Do you know when you've had an absence seizure?

[AndrewIrish]

Hey all,

I was researching JME and I've heard the clusters of myoclonic jerks go into a cluster of Absence seizures a lot of the time prior to the actual TC... i often find myself kind of 'transfixed' and just staring blankly, my breath kind of hitching... but I would figure by definition you lose consciousness during an absence seizure traditionally... actually... would you even know if you're having absence seizures?

 

[dbrim]

Many times I don't realise. Yes you do 'lose consciousness' but auto pilot takes over. I only really notice when I walk into a road, or the conversation I was having suddenly doesn't make sense any more. My family and close friends pick up on them more than I do. It is a bit of a pain trying to quantify them and see how well a medication is working without having to do an EEG every time.

 

[JaneC]

Hi Andrew, until recently I think my daughter would have said she was unaware of absences. Now she says she often is - she is aware of sort of snapping back from them. Not sure it's supposed to be that way but it is.

 

[N Sperlo]

I remember when I was diagnosed with absence seizures. I still don't know how accurate that was. I feel like partial would be a better description, but things have changed.
Most times I would have no clue I had them. I had many auras, but that may have only been times the seizure did not progress past a simple partial when then meant they were not absence... :/

 

[epileric]

It's only been in the last 10-15 years that I discovered I was having seizures that I'm not aware of. It feels strange sometimes, I'd be walking down the street & in a blink I'm a few yards ahead. I'm sure I have others that I'm not aware of because I'll feel post-ictal but have no awareness of any seizure.

 

[niceguyVZ]

Do you necesarily need to Lose Conciousness or blackout? Because i don't. I've been having Staring episodes for long and have multiple times a day many many. But i dont lose conciousness and don't black out. I still see but it's blurry and everything slows down and i can't respond to the conversation that people are saying to me

 

[epileric]

Do you necesarily need to Lose Conciousness or blackout? Because i don't. I've been having Staring episodes for long and have multiple times a day many many. But i dont lose conciousness and don't black out. I still see but it's blurry and everything slows down and i can't respond to the conversation that people are saying to me

I've always thought I'd been awake & aware during my seizures but every now & then something will happen like I mentioned before when walking & suddenly being too far ahead yet I'm not aware that I wasn't aware lol. I can only liken it to a movie where an edit was made to take something out yet usually we can't tell where that edit was done.

 

[Ruth]

Sometimes I black out and sometimes I do not. It is weird when I do not. When I am awake, the only way I can describe it is weird. I think when I am awake, it is more like an aura than an absence seizure.

I have had staring episodes and right now, I just had an absence seizure.

 

[Belinda5000]

I don't know when I've had an absence sz

 

[Ruth]

I do not know most of the time.

 

[valeriedl]

I don't know when I've had one unless there is someone there to see it happen because I black out.

If I'm alone and have one I may see that things are in the wrong place in the house. I loaded the dishwasher during once. Everything was in there but nothing was in the right place. I'll usually get severe headaches after one. If I'm having a headache then I think that I've probably had one.

 

[RobynM]

something will happen like I mentioned before when walking & suddenly being too far ahead yet I'm not aware that I wasn't aware lol. I can only liken it to a movie where an edit was made to take something out yet usually we can't tell where that edit was done.

I am sooo glad you have mentioned that Epileric! I joined this forum just over 2 years ago when I had my first Tonic clonic (haven't had one since). Had all the tests; MRI was clear, but on the EEG the Epileptologist said that it showed activity that is present in people with a seizure disorder. He was also asking me if I ever had absences, or jerks and such, and I said no, being totally honest with him. No-one has ever said I am a 'daydreamer', like quite a few people have mentioned on here when they have their absences. However, you have totally nailed it on the head with your explanation. I occasionally find if I am walking down the road, or on a run, that I literally blink, then i am much further than what I anticipated, and I could definitely relate it to being like a movie edit for sure now you come to mention it! I couldn't quite explain what it was like, and I did try to look for similar things on the internet, but couldn't quite get it matched up with anything. I just thought it was me being too focused on what I was doing, but now I am thinking otherwise. I will keep an eye on these happenings, but like I say it isn't that often, and to be fair, I don't ever think it has happened mid conversation or anything, which seems strange too doesn't it?
Anyway, thanks & take care everyone

 

[notime]

I had trouble with memory loss, dizziness and sometimes would be confused a little bit. So, I assumed it was absence seizures or side effects of medication, and finally on my last appointment I told my neurologist. He said it's either the side effects or juvenile myoclonic seizures, and that testing would be quite expensive. Instead, he recommended me to reduce the dosage of my first medication which didn't suppress any seizures.

He told me that people with absence seizures are unaware of it, and I can understand since I am unaware of tonic clonics. I usually know when I bite my tongue, sore all over, or stuff is fallen over. Usually I read that it's not common in adults, and usually those with them are not aware of it. Somebody has to point it out. I reduced the medication, and these problems stopped.

 

[epileric]

I am sooo glad you have mentioned that Epileric!

My pleasure Robyn. I got tired of people saying things like "if you're "unconscious" for a little bit why don't you just ask the person to repeat themselves"? They couldn't grasp that you’re often not aware of what happened. It isn't like waking up & knowing you've been unconscious.

Finally I came up with the analogy of comparing it to when the TV goes blank or when you turn to the uhf channel (channel 1) where you know when the TV cut out but this is more like a movie edit.

Of course since I came up with that analogy nobody has said anything that would give me a reason to use it until now.

 

[RobynM]

Aww. Well you have defs helped me, so thanks again . It's good to know that I am not going completely mad ! Hehe