Fainting vs seizure

[girlwithadog]

I'm having a hard time understanding my diagnosis and all and was hoping someone could shed some light...
Back five years ago I was at my first day of work at a sonic. It was hot and I wasn't used to standing for long periods of time. I started to get light headed and everything started to go black around me. The next thing I knew everyone was standing over me calling my name, I could hear them right before I opened my eyes but couldn't make out what they were saying. After waking on the floor I was led to a table to sit and given a cup of water. I could hear but couldn't understand what the girl was saying. She kept asking "have you ever fainted before" but I was so confused. It took about five minutes before the confusion went away. My ears rang horribly and a minute after the drop I was running to the bathroom to throw up, the vomiting didn't stop until I got home, I drove myself home throwing up all over myself.
When I got home I was so tired I took a nap before going to the hospital. When I got to the hospital the doctor called my job to ask the details and was told the collapse lasted three minutes.
I'd never been diagnosed with a seizure or epilepsy and didn't even think it was a possibility until recently when I did get diagnosed. The doctor wrote it off as fainting but now I'm not so sure.
It doesn't seem all that important to know if it was or not, but it is to me. I'm trying to determine if I agree with the epilepsy diagnosis or not, the EEG apparently had seizure like activity show but my brain is funny like that, it could have been from my visual distortions I had during the scan. I've had confirmed seizures but was under high stress once (before the EEG my docs thought it was a pseudo seizure) and was on birth control that wreaked havoc on my body, the seizure before I was using drugs (yes I stopped after that) the time before I got a horrible concussion and this particular time at Applebee's I hadn't eaten all day and was hot and standing for a long time, it may have been fainting.
So I'm wondering your opinions or knowledge? What's the difference between fainting and a drop seizure (apart from the brain activity that I have no way of confirming now)? Does it sound like fainting or a drop seizure to you?

 

[MrE]

I'm having a hard time understanding my diagnosis and all and was hoping someone could shed some light...
Back five years ago I was at my first day of work at a sonic. It was hot and I wasn't used to standing for long periods of time. I started to get light headed and everything started to go black around me. The next thing I knew everyone was standing over me calling my name, I could hear them right before I opened my eyes but couldn't make out what they were saying. After waking on the floor I was led to a table to sit and given a cup of water. I could hear but couldn't understand what the girl was saying. She kept asking "have you ever fainted before" but I was so confused. It took about five minutes before the confusion went away. My ears rang horribly and a minute after the drop I was running to the bathroom to throw up, the vomiting didn't stop until I got home, I drove myself home throwing up all over myself.
When I got home I was so tired I took a nap before going to the hospital. When I got to the hospital the doctor called my job to ask the details and was told the collapse lasted three minutes.
I'd never been diagnosed with a seizure or epilepsy and didn't even think it was a possibility until recently when I did get diagnosed. The doctor wrote it off as fainting but now I'm not so sure.
It doesn't seem all that important to know if it was or not, but it is to me. I'm trying to determine if I agree with the epilepsy diagnosis or not, the EEG apparently had seizure like activity show but my brain is funny like that, it could have been from my visual distortions I had during the scan. I've had confirmed seizures but was under high stress once (before the EEG my docs thought it was a pseudo seizure) and was on birth control that wreaked havoc on my body, the seizure before I was using drugs (yes I stopped after that) the time before I got a horrible concussion and this particular time at Applebee's I hadn't eaten all day and was hot and standing for a long time, it may have been fainting.
So I'm wondering your opinions or knowledge? What's the difference between fainting and a drop seizure (apart from the brain activity that I have no way of confirming now)? Does it sound like fainting or a drop seizure to you?

Hmmm...sounds curious indeed...I too have experienced similar things in similar situations...I can't work anymore because of it...but yeah when I use to work I'd notice feeling like I was going to faint or have some sort of psychotic break until it got to the point to where I couldn't stand it anymore and had to call it quits for my own safety and others...I've been on disability for almost 10 years now...having "E" is a complicated struggle indeed but what I mean is I can never tell what is going to trigger a seizure or panic attack or blackout or whatever...assuming it has anything to do with stress...which it doesn't necessarily have to...hell it can be pretty much unexpected and random which no apparent trigger or cause...because that's what "E" is...not to mention the brain seems to have a mind of it's own...which indicates said symptoms not to be limited to said "E"...

We may seem to have "E" but what is really going on inside our brains/minds??? All I know is that I am extremely sensitive to certain things and sometimes can't even leave the house because apparently I am "agoraphobic" (sometimes) amongst other things like "paranoid" and "obsessive" but really my brain just seems to decide when it can and can't handle certain things...maybe yours is doing the something similar???

I'll add more later...need to sleep on this...I'm tired and feeling dizzy...need to go to bed now...goodnight! (sweet dreams)

 

[Cint]

Back five years ago I was at my first day of work at a sonic. It was hot and I wasn't used to standing for long periods of time. I started to get light headed and everything started to go black around me. The next thing I knew everyone was standing over me calling my name, I could hear them right before I opened my eyes but couldn't make out what they were saying. After waking on the floor I was led to a table to sit and given a cup of water. I could hear but couldn't understand what the girl was saying. She kept asking "have you ever fainted before" but I was so confused. It took about five minutes before the confusion went away. My ears rang horribly and a minute after the drop I was running to the bathroom to throw up, the vomiting didn't stop until I got home, I drove myself home throwing up all over myself.
When I got home I was so tired I took a nap before going to the hospital. When I got to the hospital the doctor called my job to ask the details and was told the collapse lasted three minutes.

Since it was a hot day, were you getting enough to drink? You could have fainted from dehydration. It can cause one to be nauseated, vomiting and fainting.

I'd never been diagnosed with a seizure or epilepsy and didn't even think it was a possibility until recently when I did get diagnosed. The doctor wrote it off as fainting but now I'm not so sure.

It doesn't seem all that important to know if it was or not, but it is to me. I'm trying to determine if I agree with the epilepsy diagnosis or not, the EEG apparently had seizure like activity show but my brain is funny like that, it could have been from my visual distortions I had during the scan. I've had confirmed seizures but was under high stress once (before the EEG my docs thought it was a pseudo seizure) and was on birth control that wreaked havoc on my body, the seizure before I was using drugs (yes I stopped after that) the time before I got a horrible concussion and this particular time at Applebee's I hadn't eaten all day and was hot and standing for a long time, it may have been fainting.

If you had not eaten all day, could it have been low blood sugar? Have you have that checked out? Sometimes low blood sugar can cause people to feel faint.

So I'm wondering your opinions or knowledge? What's the difference between fainting and a drop seizure (apart from the brain activity that I have no way of confirming now)? Does it sound like fainting or a drop seizure to you?

Usually with a drop seizure, it lasts for less than 30 seconds and the person remains conscious. If you're actually fainting, you'll need to have other factors checked out; glucose levels, heart rhythm, anxiety disorder.

Talk with your dr.

 

[masterjen]

What you describe sounds exactly like what happens when I've either been on the verge of fainting or have fainted. The only difference is I've never vomited. I've fainted (or been on the verge) three times in the past 6 months: once just 2 weeks ago due to a very bad fall (tried to get up after the fall and couldn't because I was on the verge of passing out), another time due to letting myself get dehydrated exercising in the heat, and another time it was AED reaction. I have celiac, and because of this absorb some nutrients poorly so I am prone to lightheadedness if I don't eat regularly.

I have E. as well, but what I feel before and during a seizure is entirely different for me than feeling faint. As Cint suggested, speak with your neurologist and GP about your symptoms. Get yourself thoroughly checked out.