Partial Seizures?

[Abynorml]

In the last two weeks Ive experienced two events that might of been partial seizures Im unsure, the first time I was on a tour bus I had been up all day it was about 2am Id been feeling weird all day maybe a bit jumpy easily startled (I jump easier at sudden flashes of light or loud sounds than usual though strobes dont bother me at all though they are slightly annoying and hypnotizing) I was sitting in the back lounge smoking a bit of marijuana (Ive smoked for many years never had anything bad like this happen) and I started jerking a little which isnt that unusual late at night when Im tired, regardless of weather Im smoking or not.
Anyways I felt weird didnt want anyone to really notice me jerking and decided to go hide in the comfort of my bunk, I layed down for and had what felt like a wave of nasea come over me, It felt like I was throwing up, but with out actually throwing up. If that makes any sense then I closed my eyes and went stiff and felt paralyzed. It only lasted a little bit maybe a few seconds or a half minute Im unsure and then I was back to normal.

Then last night I was feeling kinda the same way kind of angry all day for no reason and a bit jumpy at times. I thought it was just stress from a crappy dead end job in a crappy job market.
Then I got home took my meds smoked a little, felt a lot beter and relaxed finally, loved on my dogs and ferrets and sat down. My youngest dog wouldnt leave me alone for a while which is weird for her, she just sat next to me she didnt want to be petted really or food or to go potty. Anyways about 1:30 I went to my room got ready for bed and was standing up and got the wave of nasea feeling again like I was throwing up, and its not a dry heave either its different, though I do remember now feeling a contraction like feeling in my gut or abdomen, and I heard an auditory hallucination, a church bell, a single church bell, and then I felt like someone had grabbed my whole head and lifted me up by it, my eyes were closed I was still standing, it lasted a very short time, then I felt kinda week in the legs and shaky and stumbled to bed, felt ok again and set my alarm clocks, I woke up feeling fine in the morning.

Ill tell my neurologist next week I have to make an appointment to see my general MD to get my bloodwork results thats really annoying I wish I new that 3 weeks ago been waiting forever to get the results of my lab work and finally Im told to get the results I cant just talk to him over the phone to see if its anything I should be concerned about, the clnincs policy is to only discuss labwork in person. Theres a history of diabetes in my family so all this could just be blood sugar related.

Both times I had been smoking marijuana, but Ive been smoking pot off and on since I was 16 Im 32 now and have never experienced anything quite like this except for the possible grand mal I might of had at the beginning of the month. And Ive smoked plenty of times this month with out any nasty side effects. I hadn't been drinking either time, I did take my meds plus 3mg of melatonin(it helps me sleep better since my sleep schedule is usually a wreck living on the road or working on call), could of ate a little better maybe, though the first time on the bus I had 3 healthy meals, (maybe to much pasta? I dont eat to many carbs at home.) And the second time I had a protien shake with two bananas in the morning and a huge lunch and a snack of celery sticks cucumber slices and chips and salsa for dinner.

[dfwtexas]

It would be good to talk with doc about this...it does sound like partials. I have both simple and complex partials. My simples are visual, but it seems like a lot of people have the audio thing and throw up too. I know I have to be very careful about not getting enough sleep or letting my stress level get too bad....they are two of my triggers. I also have some photosensitivity...but it's only certain lights that do it to me.
There's another post on here about dogs and seizures. The last time I had a simple, my dogs both got around me like cushions! The post talked about how we emit a smell that dogs can smell when we are about to have a seizure.

[Bernard]

marijuana

[Crystal11]

Usually during any type of seizure, a person's eyes are open- there is no way to keep your eyes closed.. but i WOULD still talk to your doctor or neurologist about it. Something is going on, maybe due to the marjuana.
I hope they can tell you some more info soon- i'm sure they will request some basic neurologist testing for seizures or epilepsy.

Write everything down you experience and take it with you- so that you can refer to it or give it to your doctor. As much information the better!

I have a guide dog, who is in the picture, who also does seizure responce work and was trained at Guiding Eyes for the Blind in NY. I love him to death and he is always close whenever I have a seizure. Since he guides me using a harness he wears, he will slow down and stop totally if he thinks I'm starting to have a seizure because I can't walk or stay steady very well during a complex partial seizure. He is my guardian.

Please take care,
-CM

[Abynorml]

there was one other time it happened maybe... a few days before I possibly had the grand mal. I had been talking to my girl in LA on the phone about some really private issues that I wasnt sure she was going to be ok with, and she kind of freaked out and told me she needed to take a break for an hour and I felt nasea and a sensation in my head that was similar to a brain zap, Im not sure, with out the electric shock feeling just an intense rush in my head, I hadn't been smoking pot that night... I thought maybe it was a panic attack or possibly something else but dismissed it. I felt better pretty quick.
By the way when I refer to brain zap Im referring to the sensation people sometimes get from ssri withdrawal, I went through that about 8 years ago when I went off Paxil, 3 weeks of hell, I had almost forgotten about it till I started doing research on all this. All this started the week I messed with 5-htp Im hoping I didn't do permanent damage.
For those who dont know anything about me I am seeing a Neurologist he doesn't seem to think its seizures, though he only knows about the one possible grand mal, and I had an EEG done this week and Im still waiting on some blood work, I doubt the EEG is going to show anything because other than being tired I felt fine the whole time. And I had a MRI done about a year and a half ago that came back normal, my last neurologist was concerned with something on an EEG ran last year that wasnt epilepitiform(is that the right word?) but abnormal and he thought at that time I might be having some form of seizures, I jerk sometimes which is most likely some form of myoclonus, my current Neurologist is skeptical of all this.

[Abynorml]

By the way Im greatful to the folks here for letting me just kind of let me put my story down in one place and to get all the facts I need to tell the Doctor, like the eyes closed thing, I didnt know how important that was, I had my eyes open during the beginning the other night when I was standing up and I felt the nasea and my abdomen contracted but then either my eyes rolled back or closed it went kind of red I was still looking out? just not seeing? I wish sometimes I didn't live alone, because it seems like the only time anything like the possible seizures happen is when Im alone, except for the slight jerks and shaking which few people ever seem to notice, which to be honest Im thankful for, I use to get accused of being a meth addict or having the DT's because my hands would shake so much from my Essential Tremors.

[brain]

Usually during any type of seizure, a person's eyes are open- there is no way to keep your eyes closed..

That is incorrect. A person can have seizures
with their eyes opened or their eyes closed.

It is a misnomer that an individual's eyes
must be opened to have a seizure. I have had
seizures recorded with eyes opened and with
my eyes shut. I have had Neurologists who
are Professors, and an Epileptologist - all who
have remarked that one can have seizure(s)
without having their eyes opened just as
much as one can have a seizure or seizures
with their eyes opened.


Eye Closures during Seizures, EEG Recordings


This one is a HUGE study and proven fact, and
you can download the PDF file on the right if you
wish to save it (emphasis are mine) - This also has
EEG's provided there for further study as well.

Relationship among eye condition sensitivities, photosensitivity and epileptic syndromes

Clinical and EEG data

Clinical and EEG data are summarized in Table 1. Thirty patients collected in this study were divided into two groups according to the presence of ECLS and ECS in their EEGs. Sixteen patients were in ECLS group and 14 patients in ECS group. Girls were affected more than boys in the two groups (56% and 71%, respectively). The median age of initial detection of ECLS and ECS was 10 years, ranging from 5 years to 17 years. The age at onset of seizure ranged from 2.5 years to 14 years, averaging 9 years. Six had a history of febrile seizures. Family history for epilepsy was positive in 5. Neurological examinations were normal except case 8 who was mildly mentally retarded. Brain magnetic resonance and/or CT scan images were normal except case 4 who had basal ganglia calcification. The 30 patients were diagnosed as idiopathic occipital lobe epilepsy, symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy or idiopathic generalized epilepsies. Their seizure forms were identified according to the types of epilepsy syndrome. Case 5 had Panayiotopoulos syndrome and myoclonic seizures occurred occasionally in this case. Before EEG monitoring, 7 of 30 patients were treated with 1 or 2 antiepileptic drugs such as valproate acid, topiramate and carbamazepine.



Relationship among eye closure sensitivity, photosensitivity and epilepsy syndromes

Epilepsy syndromes associated with ECLS included idiopathic photosensitive occipital lobe epilepsy, Panayiotopoulos syndrome, symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, juvenile absence epilepsy, eyelid myoclonia with absences, pure photosensitive epilepsy with mainly generalized tonic clonic seizures and epilepsy with grand mal on awakening. In case 13 with eyelid myoclonia with absences, seizures instantaneously accompanied by ECLS occurred frequently (Figure 1). In idiopathic generalized epilepsies, ECLS often presented as generalized spike- and-waves or polyspike-and- waves and occasionally occipital beginning, secondary generalized spike-and-waves or polyspike-and-waves. Idiopathic occipital lobe epilepsy and symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy cases exhibited ECLS mainly as occipital spike-and-waves or polyspike-and-waves and sometimes also as occipital beginning, secondary generalized spike-and-waves or polyspike-and-waves or generalized spike-and-waves or polyspike-and-waves. In 14 of 16 patients with ECLS, photosensitivity was also found. In case 12 of eyelid myoclonia with absences and case 16 of epilepsy with grand mal on awakening, intermittent photic stimulation was carried out after valproate acid treatment for about one year, and ECLS were found to be dissociated with photosensitivity.

There are many out there who argues that
it is N E S or P N E S; but that is not necessarily
true; for those who have N E S or P N E S will
not have abnormal EEG's and/or epileptiform
activities recorded. Big difference - and even more
so with those with recordings of electrographics
and occipitals.

[Abynorml]

Thanks Brain.

Id just like to make a small statement on marijuana, please if theres any kids reading this don't smoke marijuana till your at least 18 or 21 its a powerful drug and its not for everyone.
As its been said in other posts it has alot of medicinal benefits but can be easily abused and can lead to heartache and misfortune, Ive used it for many years and seen the positive effects and negative effects in my life, nothing comes without a price.

And if you do smoke please dont smoke and drive its just as careless as drinking and driving.

[angel]

Abynorml,

my son is a mess from daily use of marijuana.... he is now hearing voices and is from what one counceler told me manic depressive or bi polar... I wonder if its all from the pot. he just told me he was hearing voices ........ he called me the other night and said people were after him with a gun.....I called the police to help him as he was in the next town over and I cant drive..... then later he tells me he just said that because he wanted a ride home.... I HATE drugs! my son is 2 months from 19

[Abynorml]

Im sorry for you and your son, if hes having any problems with hearing voices or extreme paranoia which can be caused by heavy marijuana use he should quit. Some people can handle it some people cant. Its also possible he has an illness like bipolar issues that has been aggravated by marijuana use.

For me Klonopin was my demon, I liked it a little to much it made me feel almost normal and relaxed, at first.... then Id get crazy, irrational, mean, and depressed and think of suicide. It worked great on my tremors probably the best drug Ive tried, probably because of the anti anxiety effects but I wont put my friends and family through that again.

I use Marijuana for its anti anxiety effects. I try not to abuse it. I dont drive while under the influence. And only smoke a small amount late at night when all my chores, and work are done. When I was younger I abused the crap out of it, and it had a severe anti motivational effect on my life. I think thats the biggest threat to the youth, is often pot can make you not want to do anything or care about anything.

Anyways I really didn't mean to start another Marijuana thread, I think its been pretty well discussed allready.

[Abynorml]

oh and its not my business, but be wary of what any counselor says, unless there a licensed Psychologist or Psychiatrist I wouldnt trust a thing they say. As a young man I went to a counselor he was a friggin idiot, not saying they all are just careful, though you probably allready know that.

[cool1984]

hi all,
who has Partial Seizures?
how do they affact you?
what part of the brain does it affct?
what can happin?

can you go stiff somettimes?

thanks take care
cazzie