Hello everyone, I suspect I have rare/unusual kind of epilepsy where I feel constant electric sensation at very deep area of my brain(near pituitary) causing constant mental exhaustion. My brain mri and eeg test show nothing. Do you think it's worth taking the mri test with epilepsy/seizure protocol? Is it reliable in detecting deep seizure? Can epilepsy specialist use this test to diagnose epilepsy even though mri and eeg is normal? Thanks
mri with seizure protocol?
- Thread starter strike333
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Hi strike,
Sometimes an mri and e.e.g. won't show what's going on because the damage may be to deep in the brain. What
you may want to have done is a pet and spect scan these tests will show a lot of detail. An Epileptologist can still
look at the e.e.g. and mri to see what's going on. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You,
Sue
Sometimes an mri and e.e.g. won't show what's going on because the damage may be to deep in the brain. What
you may want to have done is a pet and spect scan these tests will show a lot of detail. An Epileptologist can still
look at the e.e.g. and mri to see what's going on. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You,
Sue
Hello. I agree with you. Either of these tests may help, or maybe a stereo EEG, where they put the electrodes deep into the brain. My neurologist wants to do one because I have refractory seizures. Despite taking 500mg Zonisamide & 250mg Xcopri daily, I still get breakthroughs. I'm fine with having it done. Cost (the insurance copay) is probably the only major issue other than how much more they can learn about my seizures--if there is a "cure". I'm still paying off the 1300 copay from my Video EEG nearly 16 months ago!
BuckeyeFan
Grandpa
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I recently spent 6 nights in a epilepsy monitoring unit with video and external EEG the entire time. They were checking for new types of seizures. They left me on current meds which kept me with a normal EEG. No new spikes so they are going down the path of medication side-effects.
So, it is common for an EEG to look normal when meds are sustained at a control level.
In 2022, my last MRI (I guess standard) only showed a mild volume decrease in the brain. That could be normal aging or side effects of long term Dilantin usage.
So, it is common for an EEG to look normal when meds are sustained at a control level.
In 2022, my last MRI (I guess standard) only showed a mild volume decrease in the brain. That could be normal aging or side effects of long term Dilantin usage.
suebear
Veteran
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Every person is different. You are correct on one factor, age as it does have an effect on health in general. That is something all medical doctors closely watch for certain. As I was getting older (at the age of 18) I would speak with the doctor how medication could not be taken any longer than xx years so I would stay in a preferred line of health.
When something doesn't make sense, ask questions until you get the information needed. Remember the specialist works for you.
When something doesn't make sense, ask questions until you get the information needed. Remember the specialist works for you.
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I get an MRI twice/yr, to observe just how much and the rate my brain is shrinking (happens to old folks). Also, it shows the pinholes in my tiny brain that are (probably) causing my epilepsy to begin with.
PET scans I was told are to check for cancer, so I finally succumbed to my lung specialist and the neuro team and got one done so that they'll leave me alone about it. It was a full-body scan. The ...oh, the stuff with which they inject you, to give them a good view. It made me very dizzy and nauseated but I managed. Anyway.
They found two VERY tiny tumors in my brain, don't recall where exactly, several VERY tiny tumors scattered all over my insides, one in my left calf I recall *that* for certain, some lymph nodes, and the two big holes in my lungs (copd/emphysema make holes in the lungs, big ones) one has a thicker border than the other, don't recall if it's the left or the right one that is biggest (much less which border is thickest) any more, point being, both hole-borders are cancerous.
It's really kind of cool, how a PET scan makes cancer light up like a Holiday tree.
It was quite startling to be honest, but not alarming. I actually kind of expected it, you know? Dunno why. I just did. Especially the ones in my head.
I don't really care. Took me a day or so, don't recall how long, maybe three days to get over it, but I don't care because at my age I'm not planning to do anything about it.
I'd rather spend the treatment co-pays on my Wife than on treatments that will just make me sick and long for a quick death, ya know? Plus I was told that the linear accelerator radiation will make my chest hair fall out, and I've too much pride for that. All of my adult life, I've managed to acquire nine chest hairs, they each have names, and I'm NOT losing them without a fight.
Oh. My point: If you're young, let them do a PET scan on you. You MIGHT just be glad that you did. Even if they see nothing, nothing is good, right?
PET scans I was told are to check for cancer, so I finally succumbed to my lung specialist and the neuro team and got one done so that they'll leave me alone about it. It was a full-body scan. The ...oh, the stuff with which they inject you, to give them a good view. It made me very dizzy and nauseated but I managed. Anyway.
They found two VERY tiny tumors in my brain, don't recall where exactly, several VERY tiny tumors scattered all over my insides, one in my left calf I recall *that* for certain, some lymph nodes, and the two big holes in my lungs (copd/emphysema make holes in the lungs, big ones) one has a thicker border than the other, don't recall if it's the left or the right one that is biggest (much less which border is thickest) any more, point being, both hole-borders are cancerous.
It's really kind of cool, how a PET scan makes cancer light up like a Holiday tree.
It was quite startling to be honest, but not alarming. I actually kind of expected it, you know? Dunno why. I just did. Especially the ones in my head.
I don't really care. Took me a day or so, don't recall how long, maybe three days to get over it, but I don't care because at my age I'm not planning to do anything about it.
I'd rather spend the treatment co-pays on my Wife than on treatments that will just make me sick and long for a quick death, ya know? Plus I was told that the linear accelerator radiation will make my chest hair fall out, and I've too much pride for that. All of my adult life, I've managed to acquire nine chest hairs, they each have names, and I'm NOT losing them without a fight.
Oh. My point: If you're young, let them do a PET scan on you. You MIGHT just be glad that you did. Even if they see nothing, nothing is good, right?