistant.I WAS FEELING SO OFF!
Still feeling that way and sleepy.

There are persons who have to put up with tonic-clonics often so i seem soft in comparison to them so i try not to take it on too much.
I hope you too have better days.
 
I'm sorry to hear you aren't feeling strong. I am hoping for better days for you! :) Everyone's E is different and effects them in different ways, but keeping that positive state of mind will help. Try to take it easy so you feel better.

I'm trying to go med-free and I'm going to change my diet, exercise, and do some relaxation techniques. I will meet with the surgeon in two weeks to talk about what to do next, but for now I am looking at lifestyle changes that help. So far, so good.
 
I hope these steps that you mentioned there really work for you.That's a brave thing you are attempting to do(go med-free).

Wish you all the success BrandiBrat.
 
Not sure what to think????
sorry for the essay.

my doctor has been treating me for TLE and has me on lamictal 50mg x2(100mg)daily.I have been on this medication for six weeks starting at 25mg daily slowly building up.when i had a seizure at work last month(in which i was told i blacked out etc) it was increased to the current dosage.

My doc. is not satisfied with how fast the medication is working he is wondering if i have some anxiety issues?Now b4 i was put on lamictal i could not function at all i was like totally dependent on my husband.the lamictal has helped me alot that i can still function even though i get mild partials sometimes.Now tell me don't persons with TLE show anxiety issues(The thing is doctors can mix up GAD and TLE symptoms because they can be exactly alike.)something he should KNOW.
Does it seem like the doc is second guessing himself(even though i have an EEg showing(L) focal slowing,frequent episodes of bilateral sharp activity(L) etc.....this indicates cerebral irritability plus left cerebral dysfunction)I tell him every single thing i experience from mild to strong(in most cases mild and not often) and this is what i get for telling him.

The thing is i suggested to him that my dosage could be higher it was like talking to a brick wall.This got me upset because he should know that some meds work for some while others don't and the dosage may have to be adjusted for each person.Yet this is his demeanor!!!

Lo and behold i had a seizure on the 9/9/2013 where i fell to the floor(i have no recollection of what the hell happened)i woke up in the hospital.On the 11/9/2013 i was told i had an absent seizure by the doctors.I was discharged to day feeling like i went through the wringer.Funny thing though they gave me 900mg of dilantin plus my regular dosage of lamictal on admission.I felt ok for that day.That was the only time i got the additional meds.During the next day i had the absent seizure while only on the current dosage of lamictal.

Do you think i need a dosage increase or do i need an additional medication or should i try another med?LORD KNOWS I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND I REPEAT NOTHING TO BE FRIGGING ANXIOUS ABOUT!!
 
Last edited:
I'm so sorry to hear about your latest seizure and hospital stay. Only a small percentage of people can manage their Epilepsy while only being on one medication. When you were discharged from the hospital, were you given a prescription for the Dilantin as well?
 
Unfortunately no,much to my detriment.I have to wait for my appointment with my doctor to inform him of the latest.

honestly i don't know what to expect from this visit with him knowing how the last visit went.
 
Only a small percentage of people can manage their Epilepsy while only being on one medication.
I'm pretty sure it's the other way around -- about 70% or 80% control their epilepsy with monotherapy. But if you're one of the 20 to 30% who needs more than one med it can be tricky to find the right combo/dosing. And then there's the small percentage for whom meds don't work at all. :(

Regardless, if you're not comfortable with your neuro and his approach to your treatment, or you feel like you're working at cross-purposes, it might be worth finding a new doc. Having the right collaborators in your healthcare can make a huge difference.
 
thanks Nakamova

The thought did cross my mind that i may have to change my neurologist.He surprised me at my last visit(I KNOW what i am experiencing.He only knows what i tell him i am experiencing.But it's like he has my body and i don't.He is trying to tell me i don't know what i am experiencing but he does,SO IT"s LIKE HE"S IMPOSING HIS OPINION ON ME!!!)

But what you said makes alot of sense.
 
Not to impose upon your subject and serious thread, but maybe its better to inject a little humor, marths.

I have a reading comprehension disorder, so every time I read the name of your thread, "first eeg", I read it as if it says, "first egg". No matter how many times I read it, It says, "egg".

Best luck with the situation. I'm on two types of meds, and their working well. I have been lucky enough to have some of the best doctors. My current doctor wants to see results. If I'm having a problem, all it takes is a phone call and the dosage changes immediately. Every visit ma cost a nice chunk of change, but usually it takes about five minutes. If everything is good, I say hello and walk out the door. If there is an issues, he makes a suggestion and we move on it.

This is how my doctor works, not how every doctor should work. If you aren't happy with your doctor, I would suggest you swiftly research and find the best one you can.

Best of luck.
 
lol.egg.

your "lock key"you have a great doctor(gosh i'm so stale even a cockroach would steups at me).your doc sounds like just what i need.
Thanks for the laugh i needed that. Happy you have your E under manners so far.
have an appointment on Friday with a different doctor.Don't know what to expect.
 
Hi all.

Can someone explain this to me cause i'm tired of doctors already.
Took a second EEG. it says that the EEG is abnormal with diffuse multifocal spikes and waves and multifocal spikes are often associated with diffuse structural injury involving the gray matter of the hemispheres.There was anterior burst of diffuse intermittent theta with recurrent bilateral eye movement.No Epileptiform discharges.

Add this to my previous EEG:abnormal EEG ,cerebral irritability plus cerebral dysfunction.Momentary bilateral sharp activity more marked on the left with some intermixed left sided theta slowing.

Both of these EEG's were done when i was awake.

Lord now i'm confused.
I've had auras since i was 7 years of age.Headaches in my 20's that i thought were migraine and they suddenly just stopped. later i had headaches that started on the left then switched to the right side and vice versa. They too just stopped but i remained with the auras,anxiety?Depression?.Now i have auras plus seizures.
please god what is going on with me!!!
 
Last edited:
Both seizures and migraines can change over time in response to internal factors (metabolism, hormones, etc) and external factors (stress, lifestyle, etc.). So more than likely your neurologogical activity has been evolving in different ways over the years. No fun for you of course. :(

Have you had a chance to chat with your neuro about the EEG results? That would be the best thing to do, since the exact interpretation can depend on a number of different aspects of the EEG.

That said, your recent EEG isn't showing the brainwaves associated with epilepsy. That doesn't mean you don't have epilepsy, only that the EEG didn't pick anything up. Some kinds of seizures (especially auras, which in epilepsy are the same as simple partial seizures) can be too fleeting or originate too deep in the brain to register. What the EEG did show was a different kind of abnormal brainwave, one associated with "diffuse structural injury involving the gray matter of the hemispheres". "Diffuse structural injury" often results from head trauma, but it also can appear in folks with migraine history.
 
Marths,

Something I like to always keep in mind is; The only thing that never changes is the fact that things will continue to change.

I think Nakamova has covered the rest. ;)
Happy Friday.
 
thank you for the information
the appointment with the new neurologist didn't take place today so i'm trying to get another appointment for next week.

The thing i found out is that there were some problems with some of the electrodes with regards to this EEG so i'm thinking another EEG is needed as this one could be erronious(Definitely NOT GOING BACK THERE TO HAVE ANOTHER EEG!!!!)Hope the new doctor is genuinely a doctor.
Also i haven't had what may have been migraines or switching head pains in 10years(i'm 38 years old now i had auras from 7 then from some years in my 20's i had the auras(not happening just before those mentioned symptoms)the head pains(migraines),which stopped but i still continued to get auras. Now i have auras plus seizures)

haven't had any head trauma(accidents etc)
 
Last edited:
just a thought. is it true that migraines and Epilepsy are comorbid? I am asking because i am confused and I know another EEG is a must.God ...i don't know maybe i'm asking cause i'm scared,upset and on edge about the whole situation!!!
 
Last edited:
saw another neurologist/neurosurgeon today.He looked over my eeg Asked me a lot of questions and we had a long conversation.He indicated to me the percentage of people with E don't always get an EEG where they catch a seizure.Some never do.But i had to abnormal EEG's that showed some funny business.This together with my history of symptoms points to TLE.

So his aim is to get my symptoms under control. I was put on Dilantin 100mg twice daily and lamictal 50mg twice daily for now.

Can anyone suggest how i can take this coctail?
 
Last edited:
Your neurologist should have provided instructions for taking the meds -- you should get in touch with him and ask for a written letter with the details.

With all the anti-seizure meds ramping up slowly can help minimize side effects, but it's most important to do so with Lamictal. "Low and slow" is the way to go. If you haven't started it yet, ask your neuro about taking just 25 mg/day (perhaps in the morning) for two weeks, then adding the second 25mg at night, again staying at that increment for two weeks. Then adding another 25 mg in the morning for another two-week stretch, and then adding the next 25 mg in the evening after that. (My neuro actually had me cut my 25mg pills in half to go even slower!). Dilantin can be ramped up faster, but if you have the option, it can help to wait until you get up to a therapeutic dose on one med before adding the other. That makes it easier to evaluate both side effects and seizure control. And who knows, you might not need both meds at the target doses in order to get seizure control.
 
Back
Top Bottom