What to expect during an EEG

[Mnm8405]

I was diagnosed without a formal EEG, like many people have had. After telling my neurologist about my symptoms in detail he was so certain I had E that he prescribed first and scheduled the test later. My first EEG is on Oct. 10. What should I expect? Should I stop taking the Keppra during this time, in order to induce a seizure? Perhaps the hospital will send info before the procedure.

[momof3boys]

Ive had alot of EEG's. When I had mine done, they made me stay up the night before til like 3-4am. I was suppose to be at the hospital at around 7am. It takes about an hour or so. Once you get there, they will hook up all the wires to your head, some your chest area. They made me do some breathing exersizes to try to get you to have a seizure. Then after the breathing exersizes, they let me sleep for about half an hour. They will monitor your activity during this time and then wake you up. The part I dont like is having to get all the nasty glue out of your hair! I remember when I was little and having them done through my pediatric neurologist, the people doing the EEG's would give me a sticker and a colored comb after it was over. I remember picking all that glue out of my hair! LOL My last EEG I had was in 2008. Then I had a video EEG done in March of this year.

[Nakamova]

Definitely ask your neurologist about whether or not to go off the medication for the EEG -- it can be dangerous to stop cold turkey, so if you're going to do so it should be under doctor's supervision.

Depending on the kind of epilepsy, you don't necessarily need to be having a seizure during the EEG in order for abnormal brainwaves to show up. There's a better chance of producing abnormal brainwaves if you are sleep-deprived, so they may ask you to stay up all night before a morning EEG -- all of mine have been that way. During the EEG, there's usually a period where they flash strobe lights and another where they ask you to hyperventilate to see if those things will induce seizures. (Neither did in my case).

[Chel]

I had no prep for my EEG, as I was seeing the neurologist for something else and suggested to her I might have E, having searched the 'net for answers to my symptoms. During my appointment, I ran through the list of symptoms, including a day of complex partials, and she sent me straight to the EEG clinic on site. Oh, we had time for lunch in between!

I was on a low dose of Topamax (still am) for migraine, but no other E meds. The tech stuck the glue through my hair, then the probe thingies, and I sat for the duration of the test. As Nak said, there were breathing exercises (up to hyperventilation) and strobe lights, and I had to open and close my eyes. I seized during the strobe tests (facial muscles, both arms/hands, maybe legs - I forget now). They stop the testing if there is a risk of you having a tonic clonic. Remember, this was a sitting test.

The tech removed the sticky pads from my thick hair, I walked out and went home! (Mum had come with me, so she drove.) Getting the glue out took a couple of days of rigorous washing and combing! Looked like a bad case of dandruff.

Good luck with yours. It sounds an odd thing to say, but I hope you have seizure activity. I know how lucky I was to seize at my first EEG, as many wait for years, with doctors not believing them until they have that "gold standard" positive EEG.