Question about possible temporal lobe seizures

[Trinity]

Well, I have been on here before talking about this so I apologise if i'm repeating myself but i'm really confused. I have had Epilepsy since early childhood (my first seizure was at 14months old) and since then have only had a diagnosis of generalised tonic clonic seizures. I have not been diagnosed with having temporal lobe epilepsy but I have had some issues with feelings of numbness and tingling in my face, head, mouth etc and I have also had instances of twitching in the arms, legs and head, although I don't really know if that has anything to do with the temporal lobe. I have also noted for a long time now that when people talk to me I don't always hear what they say straight away - like I need to take a bit longer to process the information. The epilepsy nurse educator at Epilepsy Action here in Australia indicated to me earlier this year that this may be an indication that my temporal lobe has been effected more than my doctor knows and that temporal lobe epilepsy can be difficult to diagnose.
Anyway, after every test known to man (EEG, MRI, CT scan, Nerve Conduction, blood tests) my neurologist didn't think my issue was nerve related or Epilepsy related and suggested the possibility of anxiety.
I've been attending a psychiatrist and been treated for anxiety. At first I thought it might be right and I know that I do have anxiety - i'm just not convinced that the numbness and tingling has to do with anxiety and i'll tell you why.
I went to the dentist on Monday and experienced a very obvious panic attack. The dentist was putting a needle into my mouth and I hate needles in my mouth with a vengeance. Stick a needle in my arm, my leg, my back - anywhere except my mouth. So... my heart rate increased to a hundred mile a minute (well not that I measured), my feet were shaking and I was feeling nauseas. I've had this feeling (or very similar) before when i've been panicked or anxious and I DID NOT have any numbness or tingling. I would think that if that was how I reacted to anxiety then I would have had the numbness and tingling. Plus, when I get the tingling and numbness I am not necessarily anxious about anything - it started when I was on holidays enjoying myself.
My neurologist also indicated that he didn't think that it was seizures of any type because sometimes it happens on one side and sometimes on the other and that would indicate damage to both sides which is uncommon. However, as a child I suffered from many grandmal seizures so is it possible that they have resulted in my temporal lobe/s being effected (i'm not sure how all that works so my apologies if I sound dumb)?

[elizzza811]

I'm not sure if this answers your question or not, but I've been diagnosed with 'generalized seizure disorder', and mine are coming from both sides of my brain...temporal lobes.

I can relate, too...doctors tried to blame my symptoms on anxiety and panic attacks, too. Trust your gut is my advice...if you are anxious and experience strange symptoms, blame anxiety...but if you're not anxious and experience these strange symptoms, blame the seizures.

[Nakamova]

My neurologist also indicated that he didn't think that it was seizures of any type because sometimes it happens on one side and sometimes on the other and that would indicate damage to both sides which is uncommon. However, as a child I suffered from many grandmal seizures so is it possible that they have resulted in my temporal lobe/s being effected.

Trinity, your doctor is wrong in saying that it's uncommon to have seizure symptoms originate from both sides of the brain. Tingling is an especially common "bilateral" symptom. And your diagnosis of generalized tonic-clonic seizures doesn't necessarily rule out having temporal lobe seizures as well. It's possible that you're diagnosis could be temporal lobe epilepsy with "secondary generalization" -- this means that they can start as simple or partial seizures at first and then generalize to the whole brain and become tonic-clonics. If you are having temporal lobe seizures, that could cause both your cognitive issues and your anxiety as well.

If seizures originate deep in the brain they won't always show up on EEG. Without a positive EEG, the diagnosis is made by considering all the clinical evidence (i.e. your symptoms). If you are prescribed an anti-epileptic drug, and it helps with the symptoms, then that's a sign that the epilepsy diagnosis is correct.

[Loopy Lou]

I was diagnosed with seizures coming from both temporal lobes during my eeg, so it is certainly possible. Mine are more from the left side than the right thoguh.

[momof3boys]

I can relate because in March I had my first video EEG, and when I was taken off cold turkey off my seizure medications, I started having seizures where I was consious, but had tingling-numbness in my hands and feet, where it started, then spead to my upper body, on my left side. I had twitching and jerking on my right side of my body during all of this too. I had a sadness feeling come over me, and my stomach felt nausus. I have temporal lobe epilepsy (left side). My EEG came up showing I do have epilepsy, but my dr said what he saw on the Video didnt register as Epileptic seizures. He advised me to see a psych dr, which I did, and after evaluating with her, she said what my neurologist claims is non epileptic seizures, are not that, and from abrupt withdrawal of the medications when he had done my video EEG, and the Keppra XR he put me back on stopped the seizures. If they were indeed non epileptic seizures, the Keppra XR wouldnt be able to stop them. There for, since my last seizure like that was on March 12, 2011... and Ive been on Keppra XR since and have had no seizures like that, she said it comes down to them being epileptic seizures being controlled by the Keppra XR. Like my neurologist said too, that its a possibility that they were simple partial seizures too deep to be picked up on the EEG. So in my case, thats what came about with me. But I have the numbness and tingling too with my seizures.