ambulatory EEG

[crazychick10793]

i will be having a 24 hour ambulatory EEG next week, all i've experienced before were the 15 minute in office EEGs, can anyone give me any tips, experiences, and warnings? is it a good idea to have a video camera ready to tape anything we think might be a seizure? what is it like?


any answers are highly appreciated.

[Literophile]

I wouldn't bother with the tape. If they wanted, they could have requested a Video-EEG, so dont' worry about it.

They're just going to put little wires on your head and wrap it up like a mummy and send you home. Whenever you have an aura, press the button on the top pf the box. When you think you're going to have a seizure, press it. Stuff like that--even stomach aches and headaches. You'll also have to record whenever you're eating or drinking.

It's not fun, but it's not miserable. You may want to wear a jacket with a hood when you get it put on so you can get out of the office without people staring at you.

[crazychick10793]

I wouldn't bother with the tape. If they wanted, they could have requested a Video-EEG, so dont' worry about it.

They're just going to put little wires on your head and wrap it up like a mummy and send you home. Whenever you have an aura, press the button on the top pf the box. When you think you're going to have a seizure, press it. Stuff like that--even stomach aches and headaches. You'll also have to record whenever you're eating or drinking.

It's not fun, but it's not miserable. You may want to wear a jacket with a hood when you get it put on so you can get out of the office without people staring at you.

lol it's 105°F here that might not happen

[Literophile]

lol it's 105°F here that might not happen

Eeeew. A hat would probably be better then.

[Meetz1064]

just wear a bandana. LOLOL. A pink camouflage bandana. Hehehe. A bit out of character for me, but what the heck.

My ambulatory unit doesn't have any buttons to push for possible auras--but that's OK, too, cuz I don't ever have them.......

[Crystal11]

LOL I had a three day ambulatory EEG in college! And I could not get out of going to classes because I had missed some due to seizures. SO...I got it put on, all of the pretty colored wires, had the bundle of wires taped together and was able to just hang it over my should almost. The machine I wore around me like a school bag. The machine itself was small and did have a separate chord with a button on it to push if I felt weird at all. I even asked "What if what I feel isn't anything at all- just a feeling?" They said that anything at all you think might be a seizure or aura, press the button. All it does is place a marker on the recording tape that stands out to the EEG tech or reviewer.
I wore mine without a hat for most of the time. Everyone knew I had seizures anyways, at least in one class, since my teacher dismissed everyone 30min early for a oncoming seizure. How fun- the whole class knew something was up. I found myself in another building with EMS at my feet as I sat in a chair with 20-30 students walking by with both my interpreters, my teacher and 5 other staff in the building. SUCKED!

While wearing the ambulatory EEG, people might look at you or star but just say its a radio or something LOL HAHAHAHA.. just kidding.
I used to do that with my FM that connects to my old hearing aid with a wire. Most people look at it and dont know what it is- but sometimes people hthought it was a cool cellphone LOL HEHEHEHE.
Anyway- its not too bad at all, at least not for me. It might be a little hard to sleep at night because you have to find a good place for the machine so you don't knock it off the bed and pull wires. Might feel a little weird.
I put mind on the table next to me and I did knock it off and found it on the floor but picked it up, put it back and went to sleep again.

My twin had hers done a week before so I was making fun of her saying "You don't have a brain so the machine won't pick up anything at all! LOL hehehehe" My interpreteres got a kick out of that- then they looked at me and said: "Well you're next! Next week you will have it done and wear it to school!."
Sorry Sis, please don't make fun of me in class?" hehehehe Oh good times.

I did wear an EKG like that too for three days and had to push a button when I felt PACs or skipping or lightheadedness. It picked up several things with my heart conditions.

The ambulatory EEG picked up spick and waves and driving responce but I did not have an actual seizure while wearing it. Most people don't but they want to see how things are for longer amounts of time- and in a normal daily setting and rountine. Normally for people who has multiple EEGs with not a whole lot of findings even thought many people with Epilepsy do have normal EEGs.

Sorry for such a long post. The ambulatory EEG isn't too bad and if people star, just ignore them and realize that its just not something most see. BUT there are people that have weirdo hair styles and wear weird cloths etc hehehe...

Let us know how you are and how it goes.
PM me if you need other info/details.

Crystal

[crazychick10793]

just a few questions:

my aunt told me i cannot listen to my ipod. is this true?

i also have heard no gum or hard candy.

it's on thursday, should i do anything special to my hair tomorrow night? thankfully it's not all that long, just above shoulder length. lol last time i did an EEG my hair was down to my butt. not fun to take the glue out of.

and thats another thing, how do i get that glue out of my hair? it took like 2 weeks of washing last time and the stuff was only on my head for 15 minutes

[epileric]

I would ask my doctor or the technician putting on the ambulatory EEG.

As for what to do to you hair...... I had hair about as long or longer than yours & I just shaved my head. It made cleaning up afterwards a lot easier but I don't expect you to do that lol.

[Endless]

Hey, Crazychick,

To get the glue out, use lots and lots of oil.

Any kind will do it. Olive oil, baby oil, shortening, butter, mayonaise, crank case oil, coconut oil..... you get the idea.

Use at least 1/3 of a cup. Massage it into your scalp, especially on the little lumps of glue. Keep working those lumps between your fingers, adding more oil. Leave the oil on for at least a half hour. Then wash it out. You'll think you have all the glue out, but you don't. It'll look like a bad case of dandruff. So put another ton of oil on your hair and massage again, then wash.

That ought to do it. It did for me. And I had the softest hair in town.

[BuckeyeFan]

When I had mine a few years ago, my neurologist wanted me to go to work like normal. I wore a cap, but people still kept staring or asking me off the wall questions. I left at noon because I couldn't take that anymore. Just my reaction.

Otherwise, having it on was no big deal.

As for what to do to you hair...... I had hair about as long or longer than yours

OMG ... I would have never guessed that!!!

[epileric]

OMG ... I would have never guessed that!!!

Hmmm, Should I be scared to ask what you would have guessed lol

[Crystal11]

Not sure if you've had it done by now or not. You or the neurologist tech will use fingernail polish remover or acitone to get it out. They said if any of the leads come off that you tape it the best you can and when you need to take it off, you use acitone or they staff will.
My sis got stuck wearing her one extra day since our transportation would not pick her up to a three hour trip to the neurologist..
They said she could have taken it off herself but we didnt know this info.

No candy or gum is to prevent waveforms that become artifacts. It would show up in the temporal area and look strange on EEG print out.
Listening or moving or anything with the body, other than resting and being still, will put lots of artifacts in the reading.

Take care
Crystal

[RobinN]

Good Lucky Crazy Chick.
Rebecca had a 24 hr video EEG and they were very good about taking the time to get most of the glue out when it was over. I don't remember it being a problem for her.

[crazychick10793]

yeah my mom lied to me and it was yesterday, they remove the things in 3 hours! which seems like forever, i couldn't sleep well, i tend to sleep in odd positions and i was afraid the wires would end up around my neck.....maybe i can sleep in the car. it is a pretty long drive


tell me how on any good day i have 15-25 noticable little episodes, but the day they hook me up to all this crap i only have three?

[Endless]

I don't know what kind of glue they use there. They used acetone to remove and replace bad leads where I went, but I'm not a fan of toxic chemicals. The oil takes a little longer, but it won't do nasty stuff to you.

Hooray for the technicians who take the glue out for you!!! Mine weren't so considerate.

[RobinN]

Perhaps that is something that you should consider... That you might be able to reduce seizures by distracting yourself.

[Crystal11]

Interesting Robin.
I didn't think too many people could distract themselves out of a seizure. A seizure is electrical, I would think that it would take a lot to disrupt this as it is happening..
Its interesting to hear new ideas though.

I do know that some people that have auras can stop the seizure from progressing if they have time and are able to counter-trigger if you will, the seizures from starting.
I have auras before my complex partial seizures and sometimes I try to do things to get the aura feeling away. Everything I do doesn't work and I don't realize what I have done until later. Its like I think that once I start doing something, that the seizure will stop but it never does. You just go from awarness of the aura, trying to stop it, extreme fear and then nothing.. awareness comes later.

Take care
Crystal

[epileric]

Interesting Robin.
I didn't think too many people could distract themselves out of a seizure. A seizure is electrical, I would think that it would take a lot to disrupt this as it is happening..l

I don't know if this helps explain it but the way it was explained to me is that all brain activity is electrical. A seizure is an electrical neuron misfiring & rebounding so other electrical activity (like thought or focus) can magnetically draw the misfiring neuron back on track.