Psychosis

[McGill]

Good article, Cindy! I've been wondering about the role that the hippocampus had in emotions. There are aother generational factors also, in my situation.

[matchu]

now, how do I measure my hippocampus?

[Cinnabar]

matchu, an MRI will show you the volume of your hippocamal area. Mine was a shocker! Looking at my MRI, I saw that my left hippocampus was 50% less than the size of the right. The left hippocampus houses memory and emotions and my neurologist explained to me that the surrounding regions of the hippocampus have compenstated for me all of my life. Gee? Otherwise, where would I be?! So, getting an MRI is the best way to go.

[matchu]

well, I have had numerous mri's, just have not been allowed to see them.

[Cinnabar]

Oh! You should be allowed to see them so you can have an informative dialouge with your neurologist! I'd make an appointment to go over them with him/her.

[Deb12345]

Hello,
I was just wondering what are peri-ictal psychosis and ictal psychosis?
Thank you for your time.
Kind Regards
Debbie

[epileric]

Adj. 1. ictal - of or relating to a seizure or convulsion

http://www.tfd.com/ictal

peri-ictal would be before a seizure

[McGill]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10496232 This link should be a bit more descriptive for you. It has to do with behavior before, in between seizures and after the seizures are finished. (Epileric did an excellenrt job in setting me on the track for this!)

[Ruth]

Lately, I have had problems with deep depression and anxiety attacks. I get really frustrated. My deep depression lifted and now I have had an anxiety attack.

This started when I woke up after a nap in the afternoon. I had a real severe headache. I felt like my skull had broken. There is only thing I think could have happened. I probably had a nocturnal seizure and hit my head against the headboard. The headaches slowly went away.

I think epileric is right, stay away from everyone until I can relax. Until it goes away.

[C0urt]

It depends on the meds i am on. I cannot take dilantin at all. I have only heard horror stories about me trying to escape and thinking they were out to get me.
Topomax is about the same.

I have heard from 1 or 2 neurologist that my seizures may also be psychosis related, 1 has gone so far as to prescribe therapy as a treatment. My life was a mess when this all started.

[Ruth]

Hi COurt, I am allergic to Dilantin. In the social grtoups we have Epilepsy and Mental Illness. I am in there a lot of times.

Do you also have schizophrenia? It is not uncommon to have both. You need to be diagnosed.They have 2 good medications for it. Seroquel and Risperdal. That could really help you to lead a normal life.
I have not, yet, but I am going to talk to my neurologist about it. I am on too many medications to keep my epilepsy under control.

I am on 5 medications: Keppra, Lamictal, Neurontin, mysoline and clonozapam. I am also a diabetic which does not help matters.

[C0urt]

Hi COurt, I am allergic to Dilantin. In the social grtoups we have Epilepsy and Mental Illness. I am in there a lot of times.

Do you also have schizophrenia? It is not uncommon to have both. You need to be diagnosed.They have 2 good medications for it. Seroquel and Risperdal. That could really help you to lead a normal life.
I have not, yet, but I am going to talk to my neurologist about it. I am on too many medications to keep my epilepsy under control.

I am on 5 medications: Keppra, Lamictal, Neurontin, mysoline and clonozapam. I am also a diabetic which does not help matters.

I have taken Seroquel by itself, and with topoma, it does nothing for my epilepsy. and just makes me sleepy. As afar as I know I am not schizophrenic, but at this I wouldn't say no to any option.

Are you really on all those meds at one time? how do you feel?

[Ruth]

Yes, I am on all of those medications, really. They make me sleepy. I was taking a lot of naps. I am forcing myself to do things, now. I am feeling better. I believe most medications make us sleepy.

[Cinnabar]

COurt, I'm also on Lamictal and Clonopin. Aso, Geodon, Dexidrine (small dosage), Effexor and Ambien. Sounds like all of medication but I also have Bi-Polar Disorder. The great thing about Lamictal is that it serves as a double duty med for Epilepsy and Bi-Polar. Yes, in the begining Lamictal made me drowsy but I built up a tolerance for it. One word of caution about Lamictal. If you're on too high a dosage it could lead to a seizure.

[C0urt]

Wow, thats a lot of drugs, I guess you have some sort of system figured out?

I was on a max dose of lamictal and had to quit taking it.
I never was a fan of it.

[Cinnabar]

Some people with Bi-Polar take as much as twelve meds per day. Carrie Fisher being just one of many, so actually I have a medium sized "Medication Cocktail". Took some time to find the right mix. And then we have to take Epliepsy into consideration.

[Billyboyboo]

I had some Psychosis, but honestly I see it in a different way, I was diagnosed as Schizophrenic once, but none of the AntiPsychotics worked, It was a misdiagnosis. I think Epilepsy can be spiritual, in my experience, as in seeing things like Angels or halos. Smells from the past, smells way before my time, like in the 1400's, It's like I've been there, I hope no one laughs at this, I predicted things...well, that actually happened after seizures. I have had all kinds of experiences, I seen Saint Michael once, and I still believe that. I know it sounds strange and unbelievable, but are these hallucinations or true?
An example a neurologist gave me was Joan of Arc was Epileptic, but seriously, can it be spiritual?

Billy.

[Billyboyboo]

Ruth,

I am also on Klonopin and Valium, 1mg of Klonopin= 20mg of Valium, just an interesting fact.
I have also been on Neurontin and Tegretol. Tegretol made me sick, it was like a chalky feeling. Keppra I'm on. You mention Rispridol, they now have a medicine called "Invega" which is a ER form of Rispiridone.

[Cinnabar]

I, too, was once mis-diagnosed as having Schizohrenia. The medications were just horrible for my system. I felt just flattened out. Billy, do you have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy? Your kind of experiences are extreemely typical of temporal lobe epilepsy. I've had many mystical experiences throughout my life and attributed them to my being spiritually evolved. Now, after the proper diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy, I am with understanding. I'm a neurological enigma. Especially, as DID is tied in with Bi-Polar Disorder and Dissociative Condition. I get three biggies...

[Billyboyboo]

Cinnabar, I have been diagnosed as Partial Complex Seizures, I have had allot of experiences as you described, It is hard to explain. The effects from the AntiPsychotics were sedating and just made me feel "Blah". I am learning, as my diagnosis was made only this past summer. I take Anticonvulsants, that helps, though I'm still trying to find a med that would help with my Derealization from the shocks to my system, I think the PCP is going to try Remeron, but I'm already on Valium, Klonopin, Keppra, Tegretol, I couldn't take.

It's good to find a place to relate to others.

Billy.