72-hour EEG

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I know a 72-hour EEG is going to monitor my brainwaves for three days, but how exactly will they be monitored? Will they plug me up to some huge thing, or will it simply be some kind of small monitor? I tried searching online, but couldn't find anything.

I just want to know what to prepare for, lol. I'm hoping I'll be about to walk around and stuff.
 
Hi!


Is your EEG inpatient? If so, first they'll put an IV in your hand/arm (in case of emergency). Then they'll glue electrodes on your head and hook the wires into a machine that monitors your brainwaves. The machine isn't in the room, it's elsewhere, at least it was at my hospital. It was in a control room, of sorts. There will also be a box-thing that you either hang on your shoulder or fasten around your waist. It has a button to push if you feel a seizure event, so the techinician can mark it on your eeg record (for the doctor to look at extra closely). There are a lot of wires! A computer program analyzes all your wave patterns. It marks abnormal waves for the doctor, and a little alarm goes off and the nurses rush in to see if you are okay.

As for moving around... they'll put you in bed with extra-high padded rails, and you probably won't be able to get up except for using the bathroom. They do it for a couple of reasons - to ensure your safety in case you have a seizure, and to keep you on camera. I've heard a couple of people in here say their doc finally let them get up and walk up and down the hall a little, but mine didn't.

If your EEG is outpatient, they'll glue the electrodes on your head and then plug the wires into a box that is fastened around your waist. You can go where you want, do what you want (except shampoo your head!).

If inpatient, you may want to call the hospital ahead of time and see what kind of amenities they have. And ask your nurse about rules, like visiting hours, cell phones, etc.

My hospital did allow laptops and cellphones, but they couldn't be plugged in inside the room and had to be charged outside of the room to avoid interfering with the equipment. Had I known this I would have brought a power strip - there was only one plug in the bathroom (where i charged stuff overnight).

My hospital also had entertainment galore - cable tv, video games, netTV, music channels, etc. Also 24 hour food service you order off a menu, like a restaurant. I still would have brought my favorite snacks, had I thought of it. Take entertainment, like books, games, etc. Take slippers even though they won't let you out of bed much. You may want to take a knit hat to cover all your wires, if you are having lots of visitors and you are concerned about looks.

Take along about 1/3 cup oil, to help get the glue off your head. It can be any kind of oil - olive oil, mayonnaise, baby oil. When you are ready to go home, massage it into your scalp for about 20 minutes and the glue will come off. I did it at the hospital in their shower because it makes a slick, slimy mess on the tile! If you forget the oil you can ask the hospital kitchen for some.

I'd say have fun, but..... lol.... Nothing hurts or anything. It's just boring.
 
Thanks for all the info! Surely all of that must have been on the internet somewhere. Maybe I didn't do a thorough enough search.

I believe my EEG is outpatient. Inpatient doesn't sound too terrible, though. Seems kind of relaxing, in a way. But I can see where it would get boring, too. It seems like the inpatient EEG is more thorough? Maybe not. Maybe it just sounds like it because of all the attention you get from the nurses.

All I was told about my upcoming EEG is that it would be 72 hours long and in my house. An outside company is supposed to call at some point (they haven't yet?) and set up a time for the EEG. The company will come out to my house and set everything up. Then I assume they leave and come back after the 72 hours.

I'm sure it won't be bad. I really look forward to it, because I'm very interested in the results. :)

Thanks again for the info, it helped greatly.
 
The inpatient eeg is usually a video eeg. The one at home is non-video.

My docs said I could wear a hat and hide the wires and go on with my daily life. I find that pretty funny - no way you can hide all those wires coming off your head. lol....
 
Too bad you couldn't get them to hook you up to the EEG before Halloween.
 
It sounds like they are going to set up a video camera type set up in your house and then set you up with the EEG monitor itself. It will probably be small enough to wear around the house but I think you will probably be in one place for the most part just in case a seizure happens.
I've had a regular 72hr AEEG and I wore it while in college classes! LOL I had no choice since if missing one more class, i would have points taken away.
But anyway, that was the best choice I could of made because it picked up info that confirmed my diagnosis of complex partial seizures.
I now see an epileptologist and if I were offered this again, I would do it. sometimes you don't realize something is happening unless you have GMs but with other type seizures you might have waveforms or abnormal activity going on that the machine picks up, but you may not.
They analyze the test and can tell you more.
I hope it all goes well.
Let us know how it goes.
Take care,
Crystal
 
I've had

many of the outpatient 72 hour EEGs done, although mine are set up in the doctor's office, not by an outside company. And yes, you can almost totally hide the wires coming out of your head---bandanas are great, topped off by a floppy hat! Then run the wires down the back of your shirt.........and it's almost impossible to tell they're there! :)

Gee, can you tell I've had just a LITTLE bit of practice trying NOT to look like what I call the Bride of Frankenstein in public? LOLOL :roflmao::roflmao:


Endless has a great tip about the oil, though, because sometimes getting all that JUNK out of your hair can be a royal PITA.
 
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