Please help me, Im new and going to see a Neurologist

[vapour]

Hi all.

First of all let me introduce myself, I am 25 female and a brit living in the USA for 2 years.

I am really looking for any advice information, or anyone who relates or who has experienced what Im going through.

As a child I had seizures due to my fever spiking too high which I out grew.

A few years ago while I was still in the UK I was seeing a psychiatrist for a mood disorder. He wanted me to have an EEG done because he was concerned some of the symtpoms I was having was a seizure.

Due to moving to the US shortly after, I never got the EEG done.

When I got here to teh USA I was put on an anti seizure medication for Bipolar (Lamictal)

6 months ago I came off it, and changed to another medication (not anti seizure). Mentally I am very stable and doing great.

However since coming off the lamictal the sympoms returned and have got much worse over the months, to the point where I think im ahving a seizure nearly everday.

So here is what happens... my symptoms.

First of all, I get this weird feeling around me, like my skin is crawling, and like there is a force around me. Im usually laid down (it happens when I nap or dont eat, .. not when I go to bed at night .. only when I nap)

The next thing that happens is I get a strange feeling in my stomach, like its coming out and moving. Then I feel as though Im being sucked out of my body... I feel like elecrcity coming out of my body.occassionally my arm or leg has jerked. I cant seem to come around ... it takes along time to come around. Though i dont think the actual occurance of this lasts long ... it takes about 30 mins to an hour for me to actually get up and I feel dazed, thirsty, sweaty, and sometimes have a headache.

I have been refered to a Neurologist. I contacted this Neurologist today and I expect to hear from him on Monday.

Has anyone else experienced this ? Does it sound like a seizure ? if so .. what kind of seizure.

 

[brain]

:hello: Vapour

Welcome to CWE, and sorry to hear what you
have been experiencing, but it's a good idea to
wait and hear what the Neurologist has to imply
first and foremost before putting the cart before
the horse, because he/she would be wanting to
run some tests first to determine if you in fact
do have seizures or not - there could be other
medical issues that may make it look like that you
might have seizures or things that may provoke
seizures which isn't Epilepsy.

But for starters - you may wish to take a look at
EPILEPSY 101
and feel free to browse around; and ask questions
and please do keep us posted in regards to what
your Neurologist has to report.

 

[Meetz1064]

I agree

Brain has given you a WONDERFUL link to check out....LOTS of good information there.

Here's another, too:

http://www.epilepsy.com/EPILEPSY/types_seizures

I wish you luck..........

Meetz
:rock:

 

[Nancy]

Hi Vapour -- I'm wishing you a GOOD ( and long ) visit with a neuro. Please let us know how it goes.
I remember how confusing and down right "scary" my first seizures were.

 

[Bernard]

Hi vapour, welcome to the forum. :hello:

Yes, it sounds like you are experiencing some partial seizure activity to me. Good luck with your neuro appointment.

 

[skillefer]

Hi Vapour! Welcome to CWE. Check out the link Brain suggested. There's lots of good info there. Since you had success with the Lamictal, the doc may place you back on it....or perhaps depakote. It's also a mood stabilizer..in fact, it's primary use is for mood disorders. It's use for seizures is secondary. Anyway, I hope you have a good long talk with the neurologist. Make sure that you let them know about the symptoms, how long you've had them, what the neuro in UK thought, and how the symptoms have increased.

 

[vapour]

thanks all for your replies.

I will definatly keep you informed of what is going on. I spoke to the neurology department this morning of the university hospital here. Good news and bad news. Good news it will cost barely anything to be seen there, bad news is that I will have to wait until april.

My Dr is going to refer me there, and in the meantime I will search for other affordable neurologists where perhaps I can be seen sooner.

Also my Dr has said if I have to wait that time to see someone, he can put me back on lamictal...

Expecting a call back from another Neurologist today, so will let you know how it goes.

Really appreciate all the replies and useful websites. I have been to them and its uncanny how many of the symptoms I have.

I suspect if I am having these seizures its either all the big seizures I had as a kid thats triggered it, or a head injury I had years ago.

I will obviously let the Dr confirm this if it is true.

 

[vapour]

btw, yes I did have success witht eh lamictal which was treating my bipolar. I came off it 6 months ago due to it not yet being generic and extremly expensive.

It is now generic, I should be talking to my psychiatrist today, and I am seriously considering going back on it.

Yesterday I had 6 episodes

 

[drarvindr]

Dear vapour ,
I'm a newbie here (Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy for 13 years so experienced but still a newbie), and while i am a doctor i'm not a neurologist .. yet. I'm sorry for the pain you've been experiencing these past months. Could you be a bit more specific about your symptoms , then maybe i can tell you what i think.
1) Regarding the feeling of " electricity coming out of you" has this ever happened when you were bathing or when you were cold?
2) Have you had an MRI to date?
3)Do you live alone or have any of your relatives or friends seen your episodes?
4) does the jerky movement begin in one part of your body say your arm , and then "spread" to the rest of your body?.
5) what was the name of the drug you were put on when you were taken off lamictal ? please give me the generic name as i'm not american and brand names differ widely.
6) This is really important. If you have gone unconscious for more than half an hour after a seizure or if the seizure itself lasts for more than half an hour it could be status epilepticus ,for which it is imperative that you get to a hospital ASAP, if and when this should happen. Please don't take your health for granted. Having six episodes in one day and not going to the ER is reckless ( i'm sorry but the "doctor lecture" mode got started).

I hope you get well soon. Wishing you all the best.

 

[Cint]

First of all, I get this weird feeling around me, like my skin is crawling, and like there is a force around me. Im usually laid down (it happens when I nap or dont eat, .. not when I go to bed at night .. only when I nap)

The next thing that happens is I get a strange feeling in my stomach, like its coming out and moving. Then I feel as though Im being sucked out of my body... I feel like elecrcity coming out of my body.occassionally my arm or leg has jerked. I cant seem to come around ... it takes along time to come around. Though i dont think the actual occurance of this lasts long ... it takes about 30 mins to an hour for me to actually get up and I feel dazed, thirsty, sweaty, and sometimes have a headache.


Has anyone else experienced this ? Does it sound like a seizure ? if so .. what kind of seizure.

Vapour,

I sounds like it could be seizures, but what also concerns me is where you say it happens when you don't eat and you come out of it thirsty, sweaty, dazed. Have you been checked for hypoglycemia or diabetes, also?
Diabetes can do that to a person, believe me, I know!

You need to get in to see some dr. before April!

Cindy

 

[skillefer]

True.....then again, if you have both, it could be low blood sugar triggering a seizure.

 

[vapour]

Dear vapour ,
I'm a newbie here (Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy for 13 years so experienced but still a newbie), and while i am a doctor i'm not a neurologist .. yet. I'm sorry for the pain you've been experiencing these past months. Could you be a bit more specific about your symptoms , then maybe i can tell you what i think.
1) Regarding the feeling of " electricity coming out of you" has this ever happened when you were bathing or when you were cold?
2) Have you had an MRI to date?
3)Do you live alone or have any of your relatives or friends seen your episodes?
4) does the jerky movement begin in one part of your body say your arm , and then "spread" to the rest of your body?.
5) what was the name of the drug you were put on when you were taken off lamictal ? please give me the generic name as i'm not american and brand names differ widely.
6) This is really important. If you have gone unconscious for more than half an hour after a seizure or if the seizure itself lasts for more than half an hour it could be status epilepticus ,for which it is imperative that you get to a hospital ASAP, if and when this should happen. Please don't take your health for granted. Having six episodes in one day and not going to the ER is reckless ( i'm sorry but the "doctor lecture" mode got started).

I hope you get well soon. Wishing you all the best.

Hi and sorry for the delay in my reply, I have been offline, I wrote another post today, I am seeing a Neurologist on Thursday

I dont ever recall the electric feeling happening when Im cold or bathing.

I live with a room mate, but we have seperate rooms, as this almost always happens when Im about to fall asleep, she doesnt see it. However she has seen it once when it happened while I was awake.

My jerky movements dont appear to spread to other parts of my body that im aware of.

The name of the drug they started me on when I came off lamictal was Seroquel. Please bare in mind I do not believe this medication has caused these episodes, since I had these episodes before I ever went on any medication, and I also had very bad seizures as a child.