Has this happened to you?

[KathyJJ]

Hi everyone! It’s so good to find people that understand epilepsy! Since I had my first seizure, which was MANY years ago, I have had what doctors called then "petit mal" seizures. Later, they called them Psychomotor seizures but my symptoms were the same. My symptoms would be: falling, rubbing my clothes, moaning, etc. I didn't have them every day but quite often. For several years as I have gotten older, my seizures have improved. For the last several days, my seizures have been the type where I go on and do as I should do but don't remember it or anything about what I did during the seizure after it. I even talk during my seizure. For example, some days, I've had three just as I described. In fact, the last one, my husband told me I argued with him about how many I had that day but I don't remember anything about it. Don't misunderstand. I'm not complaining. I would rather have this type than what I've been having all of these years. I'm just curious about what's going on and is there anyone out there that has had a change like this? I thought they might be called "absence" seizures but are they? If not, what are they called? Lately, I'm been having what I thought might be this type of seizures but it is all new to me so I'm not sure. For example, yesterday I was cleaning house and was just about finished the last I remember. My husband had been helping me and the next thing I knew he was downstairs. I went down to check on him and he told me when he had finished upstairs, he told me he was going downstairs to work but I don't remember anything about it. I asked him if he noticed me having a seizure and he said he couldn't tell it if I was. Does this sound like an absence seizure to anyone? If not, what does it sound like? I don't have a doctor to ask because I'm one of those unlucky ones that the medication side effects are worse than my seizures were when they were worst. My doctors told me I was better off without the medications because of this. I'm not complaining I'm just curious. Whatever this type of seizure is, it's better than what I was having. If I had known this all these years, I would have wanted to be “OLD” as my grandchildren say, years ago!!!! Thanks for your information and time.

[RobinN]

Welcome KathyJJ -
I can't speak about the type of seizures you are experiencing as my 16 yr old daughter has classic tonic clonic seizures. There are others more knowledgeable than me who will be along. Just give it some time due to the holidays.

Glad you could join us. I hope you find some good reading material here, while you wait for some feedback.

[Birdbomb]

Welcome Kathy

Make yourself at home.

[angel]

hi kathyjj,

it sounds to me like your having complex partial seizures....

Background: Complex partial seizures cause impaired consciousness and arise from a single brain region. Impaired consciousness implies decreased responsiveness and awareness of self and surroundings. During a complex partial seizure, the patient may not communicate, respond to commands, or remember events that occurred. Consciousness might not be impaired completely. During a complex partial seizure, some patients may make simple verbal responses, follow simple commands, or continue to perform simple or, less commonly, complex motor behaviors such as operating a car. Complex partial seizures typically arise from the temporal lobe but may arise from any cortical region.

Automatisms are quasi-purposeful motor or verbal behaviors that commonly accompany complex partial seizures. The behavior is called quasi-purposeful because it is repeated inappropriately or is inappropriate for the situation. Verbal automatisms range from simple vocalizations, such as moaning, to more complex, comprehensible, stereotyped speech.

Automatisms also may occur during nonepileptic states of confusion (eg, metabolic encephalopathy), after ictus, and during absence seizures. Motor automatisms are classified as simple or complex. Simple motor automatisms include oral automatisms (eg, lip smacking, chewing, swallowing) and manual automatisms (eg, picking, fumbling, patting). Unilateral manual automatisms accompanied by contralateral arm dystonia usually indicates seizure onset from the cerebral hemisphere ipsilateral to the manual automatisms.

Complex motor automatisms are more elaborate, coordinated movements involving bilateral extremities. Examples of complex motor automatisms are cycling movements of the legs and stereotyped swimming movements. De novo automatisms often begin after seizure onset. In other cases, perseverative automatisms occur as repetitions of motor activity that began before the seizure. Bizarre automatisms such as alternating limb movements, right-to-left head rolling, or sexual automatisms may occur with frontal-lobe seizures.

Seizures often begin with a brief aura (simple partial seizure) lasting seconds and then becomes a complex partial seizure. The type of aura is related to the site of cortical onset. Temporal-lobe seizures often begin with a rising abdominal sensation, fear, unreality, or déjà vu. Parietal-lobe seizures may begin with an electrical sensation, tingling, or numbness. Occipital-lobe seizures may begin with visual changes, such as the perception of colored lines, spots, or shapes or even a loss of vision.

Complex partial seizures of the temporal lobe often begin with a motionless stare followed by simple oral or motor automatisms.

I have them but not often mine are mostly simple partial seizures (Simple Partial Seizures which sometimes go into a Complex partial seizure) I was told as a teen i had "petit mal" seizures and seizures can change if left untreated sometimes trust me mine did I went untreated until a year ago... they just started getting worse kinda like yours.... no one can even usually tell when im having one just a few times has anyone noticed

http://www.emedicine.com/NEURO/topic74.htm

[Bernard]

Hi Kathy, welcome to the forum.

[brain]

Kathy

Welcome to the CWE! Browse around
and make yourself a home, you'll find
a lot of answers in here!

[stringbean]

Hi Kathy,

They sound like complex partials to me also, before my surgery mine were just like Angel described, the aura, dejuv, fear, and the rest.
They were starting from my left temporal lope. since my surgery they are different now but still coming from my left temporal lope.