Advice-Partial seizure?

[RobynM]

Hey!

I haven't posted in a while, but was Looking for advice, as I know that you are all very good at that on here .

So, the day before yesterday, me & my housemate were round our other friend's house. We had food and then about 20minutes later I suddenly felt really hot, flushed face, heart was racing, & my right arm/hand sort of felt a bit distant/numb almost like I couldn't feel it properly. To put this into perspective, I've usually got cold hands and feet, so when I say I'm hot it's not normal! . I said to my friends that I felt weird so they opened the window straight away, & then they said I went really pale. I didn't feel nauseous or anything. I felt a bit disorientated & couldn't think 100% clearly-I'd say I felt 90% fully functioning, but did stumble on a couple of words immediately after. Yesterday, I woke up with a headache, & felt quite groggy in the morning? Would you usually feel like this the day after a partial? This would have been at least 12hours post?

Also, this was the 3rd time this exact same thing has happened in nearly 5 years since my tonic clonic(first ever seizure). I was wondering whether this could have been a partial seizure or something else? I have been really stressed lately what with final year of Uni, dissertation, other housemates being loud, & so I've been waking up at all hours.

Would love to hear your feelings, advise, ideas on this, as it's got me feeling nervous again!?

Thanks in advance & for reading my post xx

P.S I would like to point out that I am doing my dissertation on neuroimaging techniques in diagnosing epilepsy . Interesting stuff(obviously )! Hehe!

 

[RobynM]

I forgot to say that the feelings were over within about 5 minutes

 

[CQ:)]

It does sound to me like a partial, they call them focal seizures now but I get all confused with the new terminology so still call them partials or I will say I had a small seizure/ stronger seizure.

Have you made note of what happened to mention it to your neurologist?

I have partials, I used to have simple/complex partials but had surgery in 2011 & started having them again in 2013 but not as often or as bad as they were. Often when I have a seizure I will get a headache not long after & will still feel groggy & have a headache the next day. When I wake up with a headache after a seizure I joke that it is my seizure hangover.

I had a seizure on Sunday afternoon about 5:30pm. Luckily I had a witness, a work collegues wife had called in to collect some boxes & we were outside near her car chatting when I had the seizure. All I remembered was having the aura at the witnesses car then being at my garage closing the door then being inside then the collegues wife coming inside & not leaving until she knew I was ok. She also has epilepsy so she knew straight away I was having a seizure & once I was ok she told me what happened. Most of what she told me I had no idea or memory off.

I knew I mustve had a complex partial from what I was told but I checked with my neurospych who confirmed it & made note of it along with an event i had in the early hours of Sunday morning.

I had a bit of a headache on Sunday night but on Monday I woke with a headache & still felt crap, I didn't feel better until lunchtime.

Good luck with your studies, sounds interesting.

 

[RobynM]

Thankyou CQ, your advise is really helpful.

Thing is, I was aware during the seizure, so could say everything that was happening, & speak throughout it, which is why I wasn't sure what to interpret it as?

Also, I don't have a neurologist as they signed me off after just over a year with them as I hadn't had a seizure recurrence after the tonic clonic after deciding I didn't want meds unless it happened again. They had said that it was likely genetic generalised epilepsy(or old term idiopathic).

And since this is the 3rd one in 5 years of the described feelings, & it hasn't been a very regular inconvenience, & I wasn't really sure what it was, that I haven't felt it necessary to contact or talk to anyone about it in the medical fields, if you know what I mean?

Thanks For the luck re studies-will definitely be needing it!! ����hehe

 

[CQ:)]

Yep I know w what you mean, I didn't realise you aren't under the care of a neuro.

I'm through an epilepsy program which I went through to have my surgery so go to an epilepsy clinic for regular follow ups. I usually only talk to my neuro at the clinic and most correspondence is with my epilepsy nurse and neuropsych who both work with my neuro.

I'm not 100% sure but I think if a seizure is a partial and no loss of awareness then it's a simple partial.
It's usually a complex partial when there is loss of awareness

 

[RobynM]

Yep-They just said to me that if I had anymore questions, or if anything happened again that I could contact the epilepsy nurse or him directly, & they gave me their details. But I hadn't felt it necessary to contact them.

I am glad that your seizures aren't as bad or frequent as they originally were, & long may this continue for you.

Thanks again for your reply. I really appreciate it.

Take care,

Robyn x

 

[Nakamova]

Hey Robyn --
What you describe could have been a simple partial seizure. People stay fully conscious for those, and they can take the form of autonomic responses (like heart-racing and face flushing). The fact that you had problems with word recall and felt disoriented would also fit with a partial seizure. However there could be other causes: An infection (like the flu), dehydration, fatigue, menopause, anxiety, migraine, food poisoning, etc. could also potentially produce those symptoms. Definitely make a note of the episode and the circumstances; if doesn't happen again any time soon it may just be a fluke. If it happens again in the next few months, it would be a good idea to check in with your GP.

 

[RobynM]

Thanks for the reply Nakamova-I appreciate your ideas. I will definitely keep a note of it. I wouldn't imagine that it would be something that I will easily forget, since they were the same exact symptoms when it has happened on 2 other occasions.

Thanks again x

 

[Porkette]

Hi RoybnM,

What you are describing sounds like a simple partial seizure leading into a complex partial seizure it happens to me often. Recently I have been having a rapid heartbeat and I found out I have a weak heart muscle which in turn triggers more of these seizures.
After I have had the seizure I am tired, and confused for a few minutes and I don't have any energy at all. I also have muscle spasms around my mouth so I'm not able to speak for a few seconds. I started the cold water therapy which is taking a cold wash cloth and putting it on my face and the back of my neck 3 times a day at the same time and any time I feel a seizure starting up and this in turn calms the neurons down in my brain and often stops the seizure. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[RobynM]

May God bless you too Sue.

Thankyou so much for replying. In relation to the verbal aspect, I was able to talk and that, but noticed that I had to repeat a couple of words twice as they didn't quite come out as I had expected them to. I was fully aware, but hazy, & my friends noticed that.

Thanks again for your suggestions and insight.

Take care x

 

[Porkette]

Hi RobynM,

My Dr. told me when I have the problem of not being able to speak with the muscle spasm it's part of a motor seizure which in turn is causing the muscle spasms. Another thing you may want to try is the moment you start to feel a seizure coming tighten up all the muscles in your body and make your hands into tight fists for a few seconds. If you do it fast enough it will often stop the seizure. My neuro taught me this back in the 1970s
and I have been able to stop a lot of seizures over the yrs. Wishing you only the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[Sabbo]

Hello. That feeling does sound like a simple partial seizure. I know that I can feel mine coming on--I get an odd feeling in the back of my head. As soon as I do, I sit down if I'm standing up, & often close my eyes. I also have complex partial seizures, but have no idea of their occurrence unless someone witnesses them or something happens to me/my surroundings