Hiya o/

[Blergh]

Hi people, I was just wondering if anyone could shed a little light on a few experiences I've had, I realise you can't diagnose over the internet but it would be good to know whether or not it is worth going to see a doctor or if I should just leave it.

I have no family history of seizures and no certainty that I am in fact having them however over the past few years I've found that my short term memory has become horrific (I'm only 19 so can't blame age or menopause or anything like that).

On top of this I've had a couple of really odd things happen, for instance I have been in a lecture playing with my eraser and then the next thing I know it is two rows in front (cue disgruntled looking person) and I have no idea how it got there. :dontknow: What is worse is that no one saw what happened.

My bf is convinced there is something wrong with me and i'm wondering if I'm maybe not just having bad short term memory but actually missing bits of information.

 

[flinnigan]

Welcome, You'll find lots of great info here, browse around. We need more info. Missing time is one issue I have. I find myself in rooms where I didn't start out in. I always have whats known as an aura. I start with a Deja Vu and burning in my stomach that radiates through the rest of my body then no memory for several seconds. After I have a killer headache and need to lie down. Thats just a small summary of my experience. Drs tend to down play whats wrong you need to arm yourself with a lot of info before they take you seriously I actually had to have a seizure in a Drs office before anyone took me seriously. Good Luck.

 

[Blergh]

Thanks for the reply
I haven't really got much more information, I don't have anything obvious, just literally missing time.
It's my memory that is the worst thing really but I'm not sure if it is just due to being kind of on automatic pilot all the time or if I'm having slight 'blips' causing me to forget things I've said or done.

I can post the same message to someone on msn twice because i don't remember doing it the first time (with about a 10 second gap) and often have absolutely no idea what someone is talking about if they leave it too long to reply to something I say in conversation. Also I'm told that I often reply to something a person has said and I have no recollection of it.

The other issue is that I have tourette's and ADD so not only am I naturally in the habit of saying things without thinking (possibly leading me to have difficulty remembering what I've said) I may also be on autopilot due to a general problem with attention.

Whatever it is it's very annoying for myself and people around me, my bf absolutely despairs at my inability to remember anything.

 

[dfwtexas]

I got diagnosed last year. I thought I was having some kind of sleep disorder. I would be doing something and the next thing I knew, it would be 30 minutes later and I had no idea what had happened during that time. I got diagnosed with complex partials...and there is a thing where you do go on automatic pilot during the seizure. Before I got diagnosed, I had it happen when I was working, driving, cooking..etc. I would say it is worth going to a doctor to check it out.

 

[Blergh]

Hmmm looks like I may have to get it checked out then. I did mention the lecture incident to my doctor briefly a while ago whilst there for something unrelated and she asked if people often seemed to be trying to get my attention etc. but I'm pretty sure no one has noticed.

I don't spend a great deal of time with people though so I wouldn't expect anyone to notice necessarily. I live alone (most of the time) and see my bf infrequently due to distance, I have plenty of friends but apart from noticing my bad memory no one has seen me doing anything odd.

I have the occassional strange feeling when I'm talking where I feel like I've suddenly taken a back seat and am just listening to what I am saying (usually talking crap) and then I kind of regain control and have to do damage limitation by trying to make what I said sound relevant.
This doesn't last very long at all though, a few seconds maybe and other times I go completely blank mid sentence, stop talking and have to work out what it was I was meaning to say. It's more like my mind is trying to catch up with what I'm saying though more than anything else.

So basically all of it could be explained by inattention but if that is the case I wonder why it's gotten so bad over the last two years when my other neurological things have improved massively.

 

[dfwtexas]

Most of my seizures have happened at work (I am photosensitive and think it is related to the flueorasant lights). No one at work has ever noticed it...but I work in a small company and am by myself a lot. I thought "how weird am I that no one notices!".
My neuro says my seizures probably are only lasting a few seconds, but it is the after effects of the seizure that causes me to lose 20 -30 minutes.
Start a journal writing down all you can about these episodes. It does sound a lot like mine...I just knew these docs were wrong, until they did EEG and MRI. EEG should seizure activity.

 

[Blergh]

Ok, thanks very much for your reply it's been really helpful, I shall go to the doctor once I've got my exams out the way and in the meantime try and keep a diary.
I just want to know what's going on :/ I would prefer it to just be attention really but the only way to be certain that it's nothing else is to go see someone about it.

 

[flinnigan]

You may want to look up partial and complex partial seizures as well as absence seizures. They do only last several seconds, but the confusion and memory loss can last much longer. Many ADD kids have been found to have Epilepsy later in life and were miss diagnosed. Bernard has several very good links. As do epilepsyfoundation.org and epilepsy.com

 

[Meetz1064]

Now, a

lot of ADD/ADHD people find that they are able to refocus their attention with a simple fix of a cup of coffee in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Not always, but for quite a few it works.

In your case however, it does sound like some type of partial seizure activity, and you need to be checked out by a neurologist. JGB is right, start a journal.

Keep track of EVERYTHING. What you eat (how much and when), sleeping (how much and when), video game, computer and TV usage, (how much and when), your menstrual cycle (yes....there is a type of seizure related to it).

OK, the journal may be a pain in the arse, but it will help the doctor and you to try to ID any triggers.

Also, when you go to get an EEG, make sure that you are getting AT LEAST a 24 hour EEG so that the doc can get a full view of everything that goes on during your day....

Good luck, and take care,

Meetz
:rock:

 

[Blergh]

Thanks very much for your input, every little helps
I'm in the UK so I'm not sure how easy it will be to even get referred let alone a 24 hour EEG It was a complete nightmare getting the Tourette diagnosis even when I had pretty pronounced symptoms.
Looks like I'm going to be busy with that journal :S

 

[RobinN]

First... from research and experience, much I have posted on this site, there is a direct connection between brain activity and nutritional choices. In fact I just posted a study yesterday, that states they have direct abnormal EEG activity on children with gluten sensitivity. There are other studies that show this also to be a trigger for seizures.

Nutrition plays a huge role in my daughters health as well. I state this because especially in the age range that you are in is when these problems begin to emerge. The symptoms are not always see in the digestive tract first but actually in brain function. Can be a simple as a migraine, hormonal imbalances, skin rashes, fatigue...
My daughter has a blood sugar imbalance that is rather loopy, and could possibly be fine for days, but then she will crash on a particular day and will have a seizure.

I have kept track of her episodes, and during the time she has been more careful with her nutrition, her seizures have reduced. I would consider this if I were you. ADHD can be eliminated with proper nutrition.

 

[skillefer]

Hi blergh! Welcome to CWE. I agree about keeping the journal. It's definitely helpful...not only to your doctor (who you should give a copy) but also yourself. You may find that on looking back, you are under more stress then you thought. Stress and lack of sleep tend to be the two most frequent triggers for lots of people. Here's what I suggest you keep track of in your journal...and yes, it's very detailed...

1. Food and drink (what, when, and how much)
2. Sleep (how many hours each night and whether it was interrupted or not)
3. Stress (physical as in illnesses as well as emotional, and how you are dealing with them)
4. odd spells (migraines, odd tastes/smells/sounds/feelings/sights...and how long they last)
5. missing time (how much time is missing, and what you were doing prior to the missing time...)
6. Your cycle (the first day of a period, and how many days your cycle is)


your going to keep track of the food and drink because chemicals in them, as well as low or high blood sugar levels can trigger seizures. Same with your cycle. Some women find that they are more likely to have a seizure at certain points in their cycle.

If you want to start taking a proactive approach, keep the journal and make the following changes.

1. Eat 6 small, healthy meals a day. (by small, I mean it should fit on a dessert/salad plate. There should be a protein for each carb. NO junk foods or fast foods. Shop the edges of the gorcery store.)
2. Get 7 hours of sleep every night. No ifs, ands, or buts.
3. Develop a healthy way to deal with stress. (exercise, art, writing, yoga, meditation, walking, prayer, etc...something to help you unwind.)
4. Quit all caffiene. (It's a stimulant....if you have seizures, you don't need more stimulants.)
5. Quit taking over the counter meds....especially for colds and allergies....they tend to have stimulants in them too.
6. If you drink or smoke, you might want to consider cutting back or quitting altogether.

Hope this helps.

 

[Blergh]

Hi Robin,
I realise the importance of diet and I think I eat fairly healthily. I have a few allergies, hayfever, chlorine and fresh fruit for some reason.

I have actually noticed as well as this that on occasions I get extreme drowsiness directly after eating leading me to fall asleep pretty much uncontrollably (in the most inappropriate places >_<) . I don't believe this is directly related to the other problems I was having with memory etc. but I can see how diet can have the most unusual effects.

In general I have become sceptical of the whole "change your diet and be cured" type culture that I have noticed online, though I would not dismiss anything outright.
I will certainly keep an eye on my diet just in case I notice anything that seems to influence what is going on with me.
Thanks for your reply

Skillefer, cheers for your post as well I missed it at first whilst replying to the one above. I have been trying to eat quite well for my exams etc. so hopefully I will incorporate some of that advice into my daily routine (If I remember of course )
I can't quit taking hayfever meds though I won't be able to take my exams without them too much sneezing and all that.

 

[skillefer]

Blergh, I used to get really tired after eating meals that had a lot of carbs in them. Went to the doctor, and he asked if anyone in my family had a history of diabetes. My grandfather did. Then I told him how my mom would knock out after eating a bowl of rice with vegetables, or drinking wine. He said it sounds like my mom is pre-diabetic. They did a blood sugar test on me and found that I am hypoglycemic. So if you find that you get really drowsy after certain meals, stop and look at what you ate in those meals. It could be that you are hypoglycemic as well...which could explain some of the spaciness.

 

[Blergh]

This is the thing, I can eat the exact same thing two days in a row, one day it will knock me out for 2 hours and the other it will have no effect. This is with getting a perfect amount of sleep and not carb loading either :S

In fact thinking about it, I can recall a ceasar salad having this effect along with pretty much any type of food. This used to be a real problem at work because I would feel terrible and drowsy if I had the slightest thing to eat during my shift.
sorry for going a little off topic

 

[skillefer]

No problems...this is the perfect place to ask questions...

 

[RobinN]

I have to say that I thought my family ate well too. I made most of what we eat here at home. However, if you read up on something like celiac disease, or gluten intolerance / sensitivity, you will see how this can be an underlying cause for many disorders. Some of these foods go back in history, and were never meant for our consumption.

Just the fact that you say you have allergies, and the ones that you list, make me think you have a yeast / fungal issue going on. Just a guess, not a medical diagnosis. Doctors will not support this, but I have witnessed the cause and effect of this going on in two of my kids, and no doctor will ever be able to tell me it doesn't happen. When A + B causes C, over and over again, I see that as evidence.
Yeast loves fruit, simple carbs, and bacterial die-off (yeast flares after taking anti-biotics).

There are a ton of articles on the subject, that are worth looking at. They explain it far better than I can. Your nutrition might be a greater source of your ills than you can even imagine. Not easy to turn it around quickly, but inflammation in the body can cause both cancer, and seizures. Give the body the right nutritients and it can heal itself.


*** many salad dressings are very high in MSG, which is a neurotoxin. It is also high in casein which is one of the highest allergy producers.

 

[Blergh]

Cool, thanks for the info, I'll check it out at some point.