Mind going completely blank -- Is it a seizure?

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy Forums

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy forums - a peer support community for folks dealing (directly or indirectly) with seizure disorders. You can visit the forum page to see the list of forum nodes (categories/rooms) for topics.

Please have a look around and if you like what you see, please consider registering an account and joining the discussions. When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no ads, access to members only (ie. private) forum nodes and more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

C

corsch

New
Messages
78
Reaction score
0
Points
0
First off, I was diagnosed with Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in December of 2010 and put on 1000mg of keppra twice daily. I've been twitch and seizure free since but as of the past week or so i've noticed my mind going completely blank, kinda like it does when I have myoclonic jerks but it's only for a split second and then I'm back to normal. Am I being paranoid or does this sound like new seizure activity? I haven't seen my neuro for a few months and my last eeg was clear (6ish months ago).
 
Well I am no expert, but that happens to me, and I consider it a seizure. Mine last more than a second. like inbetween 5 and 10 seconds. Read up on absense seizure. I think that is where I saw some info similar to how it feels for me. However, I did not have any seizure activity until a year ago after a head injury. absense says it usually starts in childhood?
 
My mind does the "let's go blank" trick but I don't consider it a seizure. I'm fully aware and functional and realize what is happenning. So it doesn't fit the definition of absence seizures (I'm never "absent" just my mind has reverted to blank slate status for a moment). It's more that I have the classic problems with encoding/decoding. Go to epilepsy.com and search on "Types of memory problems" for a great explanation (Many thanks to Cint for that link!).

It's a real pain when it happens - especially when I'm right in the middle of describing a design concept. I've become used to it so I just take a deep breath and relax my mind since, for me, stress is a factor.

Enjoy the moment!
 
Last edited:
Great site! Totally explains some of my memory problems like I really have to work to remember people's names, and faces.
 
I have no memory left. So I asked my Epileptologist what it was. And he simply said ,Teresa, you have had so many seizures that its was going to happen.But if you are aware of them they might be finding words like, your meds,or seizures , or simple complex seizures.
 
I can definitely relate. Except mine (I believe) aren't split second. I don't lose consciousnesses just time and thought. I don't know if it's a seizure but it is extremely frustrating. Generally after that I confused as to what I'm doing was doing and this can last for extended periods of time. I'm with stilldancing though...I think I've just had so many seizures what else can I expect.
 
You are going to be ok. This damn thing is eventually going to get me. But I sure will be doing something fun. Swimming, singing, dancing.Only singing if I can remember the words. lol I can feel it getting worse. But I will not quit. laughing , dancing,spreading the news of love.Baker, my Dr. told me this because i have had bad seizures for a long long time.You can expect to live "your " life to the fullest.Eat things that are healthy for your brain.(some times):( We are one and I feel your strength and your weekness. We can do it.
 
yeah, i get that blank moment too I was wondering if that might be absences also since i just get the T/C's and was beginning to develop the absences as well but i am perfectly aware of whats around me ecept for the fact that my mind just goes blank and 2 things happen either 1) I forget what I was going to say or 2) what I say comes out wrong or I don't say anything. In either case its very frustratrating!

Tina
 
With absences, you don't actually know they've happened. When you are aware of the brain skip, it's more like a partial seizure, a tiny breakthrough that doesn't spread. I've had those skips -- it's as if someone flicked the power button on and off very quickly. if they happen in the middle of a conversation, I've had to kinda fake it until I can pick up the thread again.
 
I had a situation occur a week ago today. My daughter-in-law had just come home and was livid from something that had happened between her and my other daughter-in-law. She proceeded to involve me and tell me to not invite her to a gathering that I was having on Sun. Well, I lost it. I immediately started feeling like I was going to have a seizure. I told her I wasn't feeling well and my next question was, "What day is it?"
I realized later that this was stress induced and that in the future I need to step back from this kind of situation.
Easier said then done! Luckily, I did not have a seizure but it scared me that it COULD have happened so quickly.
I'm usually a pretty calm person but have been having some insomnia and stress with older son. Oh yeah, then after all this I started crying and I was apologizing. When it wasn't even my fault. My daughter-in-law should have kept her rage in check.
Life is so wonderful!
M
 
I find a lose time a good 10 or 20 times a day--my epilepsy is not entirely controlled at the moment. What happens with my absence seizures is only really something I can pick up if I'm around other people. I'll suddenly become aware that there is a conversation happening, or someone is waiting for me to say something, but I have no idea that there was anything expected of me or what happened before I came to. My old neuro said that absence seizures can only be picked up if you're hooked up to an EEG--they're so quick that even he might not notice that they have happened. I always thought of partial seizures as either a lot of lost time or as something I am aware of as it happens but I'm no expert. Absences are more of a mystery. I'm gone and then I'm there and I've forgotten before. I have been with my doc during a couple of absences that she's picked up, though, and identified as absences rather than partials.
 
I've had those brief skips also. I don't know that I've "skipped out" (ie. I don't feel myself drift, or whatever) until I tune back in and at that point I can tell it was very short - no more than 5 sec and probably more like 2 or 3. It's not anything I've really thought about as I never thought of it as a seizure. It's not anything I've told the neuro or anything - honestly I think everyone tunes out every now and then. I call it listening fatigue, brain taking a break, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom