My 29yo wife just started having "seizures"

[mshaffer526]

Hello there, first time poster. About a month ago, my wife started experiencing tremors. These were minor tremors, but they lasted from the time she woke up until the time she went to bed.

About five days ago, her condition has changed significantly. Now, she doesn't have constant tremors. Instead, about 6-8 times a day, she experiences an episode that I can only describe as a seizure. Her body convulses for 5-20 minutes, but she is conscious and able to talk and even pause the convulsion for a moment and move herself to a different position, at which point, it continues.

There are some weird aspects to this condition. If I barely rest my finger on a certain part of her body, it will cause effects in other parts. For example, I touch her abdomen and her head and neck start shaking wildly. I touch her knee, and her feet start going crazy. To add, right at the end of each episode, she has a 30 second or so "grand finale" where the convulsions turn extreme and then promptly stop.

She has had a bunch of tests, and they have all been negative. (Brain MRI, blood work, etc etc). She is seeing a very good neurologist on Friday, but just wondering if these bizarre symptoms sound familiar to anyone. Thank you so much, and good health to all.

 

[Nakamova]

Hi mshaffer526, welcome to CWE!

Your wife's symptoms could be seizure-related, but the fact that she can pause the convulsions (even though they subsequently resume) seems to suggest something other than epilepsy. It sounds a little bit like a non-epileptic disorder called propriospinal myoclonus. One feature of this disorder that the myoclonus (movement/jerking) can be stimulated by touching a part of the body that is distinct from where the tremor or jerking occurs.

I hope the neuro can shed more light on what is going on. An EEG could definitely be helpful, and perhaps tests for nutrient deficiencies or hormone imbalances. Good luck to you both.

Best,
Nakamova

 

[valeriedl]

A few years ago I got into a HUGE fight with someone. We were screaming at the top of our lungs at each other and I think even throwing things all over the house.

When the fight was over I sat down and started shaking like crazy. It was like I was having a grand mal seizure but I wasn't because I didn't black out, knew what was going on, could answer any question I was asked and able to move. They called 911 and I went to the ER and they had tests done but they couldn't figure out what was happening.

For at least a month the shaking went on. At first it was all over my body, very strong and usually at the same time. Then it would only be one or two parts of my body at the same time. The shaking went down to one part of my body. The shaking decreased in strength as the time too. Then it just stopped.

I have a feeling it was due to the stress of the fight but they still really didn't know what was making it happen in general.

 

[AlohaBird]

That's interesting Valerie about the stress aspect. I was just about to ask the OP if his wife had had any major life changing events lately such as getting a new job or losing a job, having a baby, or losing someone dear to her.

Nakamova's advice about getting tested for nutritional and hormonal imbalances in addition to the basic neuro workup is very sound also. Something as simple as a B12 deficiency can casue all kinds of problems that can look a lot like epilepsy.

It's good to investigate all the possibilities. Best wishes to your wife.

 

[Pinkattitude]

If someone "emotionally vomits" on me - can be about me or someone else, but they verbally yell at me unexpectedly, strongly, for more than a minute or so and without obvious cause - this will cause me to have a seizure within the next few hours. Now that I'm really aware of it, I can sometimes thwart it by finding a friend or a private place where I can cry and express my emotions.

If I've had a stressful week at work, by the end of the week I will think, "I need to go home and have a good seizure." It's just a release of all the negativity built up.

That said, not all of my seizures are stress based. I've just found that once they came back during menopause, they sometimes have this association.

What did the neurologist say? I agree with the others that hormone levels and nutrient deficiencies should be checked, too.

 

[AlohaBird]

I agree, Pink, that other people's "stuff" can take over your world if you let it.

I have a friend here with whom I bonded because she and I both have service dogs, the only two on the island. Hers is for PTSD which was caused by the fact that her son was murdered. While that is something nobody should have to go through and is horrible and sad, it was 30 years ago. (And she didn't witness it or anything. Not that that makes it better but I would think it makes it less like battlefield PTSD)

But now every conversation with her within 15-20 minutes tops gets brought back around to the tragic death of her son.
While I try to be a good friend and help her, there is only so much I can take before it starts to feel like her crazy is infecting my head.

 

[masterjen]

I can't imagine having a child who ends up being murdered. I'm sure the woman relives moments of her son's life, and hearing the tragic news, every day. Some people are better at coping with such a tragedy than others and are able to move on with their lives, but I don't think anyone ever stops reliving what had occurred. I am amazed at the strength of those who seem to move on with their lives, but we never see what happens behind closed doors and in the dark of night: the crying, the missed meals, the broken down relationships with others, lost friendships, more distant family and friends of the child not seeming to remember - or caring enough to remember - the lost loved one, etc. People move on in their own ways. This lady saw that the friendship of a service dog might be helpful and talks about her son, and maybe this is her way of moving on and it allows her to make her meals, go shopping, and not cry herself to sleep every night.

 

[AlohaBird]

Her dog is definitely a major blessing in her life. The dog can sense when she is going into a panic attack before she realizes it and helps to calm her down. She is on multiple medications in addition to smoking and rarely eats. Not a healthy woman. She looks like a skeleton in a bathing suit.
I admire her fortitude in that she didn't take a bottle of pills 30 years ago and check out. That said, there is a certain level of her pain/anger/frustration/fear/panic/despair that I can deal with before it starts to spill over into my brain.
It's like when you are trying to save someone from drowning but they are flailing so hard they will drag you down too if you are not careful.


Sorry for the thread hijack, mshaffer, but the point of the tangent I guess is that excess stress doesn't even have to be your own in order to be detrimental.