staring

[amyjo]

Hi all

I posted yesterday about these tired days im having. Today I noticed another symptom that I was hoping someone could figure what it is (forgot to write it up yesterday). So i have absence seizures where I have no idea they have happened unless told or it is obvious to me that I have missed something. However something else happens reguarly, particuarly when i am tired where I feel like staring into space. It can happen mid conversation I can feel myself drifting off, working at the laptop I find myself wanting to just stare at the screen, ehinking and taking in nothing but I wouldbe aware if someone is speaking to me. It can also happen any time, for example today I was putting away some washing and found myself just staring off.

Very distracting, especially when im trying to get uni work done. any ideas?

Thanks so much in advance

amy xxx

 

[MuayThaiFighter]

I would talk to your neuro about possible changes to meds. Maybe even log when your staring spell occur. Time, possible triggers, anything that could cause this. I used to stare off a lot as a kid. It never bothered me, I felt almost relaxed and totally blank. Though, as I got older this could become a problem. I just started bringing this up to my neuro, possibly tracking back auras at a very young age. Best of luck, I wish I had more advice, I felt a whole lot better making lifestyle changes with the patterns I logged. Hopefully you can get your full focus soon.

 

[RunningGirl85]

I used to do that a decent amount. Not having an absence seizure, but just staring and not wanting to move. I was also able to hear everything, but responding was a little difficult, even though I'm always aware. I always just said I was spacing out. I've found it getting more and more frequent, but I think it is probably related to my medication (Keppra and Lamictal).

 

[Nakamova]

Even without epilepsy, that kind of staring can be related to fatigue. And if the meds make you tired, then the staring can increase.

 

[Elsie]

Right after I was first diagnosed, I remember having those staring spells. I was always aware that I was doing that, and aware that I could stop it if I cared to, but it just felt so darn good. Like that warm relaxing feeling you get when drifting off to sleep. Never completely lost consciousness tho. My Mom used to yell at me to stop that. Remember once an algebra teacher getting on my case for daydreaming, and I was staring out the window at the time. I never equated it with the medicine I was on. I don't do that now. But I can hardly sit down without going to sleep.

 

[amyjo]

Thanks for the speedy responses guys. Its good to think other people have experienced something similar and that its not me going mad!

Runninggirl I take keppra and lamotrigine too, I wonder if its the common factor there.

Have had a starey day today, this morning I was watching tv and on came the need to stare feeling. I could hear the tv in the background but was so far away I couldnt tell what it was saying and when I 'came to' it was clear i had missed whatever viewing there had been. Thats probably the best way I can describe the feeling. If I needed to snap back into action I could (I havent tried) but its very hard to pull myself out of the spell.

Do you think its a type of seizure?

 

[RunningGirl85]

I actually googled staring spells and Lamictal last week because I noticed it happening way more frequently as my doses have gone up. In my personal experience I don't think it's a type of seizure, at least not sny type I've ever had. If I'm aware - which is most of the time during my seizures - I get all sorts of other symptoms. If someone else is there they may think I'm looking a little blank but usually don't FEEL that way if it's a seizure. Though I'm guessing in some way it's related- afterall, the brain controls things like attention and focus and we all know our brains are a little funky

Sent from my Vortex using Tapatalk 2

 

[amyjo]

What dosage of lamotrigine are you on? I take 200mg am and 150mg pm as well as 1000mg keppra twice a day. Did google come up with any goods?

I just wondered if it was a type of seizure as I have only experienced unconcsious seizures so far and only now that I am becoming aware of my condition and starting to recognise this staring happening am I wondering if its something more. Who knows!

 

[Ravensong]

The staring spells you describe sound a bit like dissociation. We all do that normally - a common example is when you are engrossed in a book and totally block out somebody calling your name, or you are driving your car to a familiar place and you pass up your exit or you get there, but you totally "missed" part of your trip. Sound a bit like seizures? Yeah, well, dissociation can sometimes be mistaken for seizures, and vice versa. I was misdiagnosed for a long time, and sometimes my doctors still aren't sure about some of my "episodes." I have an extreme form of dissociative disorder, so getting a proper epilepsy diagnosis and treatment was really tough for me. At any rate, some dissociation is normal, and everybody does it.