Experiencing new type of seizure

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GoGiants

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I have complex partial seizures and in a typical episode for me I normally lose control over my muscles, fall over/down and briefly lose consciousness. For example if I am walking, I will just *PLOP* fall right to the ground. I have a short postictal state where I lose the ability to speak in full sentences (I can get a few simple phrases out) and am not fully aware of my surroundings (as in where am I, what am I doing here etc).

In the previous few months, I've had a couple of episodes that are quite different. All I do is just black out for a short period of time and then I get to my typical postictal state. I don't pass out like I normally do. No falling, shaking, no loss of muscle control. Just a black out then postitcal.

I'm not sure exactly what this means. In a way, am I actually getting better now my seizures aren't as bad as they once were? Or is it worse for some reason I don't know?
 
Do you keep a seizure diary? That will help you track changes in your seizures. If they are generalizing faster (that is, going directly to loss of consciousness without preliminaries), that's not necessarily an improvement, and could be considered an escalation. If your seizures are occurring more frequently, or lasting longer, that would also be a sign that you should adjust your treatment to get better seizure control.
 
I mean that I'm blacking out rather than passing out. Before I was losing consciousness. Now, I don't. If you saw me walking, you wouldn't know that I was in the middle of a seizure unless you were a friend or at least familiar with my condition beforehand. They have not increased in duration.

I have an aura that lets me know that it's coming on, which lets me get to a better area to have any episode.
 
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By "blacking out" do you mean losing partial consciousness or awareness?
 
More like an alcohol blackout.

After that, my postictal stage is a bit different. I used to not be able to carry any sort of conversation or communicate coherently. I carried on a full conversation during my postictal stage while walking back to my apartment. The person I was with didn't even notice anything wrong with me.
 
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So you're fully conscious, but your memory is wiped out? It sounds like your previous seizures were Atonic seizures with some impairment of consciousness. Now they are taking the form of Complex partial seizures with loss of memory.

It's hard to say if one kind of seizure has progressed into the other. It may be that you have developed a different focus -- in other words, the seizures are developing in a different part in the brain. I would be a little scared by the blackout aspect -- that seems to be a more serious symptom.
 
I was diagnosed with complex partial seizures years ago. While it does not change the diagnosis, I suppose it is a symptom worth noting.

Thanks for your advice :)
 
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