Blank Staring

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Miss M

Miss M

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Hi again.

As i have said i am new to Epilepsy. Had my first 19 seizures when i turned 40 from a brain tumour.

Those seizures were stroke like, numbness down the left hand side each time.

However, today i realised that i have been having 'blank' moments where i just sit and stare into nothing for a few minutes or more. Can be reading and then 'get lost' and come back staring at the page. Or just sitting somewhere and then i get 'lost' again.

I didnt realise it was a pattern until today as each time it happens i get really tired and lay down like i need a sleep.

Can anyone tell me what sort of seizure this sounds like?

I posted another thread the other day about Lamictal side effects so i need to ring my neuro about these new seizures and need to have info for both reasons.

thanks in advance.
 
are you aware that you are "getting lost"? or do you just have a little time lapse that you can't recall? example: your reading then you "get lost" and when you "come back" do you feel tired or drained? or do you just feel a little confused and keep going where you left off.

If you are aware while you are "getting lost" like what seems like daydreaming, then those are probably simple/complex partials,

if you don't know you are spacing but suddenly realize you stopped reading and then get slightly confused on where you left off but then go right back to what you were doing, then those are probably absence seizures

either way, I would suggest bringing it up with your neurologist. and write it down. Either in your cell phone or a note pad and set an alarm on a watch or cell phone for the same time as your appointment.

I found this was the only way that I could remember to actually pull out my cell phone, realize there was an alarm and then click it to bring me to my questions. this prompts me to ask them. otherwise i get intimidated.

best of luck and blessed be!
 
"if you don't know you are spacing but suddenly realize you stopped reading and then get slightly confused on where you left off but then go right back to what you were doing, then those are probably absence seizures"

Yes, this is what is happening, i come back and get a shock that i was gone. Today i found my self just sitting on my bed when i 'come back' staring at the door, it was then i realised that this is in fact a pattern. When i googled absence seizures it seemed to point only at children? or i must have gotten it wrong.

Just rang neuro and he is away for another 2 weeks GRRR so spoke to the registrar, he is going to get my records and is getting back to me later today.

My previous thread was about my side effects and my neuro not taking them seriously so i have to wonder what this on call neuro is going to do regarding my meds.

At least you have given me a name for what is happening. Thanks. I will update when the neuro gets back to me.

Are these dangerous at all? OH NO i just realised they will probably take my licsence off me again :sad:
 
probably will take your license unless its not manditory for them to tell the Motor Vehicle Department.

Well I have absences all the time and multiple times a day. Im 20yrs old, but I probably had them unknowingly since I was nine (head injury)

but seizure patterns do change as people age, because sometimes they are triggered by hormones. and as we age, hormone levels change. so as a result your seizures could change.
 
I get staring spells a ton of times throughout the day. Sometimes I'm aware and will lose focus while staring at one specific spot, unable to take my eyes off of that spot or re-gain focus. Other times I will be completely unaware (absence seizures, I believe). There have been times where I'm sitting alone at my computer, then out of nowhere my mom is waving her hand in front of my face to get my attention. (I'm 19 btw).
 
spoke to registrar neuro who confirmed i am having "complex partial seizures" he has increased my epilim by another 500mg and is consulting the head of neuro tomorrow to work out which meds would be best.

I just have to get through the next two weeks until my neuro comes back to sort things out.

Today's neuro almost immediately asked if i was driving and warned me that it would be very dangerous for me to do so and it is his opinion that i cease to do do. I agreed. I would never risk others or myself. As much as i understand why - it makes life really really hard.

I will have to do some more homework.

any help or advice would be great guys, as i said i am new to all this.
 
Hi Miss M,

glad you have been able to get an interim diagnosis until your neurologist gets back. Sorry about the driver's licence though :( I guess this is going to bring up all sorts of problems for you. I don't know what your work situation is (as in, if you are working full or part time or not working) but you might be able to check with Centrelink to find out if you are eligible for any benefits or public transport concessions. Just a thought:ponder:

Your seizures do sound like complex partials, but if you can get to a neurologist who is also an epileptologist they should be able to tell you almost certainly by your description/symptoms whether or not they are, especially given your past history.

With my own complex partials, I lose awareness either partially or fully, when I only know because others have told me. I also become 'aware' of time lost and amnesia for things that I have done. It can be fairly varied in its presentation.

I'm fairly new to the 'diagnosis' also, as the E got caught up so to speak in with my other neurological immune disease.......long story LOL.

Feel free to PM me

((Hugs)) and try not to worry too much.

Roo
 
Hi Miss M --

Do make sure your neuro has info about ALL the different kinds of seizures/symptoms you are experiencing. The blank staring sounds like absence seizures to me, but your neuro should be able to make a clear diagnosis. It can make a difference because some of the AED meds have a better track record against particular kinds of seizures. (I think Lamictal is one that is supposed to good for absence seizures, so you're already on the right track.) You might want to see if you can figure out a particular trigger for the absences --maybe it's something about reading, or the lighting on the page.
 
I also have staring spells, mine are absence seizures. I also have complex partials. For some reason neurologists were taught two things about absence seizures that really aren't true, so they might not want to believe patients that try to tell them otherwise. The two types of seizures look similar but they show up distinctly differently in tests. One, they were told that absence seizures only ever began in childhood and were usually outgrown by adulthood. And another, if you had absence seizures then you didn't have any other kind of epilepsy. When I went to a neurologist to ask him if the staring spells that began when I was in my early thirties were absence seizures he tried to tell that wasn't possible. I convinced him otherwise (office demo). :) A doctor who listens is a real plus. This neurologist later referred me to an epileptologist.
 
My 'staring spells' have been diagnosed as complex partials. They can look similar to absence seizures but I think that absence seizures are of a shorter duration to complex partials - or so i was told.

Always best if possible, to consult an Epileptologist :twocents:
 
hey miss m, i think we have somethin in common. i've noticed an increase of staring spells getting more noticeable to me atleast... and you said you were on lamictal? im also on that. do you yawn frequently?? cuz i've noticed that too and cant figure out what the hell it is. my mom says its a withdrawl symptom and i had to go off my meds for about a week so it'd make sense but it happened b4 that too. just curious
 
morgan86 said:
hey miss m, i think we have somethin in common. i've noticed an increase of staring spells getting more noticeable to me atleast... and you said you were on lamictal? im also on that. do you yawn frequently?? cuz i've noticed that too and cant figure out what the hell it is. my mom says its a withdrawl symptom and i had to go off my meds for about a week so it'd make sense but it happened b4 that too. just curious
Click to expand...

Heya. YES i yawn non stop. It drives me mad as i am a big reader and i have to constantly wipe the yawn tears from my eyes, very hard to get thorugh a page.
 
Miss M said:
However, today i realised that i have been having 'blank' moments where i just sit and stare into nothing for a few minutes or more. Can be reading and then 'get lost' and come back staring at the page. Or just sitting somewhere and then i get 'lost' again.

I didnt realise it was a pattern until today as each time it happens i get really tired and lay down like i need a sleep.

Can anyone tell me what sort of seizure this sounds like?
Click to expand...

Sounds like complex partial seizures to me. You don't get the post ictal sleepies from absence seizures. You should definitely mention it to your neuro. Are you keeping a seizure diary/journal? You should be chronicling the frequency of these seizures.
 
Spoke to neuro again. He consulted another neuro and they have decided to put me back on Lamictal. He was supposed to ring my GP and give him the details for a script yesterday morning, he didnt ring. So, i have no meds apart from the epilim i am already on and its not holding or else i wouldnt be having these new seizures.

I am just going to wait until my own neuro gets back in a couple of weeks, as everytime i call i get a different registrar and i have to start all over again.

I had to have a nap about 4 times yesterday. I really think this has been happening far more many times that i realised, i just thought i was day dreaming but now i see its not.

I will keep a diary and write down any information that will be helpful.

thanks.
 
The diary's a good idea, plus write down any questions you have for the neuro, and maybe bring a photo of your rash too. Good luck!
 
I have blank staring, even on meds.
The Neuro told me it was Absent Seizures??

I do this 2-3 times a day.

Billy.
 
Hey... I have this happen all the time and I have complex partial seizures. I was wondering if anyone else experienced this too. I am glad I saw this thread. I am on two meds (Topamax and Lyrica) and I still have them all the time. I hope to see a epileptologist soon.

Miss M - I hope you feel better soon and that your meds are worked out soon. I am so sorry that you are unable to stop driving again. I too had to quit driving here recently and it was very tough giving it up and having to rely on others but I am like you I would never want to endanger anyone's life or mine behind the wheel. I wish you the best and many hugs.

tam bam
 
miss m i know EXACTLY what you mean about not being able to get thru a page without yawning. GOD is it annoying! just thought i'd add that in
 
morgan86 said:
miss m i know EXACTLY what you mean about not being able to get thru a page without yawning. GOD is it annoying! just thought i'd add that in
Click to expand...

OH ITS HORRIBLE!!!! it takes double the time to read the damn thing.
 
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