Are You Awake or Unconscious?

[Cordero]

When you have a seizure are you awake or unconscious? I usually black out when I have a seizure but eversince I had surgery for my epilepsy the nature of them have changed. I had a seizure today and was awake through the whole thing. I was scared and panicked. I felt burning sensations firing off in my brain, my heart was racing worse than an anxiety attack, and I felt like vomiting. I have the temporal lobe or partial complex type of seizures and I usually black out when I have them. My Daughter was with me and she wanted to cuddle. I told her I couldn't right now because I'm not feeling good. It was scary so I was just curious to know if you are awake during a seizure or unconscious.

 

[epileric]

With me it's a bit of both. I feel as though I'm aware & alert during my seizures but sometimes I will black out for part of it. The thing is, I don't know I black out unless I blink & I"m a few yards ahead of where I was walking before I blinked or suddenly I see I'm holding a sign pole for balance.

I have been told of having jerked in certain ways during a seizure & I've thought I remembered the whole thing but apparently that isn't the case.

 

[petero]

I'm blacked out when I have a TC seizure but I've had other phenomena I figure are seizures while I'm awake

the ones I recall more clearly I don't associate with pain

initially there has been a bit of fear or gibberishing as prelude, and those have made external stimulus gibberishy, and then I'll find myself vocalizing, but it's sortof a tunnel perception... like observing through an antique flip-page motion picture machine

my mom reminded me of once where I threw up but I don't really remember it as specifically

there are various degrees of awareness and consciousness overall

it's hard to tell what are waking seizures if it might involve a mood swing, or just a slight alteration in focus - I thrive on an OCD and meandering thought process, so I have a hard time being critical of it

but TCs have definitely been unconscious - and then periods after where I may have been sleeping it off

 

[momof3boys]

sounds like you had a simple partial seizure. Ive been having simple partial seizures since March 2011. I was on seizure medications that had my seizures under control for years and had gone for years without having a grand mal seizure. My last grand mal was in 2001. But then comes this VEEG and for the first time, I was consious through out the seizures! I was scared and didnt know what was going on. They started out with a feeling like something just wasnt right. My heart would begin to race, my stomach felt like someone had punched me there and I wanted to throw up, I would get this feeling of fear that would overcome me, and I would get numbness tingling feelings that started in my left hand and foot that would go all the way up my body to my head, where it felt like a million needles were attacking the roof of my mouth. While all of this is occuring, my head would turn to the right and my body would stiffen and jerk, most of the time on my left side, but one time I remember both of my sides were jerking and I blacked out during that one for a second or two and came to with the nurse giving me ativan in my IV. After words, I feel tired, sore, and have a headache.

 

[Cint]

I've had CP and TC seizures, so I've been semi-conscious and unconscious. It's the "aura" phase for me that I'm still conscious and feel the strange sensations coming on, then I'm out and don't remember a thing.

 

[pita300]

Durring my complex partials I was never conscious of what i did or was doing. I never has an aura before so I never knew I had a seizure until after I came out of it and was confused asking people around me what time or day it was. I was alwas conscious of the Tonic clonic seisure. Knew I was going to have because of the aura. That was my warning to get somewhere safe and out of sight of other people if I was in public

 

[petero]

hey mom-
I have had a few periods I call simple partials for lack of anything more concise-
very weird
they've been like having fuzzies-goosebumps that come on, and just keep coming on, and on until my entire body is 'buzzing' and numbing - I've had vocalizations during these times I can hear, but I'm not processing the info at all, and not really aware I'm making noises for a little bit of time
usually it seems like I might have been saying something to myself or in my head and it gets stuck like a record
and when I become 'aware' of this frame of mind I have to admit it has been fun a couple times I remember - because it is like a >massive< goosebumpy feeling, but also like being drunk - so it is a bit nauseating... but I'm almost 8 years sober alcoholic, so it takes quite a bit for me to be nauseous

sounds like you had a simple partial seizure. Ive been having simple partial seizures since March 2011. I was on seizure medications that had my seizures under control for years and had gone for years without having a grand mal seizure. My last grand mal was in 2001. But then comes this VEEG and for the first time, I was consious through out the seizures! I was scared and didnt know what was going on. They started out with a feeling like something just wasnt right. My heart would begin to race, my stomach felt like someone had punched me there and I wanted to throw up, I would get this feeling of fear that would overcome me, and I would get numbness tingling feelings that started in my left hand and foot that would go all the way up my body to my head, where it felt like a million needles were attacking the roof of my mouth. While all of this is occuring, my head would turn to the right and my body would stiffen and jerk, most of the time on my left side, but one time I remember both of my sides were jerking and I blacked out during that one for a second or two and came to with the nurse giving me ativan in my IV. After words, I feel tired, sore, and have a headache.

 

[PackerFan12]

It's the "aura" phase for me that I'm still conscious and feel the strange sensations coming on, then I'm out and don't remember a thing.

I am exactly like Cint says...I am aware and conscious during my aura--in which I begin to panic (even after 15 years) looking for a place to lay or get down. I continue to be in a conscious state for the first second or so of the seizure and what point I completly loose consciousness--usually waking up in a puddle of drool and blood from biting my tounge. Yuck!onder:
Katie

Its so odd how different everyone is. . .although Cint described me pretty close to how it actually is...we must have the same type of seizures.
Katie

 

[Crash]

Always unconcious for me,when i do come round i always refuse to belive ive had a seizure usually until i feel my tounge,then it comes semi back in bits and pieaces.One of my last ones i was putting up a wooden fence with a nail gun,how i didint kill anyone or myself is anyones guess.

 

[jyearta]

I have the temporal lobe

I have the same type of E. that you do.

I am awake through my seizure and it very scary.

My seizure have change over the years. I have not had a seizure since Oct. of last year. just a few deja uv

 

[Cint]

I have the same type of E. that you do.

I am awake through my seizure and it very scary.

My seizure have change over the years. I have not had a seizure since Oct. of last year. just a few deja uv

I have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, also. I also experience the deja vu, which is actually a simple partial seizure. I consider it the "aura" for me because it nearly always happens before my CP or TC seizures. I am "awake" during my CP, but not conscious, just semi-conscious. Someone may speak to me and all they will get from me is a blank stare. After a few minutes, it's over and I do not remember a thing. I may have responded to them but none of it made any sense.

 

[jyearta]

I have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, also. I also experience the deja vu, which is actually a simple partial seizure. I consider it the "aura" for me because it nearly always happens before my CP or TC seizures. I am "awake" during my CP, but not conscious, just semi-conscious. Someone may speak to me and all they will get from me is a blank stare. After a few minutes, it's over and I do not remember a thing. I may have responded to them but none of it made any sense.

NOW this is exactly how my deja vu / aura and seizure are.:agree:

Is what I'm calling a dej vu the same as an aura?

I can remember, I might have read about this in a post in the pasted.

 

[qtowngirl]

NOW this is exactly how my deja vu / aura and seizure are.:agree:

Is what I'm calling a dej vu the same as an aura?

I can remember, I might have read about this in a post in the pasted.

An aura IS a Simple Partial seizure. Neurology has broken SP's down into four categories, and Deja Vu is one of the experiences that falls under the 'psychic' category.

 

[qtowngirl]

Always unconcious for me,when i do come round i always refuse to belive ive had a seizure usually until i feel my tounge,then it comes semi back in bits and pieaces.One of my last ones i was putting up a wooden fence with a nail gun,how i didint kill anyone or myself is anyones guess.

Yeah me too, always in denial until I hear myself babbling like a toddler.
Then the anger and crying starts. F'in love it..........

 

[Crash]

i wonder will anyone invent a seizure not remember pill,cos then i could live a life of having seizures but never know im having them.Hmmmmmm i think ive stumbled upon the ultimate epileptics dream,who cares about a cure,if you dont remember them at all then bobs yer uncle,suck on that epilepsy!!!

 

[seizurrific]

Lol Neil!

 

[momof3boys]

hey mom-
I have had a few periods I call simple partials for lack of anything more concise-
very weird
they've been like having fuzzies-goosebumps that come on, and just keep coming on, and on until my entire body is 'buzzing' and numbing - I've had vocalizations during these times I can hear, but I'm not processing the info at all, and not really aware I'm making noises for a little bit of time
usually it seems like I might have been saying something to myself or in my head and it gets stuck like a record
and when I become 'aware' of this frame of mind I have to admit it has been fun a couple times I remember - because it is like a >massive< goosebumpy feeling, but also like being drunk - so it is a bit nauseating... but I'm almost 8 years sober alcoholic, so it takes quite a bit for me to be nauseous

Sounds like you could be having simple partial seizures. I get a tingling numb like feeling when mine occur. It feels really weird when it goes from my hand and feet area all the way up my body.

 

[Pinkattitude]

Nice idea, Neil, unfortunately someone may tell you all about your seizure and spoil the whole thing, rats!

I used to be unconscious during seizures, back in the old days. Then they were controlled for years. When they returned, they were so weird because I was conscious during the seizure, or was I? My memory of what happened during the "conscious" seizure, and someone else's in the the same room are usually quite different. Sometimes, when no one else witnesses the seizure, I will know it was different because whereas I thought it was just a little blip, when I'm fully back I will have dropped a bunch of stitches off of my knitting needles. Damn, the hands are always involved it seems. Oh, well, it's good practice, picking them back up.

 

[Cordero]

Always unconcious for me,when i do come round i always refuse to belive ive had a seizure usually until i feel my tounge,then it comes semi back in bits and pieaces.One of my last ones i was putting up a wooden fence with a nail gun,how i didint kill anyone or myself is anyones guess.

Of the seizures that I have had blacking out I usually do things subconsciously. I have no rememberence of it. For an example I would have a seizure in the kitchen while cooking, black out, and then wake up in my bed not knowing how I got there. Thank God I didn't burn myself.

 

[Cordero]

Jyearta "I have the same type of E. that you do.

I am awake through my seizure and it very scary.

My seizure have change over the years. I have not had a seizure since Oct. of last year. just a few deja uv "


Praise God. I hope they continue to stay controlled and that everyone else gets them under control, or that they stay controlled.