Hello, new with questions

[nikkih2003]

Good afternoon, Im new to this group and have to say Im thankful for places like this to go to.
I have so many questions and have to wait for 3 weeks before I see the neurologist still. Benefit of having only two provider offices in our county. I had my first seizure 1 month ago. As for most it came as a surprise. So due to this I had a CT scan which came back normal, but my EEG came back abnormal. My doctor, who is not a neurologist said that she was concerned and said that I have seizure disorder and there is a lesion on my brain.
Well here is some background history on me.
I have now come to learn that my medication could have been the culprit to this. I take Tramadol, I guess this medication can cause seizures. I am on a pretty high dosage, I have bulging discs. I also am and have been being treated for depression and one of those medications Im on the highest dose possible that also can conflict with Tramadol and increase your chances in a seizure. I have been on this medication for a few years now with a few breaks here and there.
So heres my questions
Is it likely that it was the tramadol that caused my seizure?
Would it be pretty common to have a abnormal EEG after a seizure? I had the EEG about 1 1/2 weeks after the seizure.
Also is it normal to have a lesion after having a seizure?
I am grasping at straws, yes I am freaking myself out and know I need not to and that I will get answers but I hate having to wait as long as I am for this to all happen. I am on a cancellation list at the neuro's office but there is about 5 other patients ahead of me..sigh...
I truly appreciate any and all your help and comments. Thank you!

 

[qtowngirl]

welcome nikki, you came to a great place
the main thing is that there is a non-relation to the medication and lesion; the lesion or med are both a possibility of causing the seizures, but the two on their own are unrelated. also seizures (tho over time they do damage the brain), do not cause lesions, it's the other way around. a lesion can be caused by many health conditions, traumatic brain injury, and sometimes pre-birth lesions known as cortical dysplasia (that's me )

from Mayo Clinic:

If you've been told that you have a brain lesion, speculating on a cause may prove fruitless until you and your doctor have more information. The brain lesion could be left over from an old, resolved condition or a sign of some harmless (benign) condition. Or, it could represent something more serious.
Sometimes, despite extensive testing, the cause of brain lesions remains unknown. Among the known possible causes of brain lesions are:

Brain aneurysm, Brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation), Brain tumor, Encephalitis, Hydrocephalus, Multiple sclerosis, Stroke, Traumatic brain injury

from WebMd:

What Are Brain Lesions?
A lesion is an area of tissue that has been damaged through injury or disease. So a brain lesion is an area of injury or disease within the brain. While the definition sounds simple, understanding brain lesions can be complicated. That's because there are many types of brain lesions. They can range from small to large, from few to many, from relatively harmless to life-threatening.

What Causes Brain Lesions?
Brain lesions can be caused by injury, infection, exposure to certain chemicals, problems with the immune system, and more. Many times the cause is not known.

What Are the Symptoms of a Brain Lesion?
Symptoms of a brain lesion vary depending on the type, location, and size of the lesion. Symptoms common to several types of brain lesions include the following:

Headaches, Neck pain or stiffness, Nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite, Vision changes or eye pain, Changes in mood, personality, behavior, mental ability, and concentration, Memory loss or confusion, Seizures, Fever, Difficulty moving

at this early stage it will be a bit of a hard road to go down, but pls know you've got great support, help and research on cwe. many of us have been where you are and are always a post away.

:hugs:

 

[Janus]

Hi, I have a brain injury and damage in the brain which is where the seizing starts for me. It is a hard road to travel, but so rewarding! It is good to check in here and read/ask about what's going on and this is a safe place to share anything without judgement. Welcome

 

[nikkih2003]

Thank you to the both of you for the welcoming and qtowngirl for all the info you supplied. Waiting for answers is the hardest thing ever. I just want to know if there is going to be a big life change or I'm fine and don't have to worry. Either way this group has already been a blessing and so thankful. There is a chance I'll get in next Friday to see the neurologist which would be really great! Fingers crossed!!
Thank you again <3

 

[qtowngirl]

anytime sweetie
if you have any questions or thoughts pls feel free to send me a msg. i'm with you... hearing you have a lesion is a life changer that's for sure, whether one can face it and deal with it right away, or, just falls apart. me the latter so don't hesitate to talk if you need to and are having a down day.
nat.

 

[nikkih2003]

Thank you Nat!! I might take you up on that
I hope not to bombard you with to many questions, is there a chance my EEG was false? I had a wake study done, I think I feel asleep for a few minutes while having it as I snapped awake suddenly. My CT scan came back fine, just the EEG that didn't. So I would think at least a normal CT rules out tumors AT least? What other tests can they run to get a more solid answer?
Ok I'll stop there lol

 

[finiteguy]

I can't for the life of me figure out how to start a new thread.

 

[CQ:)]

Hi nikkih,
welcome to CWE.

I can't for the life of me figure out how to start a new thread.

Welcome finiteguy,

This might be interest to you as it explains a bit how to use the forum
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f26/cwe-101-newbies-9257/

The easiest way to start a new thread is to go to the part that you want to post, if you want to introduce yourself then the foyer is the best place to be.
Anyway down near the bottom of the page under all the topics is a little button which says new post, just click on that button put in a title then once you are done either click preview post or submit new thread.

Hope this helps.

 

[qtowngirl]

Thank you Nat!! I might take you up on that
I hope not to bombard you with to many questions, is there a chance my EEG was false? I had a wake study done, I think I feel asleep for a few minutes while having it as I snapped awake suddenly. My CT scan came back fine, just the EEG that didn't. So I would think at least a normal CT rules out tumors AT least? What other tests can they run to get a more solid answer?
Ok I'll stop there lol

happy sunday
i'll jot this down and then am going to respond to your pm.

-no, eeg's are not false in the sense that if it indicates or shows something that down the road it may be found untrue.
on the other hand, if it shows nothing there is still a possibility of an abnormality that it was unable to detect. eeg's are not near as reliable for us with epilepsy when it comes to detecting damage in the brain, but they have a part in the case as a whole.

-sorry no, a normal CT doesn't rule out tumors. a tumor is a type of lesion so i can prove this one myself- was only given one CT scan (during epilepsy diagnosis) and it came back normal. the lesion was found seven years later.
specific in my case is at the end of it all my e team confirmed the lesion was due to cortical dysplasia, meaning in my brain pre-birth. proved that it was in my left temporal for 25 years when i had the CT that showed nothing.

-there are a number of tests used in epilepsy diagnosis: eeg, mri (magnetic resonance imaging), ct (computerized tomography), pet (positron emission tomography), and others depending on the individual case. an mri is the most important and reliable test to have, which i'm sure your neuro will discuss and book while you're at your first appt.
my first mri after diagnosis was over 2 months later, depends on the wait list.
ironically enough i had a number of seizures and mri's over the years and the lesion was missed on almost all of them. this due to it being done by a radiologist who'd never done one of mine before and choosing to do a couple different images that hadn't been done. voila!

:hugs:

 

[Nakamova]

Hi nikkih2003,

I wanted to add my welcome and wish you well. I hope you are able to see the neurologist sooner rather than later to get some answers. One possible scenario is that you've had the lesion for awhile (for whatever reason). The lesion would tend to make you more vulnerable to seizures -- what we call a "low seizure threshold" -- but it took the right combination of triggers (Tramadol plus anti-depressant med) to cause a seizure to occur.

Best,
Nakamova