Do I have Epilepsy?

[chelseaa12345]

Hey everyone!

I would love some help figuring out if I've been having seizures or have epilepsy.

This has happened to me twice in the past few years. The first time when I was 20, the second when I was 23.

It starts out by me feeling really clammy, sweaty, pale and lightheaded. I feel very out of it as if I'm losing consciousness. Shortly afterwards, my muscles start to collapse and I can no longer hold myself up. I start to fall down as my legs give out. Next thing I know I black out.

I then wake up on the ground as I have fallen backwards and been knocked out for at least 5 minutes or so. When I finally wake up I am extremely weak and sweaty.

The first time, my vision was red and yellow and blurry and I was able to speak and recovered pretty well.

The second time, people sat me in a chair and I couldn't hold myself up, I kept falling over as I was still so weak. If they tried to stand me up, I would fall over. My body was very shaky. I also had complete memory loss. People were asking me if I know my name, what year it was, if I had any siblings, etc. (very simple questions), and I had no idea what the answers were. It was difficult to talk and I would just say "I dont know" - I still couldn't lift up my head and felt very out of it. About 15 minutes later I started to feel like everything was coming back to me and I snapped out of it.

What could this be?

Thank you!!

 

[urza3277]

You need too see your GP and ask their opinion they will prolly refer you to a specialist. Or if your insurance allows you to see a specialist without a referal you could do that as well. The symptoms you are describing are similar to what would happen to me after I had a tonic clonic. It's called post ictal. The initial feelings you describe sound like an aura or warning stage or they could be an early part of a tonic clonic. You are going to have to see someone as I say and they will conduct alot of tests including an EEG. but from what you described its does sound like a tonic clonic. Does anyone else in your family have a history of seizure activity or epilepsy?
Also keep a journal of all your incidents.
Cheers!

 

[arnie]

Hello and welcome to CWE. Sounds like a seizure to me. As Urza said the first feelings you describe sound like an aura (which is a partial seizure, meaning it only affects a part of your brain) leading to a generalized seizure, affecting the whole brain. If you only get muscle weakness and "limpness" it would be classified as an atonic seizure, meaning all muscle tone is gone. If your muscles stiffen up and you get all rigid it would be a tonic seizure. I you add convulsions to the rigidity it becomes a tonic-clonic seizure. All the things you describe after the seizure sound like classic symptoms of a post-ictal state. I agree with Urza that you need to get yourself to a neurologist, and better yet an epileptologist, as soon as possible. Bear in mind that they may run all the tests and find no evidence of seizures. That does not mean that you don't have epilepsy. Lots of us with a seizure disorder (epilepsy) have perfectly normal EEGs, MRIs, etc. Often epilepsy has to be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms alone and not objective tests. Keep us posted!

 

[chelseaa12345]

Hello and welcome to CWE. Sounds like a seizure to me. As Urza said the first feelings you describe sound like an aura (which is a partial seizure, meaning it only affects a part of your brain) leading to a generalized seizure, affecting the whole brain. If you only get muscle weakness and "limpness" it would be classified as an atonic seizure, meaning all muscle tone is gone. If your muscles stiffen up and you get all rigid it would be a tonic seizure. I you add convulsions to the rigidity it becomes a tonic-clonic seizure. All the things you describe after the seizure sound like classic symptoms of a post-ictal state. I agree with Urza that you need to get yourself to a neurologist, and better yet an epileptologist, as soon as possible. Bear in mind that they may run all the tests and find no evidence of seizures. That does not mean that you don't have epilepsy. Lots of us with a seizure disorder (epilepsy) have perfectly normal EEGs, MRIs, etc. Often epilepsy has to be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms alone and not objective tests. Keep us posted!

Thank you! Is it possible to have tonic clonic without the rigidity and convulsions - I don't think those were part of what I was experiencing. It seems like I experienced the aura and post ictal state but the seizure seemed more of a loss of muscle tone and consciousness like the atonic seizure you mentioned. Does the "atonic seizure" have an aura state and post ictal state as well?

Thanks again!

 

[arnie]

Actually, you can't have a tonic-clonic seizure unless you have rigidity and convulsions, because those are the things that define a tc seizure. Atonic seizures, however, can have all the other "goodies" that go along with tonic-clonic seizures.

Here is a link to a description of the most common types of seizures. It's pretty good, except that we really don't use the term "grand mal" any more. It's properly called a Generalized Tonic-Clonic (GTC) seizure. Usually people just say "tonic-clonic, though.

http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/types-of-seizures-their-symptoms

Again, keep in touch and let us know how things go. There is lots of support here!

 

[talley_valley]

Have you checked your blood sugar after these episodes? Hypoglycemia would give you the clam, weak disoriented feeling and possible black outs.


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[Gretel]

Other possibilities besides TC seizures (considering complete black out, but no convulsion or rigidity) and blood sugar (which is also a good culprit to check into!) is vasovagal syncope, and blood pressure.

Sugar, blood pressure, and syncope, all can cause people become clammy, pale, light headed, dizzy and sweaty, and cause them to pass out (but none are seizure or aura related).

I hope you saw a doctor

 

[Cint]

Have you checked your blood sugar after these episodes? Hypoglycemia would give you the clam, weak disoriented feeling and possible black outs.

If it were Hypoglycemia, she would not have made a come back so quickly. I have Type 1 Diabetes and suffered a CP seizure due to hypoglycemia back in December. I was very disoriented and felt very faint before the seizure. I ended up in the ER and my glucose level was down to 40. I also had crashed my car because of it and they kept me in the ER for several hours. They had to give me glucagon to raise my blood sugar. They also made sure I ate something before I was released.

Before I was actually diagnosed with E years ago, I kept having these strange feelings like I was going to pass out, that were actually simple partial and CPs. But the GP I was seeing at the time diagnosed it as hypoglycemia. Within 2 months of his diagnosis and without doing any test, I had my 1st TC seizure and ended up with a serious injury. So make sure you do get in to see a neurologist and have testing done.

Here is a good website to check out for explanation of seizures: http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/types_seizures

 

[Daisyduke]

Hi...I would definitely see a neurologist for an EEG. Did you get hurt when you fell? It does sound like some type of seizure...I read epilepsy is the term for having repeated seizures or at least 2 seizures.
How long since your last fall and how are you feeling now? Do you ever have vertigo or lightheaded, ear ringing sensations?
Hope you see a doctor soon to get checked out and meds if needed.

 

[heylena]

Yours sound like atonic seizures (falling). I have these; although, mine happen in seconds, I am conscious and am able to remember what happened (just cannot do anything except stop myself from hitting the floor with my face). I have never had symptoms prior to the seizure. Like I said, it happens in seconds and then is gone. And you are left with the damage: scraped knees and hands (fun when you fall on concrete). Although I am sure that there are versions of each seizure, or variations.