Could all or any of these symptoms be linked to epilepsy?

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aw, you guys are so awesome! thanks lots for all your input + support :)
i got a doctor's appointment for tomorrow so we will see what he has to say! i am pretty excited :banana:

& i still can't believe how complex epilepsy seems to be, and how unpredictable the seizures can be! i had no idea! but it really is awesome to hear from all of you and all your different experiences with them. you've all got my support, as well :)

- katie
 
hey guys!! so i finally saw my doctor today!
he said it sounds like i'm most likely having seizures and we scheduled an EEG and some blood tests for this tuesday.
he seems like a really nice guy & definitely seems to care! :) i'm so pleased. he went through & explained that i'm probably having either partial or complex temporal lobe seizures. i feel so relieved, now just hoping the EEG goes well!!
:woot:

-katie
 
Glad you were able to get in to doc so quickly. I know when I mentioned my symptoms to my doc, he knew right away that I was having seizures. But I know others on here have experience problems with doc being so attentive. Sounds like you have a good doctor!
jenn
 
Congrats on finding a good, responsive doctor!
 
yeah, i was definitely started to get worried this morning that my doc would think i was crazy or something, but he really knew his stuff and actually wanted to know allllll the details! what a relief :)
 
Hi Katie,
That is so great you found a good doc who understands you and seems to care. I spoke with a few (none neurologists because I didn't know what was wrong yet) and they were all clueless. Then one day my husband and I were in Shopko where there was a medical kiosk next to a blood pressure machine. We typed in the same symptoms I had described to the doctors about the feelings of dejavu and disorientation and it was almost the exact description for partial seizures. I was so disappointed in my family doctors.

I haven't had a lot of tonic clonics since my head injury but I have had a lot of partials. Along with the dejavu feeling, I sometimes have little hallucinations, kinda like your space outs. I can also get really disoriented. I can see a doorway and go to walk through it but it was really the wall. I have found that if I go to the bathroom or rest my head it usually goes away. I don't know if this is the same for anyone else. I thought it was kinda strange that it pulls me out of the trance, but we do what works, right?

I hope you are able to get things figured out more once you get the results from your tests. Good luck!
April
 
Thanks!! I'm starting to get worried that the EEG isn't going to pick anything weird up because I haven't gotten any seizures (if that's what it is) for a couple of weeks now. But well see :)
I think it is crazy how a lot of doctors don't recognize these symptoms.. Because after I looked them up online all I could find that fit the description was epilepsy!! It seems a bit obvious, almost. But I hope you were able to find a good doctor as well!! I'm soo thankful that I did my first try. :)

And I also find that I have to rest my head during/after the seizures. If I don't, I feel like I'm going to pass out or my heads going to like explode haha. I haven't tried using the bathroom, lol, but I definitely always have to rest my head in my hands.. It helps. Kinda interesting!
 
Hi Katie,

I'm glad to hear you've got an EEG set up, I hope it goes well. It's always possible that the EEG doesn't pick anything up, it's happened to a lot of people here I think.

I always have to rest my head after a sp as well. When they happen at work I put my head down on my desk and everyone thinks I'm taking a nap.. lol

Chris
 
When I had my EEG, I didn't feel like anything was going on, but neuro told me it did show seizure activity in my left partiel lobe with generalized spiking throughout the right side of my brain. My neuro said 40% of his E patients did not show any activity on their EEG....but a good doc will not let that keep from treating you for E. I know it seems so strange what it going on that you know no one will understand...but a good doctor understands the symptoms. Plus you have us here to help out too. So glad you are finding out about your seizures. You have a great attitude. I know I fought the diagnosis for the first few months
jenn
 
that's true.. i totally thought my doctor wouldn't know what was wrong with me but luckily i was wrong!! he even told me that a lot of people with epilepsy have normal results after their EEG's but that we'd still have a follow up either way :) he seems like an awesome dude.

hehe, thanks to both of ya!!
well, this has been driving me nuts for months, i've been wanting to know what the heck is going on in my head for so long.. it'll just be relieving to find out what is actually going on up there, lol. so i'm excited. :) not excited about being sleep deprived before this test though, argh!! i'm already tired!!! & only 12 more hours to go...... woo.
 
Hello,

My name is Dave.

First off, I just wanted to say thank you to KTButtons, for very accurately articulating your deja vu type experiences. I don't think I have epilepsy, but I started experiencing your exact symptoms about 5 years ago (I'm 65+). I tried to explain what was happening to my doctor - he's a good guy, very experienced, but this one seemed to puzzle him. He sent me for various tests, but all came back negative.

So, my wife and I started trying to track down the possible cause on our own, and for a while it seemed that caffeine might be the culprit (either in Colas, or coffee). However, I could go for long periods (months) without any attacks, irregardless of much caffeine I consumed.

It's probably been a year since my last attack, now in the last couple of days I've had 3 (minor ones).

The only thing that's changed is I've had a few Clauseen Dill pickles during that time frame, and I'm starting to wonder, could it possibly the alum in the pickles causing the problem, perhaps restricting blood vessels in the brain?

I'd appreciate any comments on this.

Regards,

Dave
 
Hi Dave --

It would be pretty unusual for the alum used in the pickling process to trigger your episodes. You would need to have it injected in large quantities into your bloodstream, or perhaps inhale a lot of alum powder at a pickling plant. Perhaps there's some other nutritional issue at work? Or a combination of factors? Did you have the episodes at a particular time of day? Do you take any medications? Were you in a particular location or doing a particular activity? Have your episodes changes or progressed in any way?

I hope you can find out what's going on. I know deja vu can be disturbing.
 
Hi Nakamova,

Thanks for your reply.

Did you have the episodes at a particular time of day? Usually in the afternoon and/or evening.

Do you take any medications? I have been on high blood pressure medication for quite a few years, but after these other symptoms started occurring, my doctor added a daily aspirin to the list.

Were you in a particular location or doing a particular activity? No, can happen while sitting on the couch and watching TV, can also happen while driving, which is quite disturbing.

Have your episodes changes or progressed in any way No, not really. I can go months without any attack, then I'll have 3 or 4 in quick succession, usually over a period of a couple of days, then it's gone again.

I'll have to monitor my coffee consumption a bit closer, it does seem to be related. My wife and I have both noticed that the attacks often seem to occur after we've frequented places like Starbucks, or consumed some cola type of drink.

On the bright side, looks like I can rule out the alum, which is good, I "love" those pickles!

regards,

Dave
 
Hi Dave,

Welcome to CWE! I hope you can find out what's happening. What kind of tests did the doctor do?

It's interesting that the attacks happen after consuming caffeine. For some people, including myself, caffeine and aspartame can lower the seizure threshold and cause more seizures. Since I've gone off of caffeine my seizures have become less frequent.

Even if what you are experiencing is not epilepsy, you condition might be affected by caffeine just the same.

Chris
 
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