Gelastic Seizures

[om mani padme hum]

Hello! I am here wondering if I could attain a little advice or information on the subject of gelastic seizures. I am currently almost 20 years old, and believe I have some form of this type of seizure. Neither my parents or I recall me ever showing any odd behavior when I was very young, but ever since I was in my late teens (late 16+) I started having these strange episodes where I would involuntarily laugh in an unpleasant way and be unable to stop or even move for about 10-20 seconds. This would happen at least once a month, but usually more than that. It usually starts in the form of strong emotional influence, and dies off leaving me with an adrenaline rush and teary eyes.

I have only recently discovered the past month a name for it after I realized what happens could possibly be seizures. For the past year the actual seizures don't happen as frequently, but I do have this almost tourrette's like urge to want to laugh in the same way as I do during the seizures. It's even started to plague my dreams in very vivid display of feelings. For the past week now I've even started to feel a little 'crazy'.
Which I don't really mind It's just the repetitiveness of these feelings that are getting to me.

I mentioned this to my doctor but he didn't even know what it was, and sort of brushed it off.

Unrelated to this condition (as I am just now telling my parents/doctor about it) I have had a CT scan of my brain which showed only a cyst, and an EEG which normal results. This was back when I was around 17 for feinting problems.

 

[Chaz1]

hello om mani padme hum

did not try cypher your user name yet but I will

can u ask your doc to refer u to neurologist?

no brushing this off, in my humble thoughts......

 

[Nakamova]

Hi om mani padme hum!

Can I assume by your user name that you are a practicing Buddhist? Anyway, welcome!

We have a few members who experience gelastic seizures, links to their threads are below:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f20/hello-gelastic-seizures-coping-13245/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com...d-son-just-diagnosed-gelastic-seizures-17639/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f20/gelastic-seizures-16032/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/laughing-seizures-20430/

Hope these help!
Best,
Nakamova

 

[Lang709]

Hi om mani padme hum! This may relate to what you are going through.
Ever since I was born, I've had these "laughing fits" every night before I fell asleep. As I got older, they would occur during the day if I were tired or stressed. It has happened for several years into my early adulthood, and nothing has come of it, so my family took it as just something I did. Lately, perhaps due to stress or some other unknown factor, they have been increasing in frequency and strength. Worried that something may be medically wrong, I am going to have tests done soon to discover what is causing these seizures. We have thought it to be gelastic seizures but are not sure because it seems like there is no one out there that has it... especially as an adult. I can't really put into words what my laughing spells are like.. I get this odd rush of adrenaline a few seconds before they come and then the spell begins. It's an intense adrenaline rush and seems like fireworks going off in my neurons (as silly as that sounds, it is the closest I can manage to describing the intensity). The laughing will subside after about 10 seconds. Sometimes I am drained afterwards or fired up and angry for nothing. Regardless, these seizures are something that I have to deal with and hide from my friends. Because of its rare form, it is hard to find support.