question about symptoms

[Jessdenn82]

does anyone experience severe dizziness and also blurry vision I guess you could call it with like specks of glitter falling from the sky in front of me I know I sound nuts but just trying to do normal things like get dressed I feel short of breath and heart rate slightly elevated but I feel like I just did an aerobic workout and all I did was change my clothes I layed down as soon as I felt this comming on but have no clue what it is

[Rae1889]

Yes, I get both.
Those glittering floaters in you vision are, at least in my case, an aura. I call them now "tiny witches" thanks to a really funny description of them in another thread.

The short of breath and heart race is another one of mine. Sometimes I get this after I have had an absence seizure. There is no real indication sometimes when I have these, but I notice that my heart beats super fast when i come out of it, *the ones where my fiance tells me I just had one* I can feel my heart racing hard and fast. plus I notice that my breathing is laboured and I feel light headed. this is because sometimes i hold my breath during an absemnce

[Nakamova]

Dizziness and blurry vision are also listed as side effects of the Keppra, so that may be a contributing factor. I agree with Rae about the glittery tiny witches -- those definitely sound like an aura.

[Jessdenn82]

but an aura to what I don't remember any lapses in time just feeling really funny is this a sign a worse seizure is comming but it's been like 15 min and i am still dizzy and lightheaded however the little specks went away but if i am to stand up they come right back

[Nakamova]

Sometimes auras are just that -- they don't become full-fledged seizures, and, they don't lead to absences or loss of consciousness.

Make sure you are hydrated and have eaten -- the fact that the specks come back when you stand up may mean there's a blood pressure, blood sugar, or hydration issue.

[Jessdenn82]

checked all that already so I know there not my BP, or sugar and have been drinking alot of water what are exactly absence seizures kids have said at times it's like i am here but not really not anwsering them all the way or little fuzzy and then had the full blown t/c the other times and since I was upstairs by myself guess can't really be certian I didn't lose conciousness for small period of time I don't know but I can't just lye around all day either but then now I feel like I just ran miles y can't things just be more black and white

[Merquloid]

My blurred vision seems to occur when I have taken my meds too close together. (i.e. too late at night and too early in the morning and by afternoon my vision is blurred or double vision occurs)

[Nakamova]

Here's info on ABSENCE SEIZURES:

In absence seizures, the person may appear to be staring into space with or without jerking or twitching movements of the eye muscles. These periods last for seconds, or even tens of seconds. Those experiencing absence seizures sometimes move from one location to another without any purpose

Some people with absence epilepsy report seeing flashing or blinking lights in the corner of one or both eyes, possibly followed by a 'flash vision change', shortly before they slip into a seizure. Some have purposeless movements during their seizures, such as a jerking arm or rapidly blinking eyes. Others have no outwardly noticeable symptoms except for brief times when they are "spaced out", as repeated absence seizures can cause momentary lapses of consciousness. Immediately after a seizure, the person will usually resume whatever he or she was doing prior to its onset with a slight chance of confusion.

[Jessdenn82]

only thing that questions if it is some kind of pre indication of a seizure is because I become highly short of breath and my heart rate goes sky high so my body is responding to something the question is what

[Nakamova]

Epilepsy affects the heart rate differently in different people For many, rapid heart rate can definitely be a pre-seizure sign -- some people have their heart rate go sky-high about a minute or so before a seizure generalizes. For others it the heart rate goes up during or after the seizure.

[Meetz1064]

Jess. You might want to talk to the doctor about the Keppra anyway. It maybe that even though the timing is not perfect, it still may not be the right drug for you.

I had a, um, ODD set of reactions on it, and the second one, which just made me go off of it, was for me to see things in triplicate, and rotating at the same time.

So try making sure that you're taking it right on time all the time. If the symptoms continue, then it may be time for a med change. The other thing to consider is whether or not you're using generic versus brand name. Generic doesn't always work well.....

[Jessdenn82]

Meetz,
Ya they have me on generic version of keppra and yes did talk to pcp regarding symptoms today my main reason was the stupid mood changes that started about 48 hr after starting the med and ya have been taking it at the same times everyday to try and get as little symptoms as possible he wants to get a keppra level drawn today however when left dr. office lab was closed go figure so I am going to get it done tomorrow after get EEG done and told him that I think we need to switch the med however he is reluctant to do so just right now since only been on it since dec 30, 2009 and the glitter in my vision and the dizziness I can honestly say that has been going on for years think I am just more aware of it now exactly what I told the dr was before I knew that I was having seizures wasn’t about to tell the dr ya by the way seeing things and seeing people that weren’t really there kinda makes me sound nuts or at least that is how I felt but at least he understood what I meant lol and then after the vision stuff I sit on the floor so I don’t fall cause I know the dizziness is coming on this all doesn’t last very long at all then I get the severe sob and really high heart rate after so dr. seems to think that the vision stuff is some type of aura I don’t know and then the dizziness comes but when coming out of it said it’s the bodies response to what is going on to become tachy (high heart rate ) and sob and there is no rhyme or reason to when this happens at all can just be getting dressed or sitting on the couch morning or eve doesn’t matter but looking back can definitely see things that might have been signs earlier but just not enough symptoms at that time for dr to run the right kinds of tests but like dr said normally when someone starts with seizures there is some kinda timeline backwards that makes some kind of sense and kinda adds up

[Meetz1064]

in mind that generic meds have an efficacy rate of 80% to 120% of the brand name. And, they don't have the same fillers as the brand name. So it may be that you're not getting ENOUGH, or you may be getting TOO MUCH TOO FAST. You may need to ask for BRAND NAME ONLY to be written on your scrips, especially for the anti-epileptic drug's. This is not something that is uncommon. See what the levels have to say, but do be sure to bring this point up with your doctor.