It all started when I was 15 (I am now 23 year old male). I was round my neighbor's house. I was sitting on the floor and I was suddenly over come with breathlessness.
I didn't have another incident for a few months after, but when I did it was totally different. My body would violently shake, but it was mostly in my left leg and abdomen. These symptoms would become more and more frequent to such a point I would have it about 10 times a day. But there would be times where I would only have it once a week or a month.
I have had the following tests. 3X EEG, ECG, MRI, CT Scan, a picture taken of the optic nerve, ultrasound of the eyes, several eye tests and several blood tests including immediately after an attack. The results all came back negative, however they did find calcium deposits on my optic nerve in the left eye (I think) which is putting pressure on the optic nerve. My attacks are not triggered by light.
There was one time when I had the attack and they gave me Diazapam IV 10mg. This didn't work and so the repeated it a further 2 times. Totaling at 30mg in the space of 10min. The Diazapam still didn't do anything.
I have seen 3 separate Neurologists' all of whom said I was faking it. And eventually I ended up seeing a Neuro Psychiatrist who put it down to Anxiaty and referred me for CBT. Back then I admit I was anxious because of exams and also having no idea what was happening to me.
After about 2-3 years my attacks calm down to only 2-3 time in a 6 month period and very minor. But recently over the past 2 years it has peeked up again. Nothing as bad as before but sometime it would last for 1 hour.
The symptoms I get before an attack happens are:
A strange electric sensation at the back of my neck shooting to the bottom of my spine.
In ability to communicate (I.e my eyes are open but my brain isn't)
Palpitations.
The parts of my body that are effected during an attack are:
Left leg and Abdomen (always)
Arms shaking (sometimes but not violent)
Whole body is stiff and ridged
Pins and needles from both elbows to my hands and my nose and upper lips (rarely)
Pale body (always)
Sweating (always)
People have said my hands were cold but I am unaware of this.
I feel hot (always)
Neck muscles twitch making my face twitch also (almost all the time)
Left ear twitches all the time
One thing I am certain of is that I can hear and feel everything and I am aware of my surroundings. But there have been I think 2 or 3 instances where I lost complete memory for a short period of time (1-2hrs)
There was a time, about a year ago. I had some massive neck cramps and it would hurt my eyes and some localized parts of my head. It happened twice so far, both of which I took Voltarin IV and it provided immediate relief. After this I have been get some pain but this has now seem to have stopped.
The reason why I am disputing Anxiety is that for the past 2-3 years I have been extremely happy, wear as before I was scared and depressed and had lots of worries. Even now I'm fine. But I am still getting the attacks. I just had an attack yesterday and the doctors did an extensive blood test. One thing that they were concerned about was my Creatine Kinase (it doesn't say which on specifically). The reading should be anything between 30-200 but mine was 1340 IU/L
I was looking at Focal Seizures, and it looks like I have some of the symptoms:
Inability to Speak
Inability to Move
Muscle jerking - on one side of the body
Muscle stiffening - on one side of the body (except mine is whole body)
Abnormal uncontrollable muscle movements
Abnormal uncontrollable eye movements
Uncontrollable blinking
Facial twitching
Uncontrollable limb shaking
Sudden uncontrollable fear for no apparent reason
Sudden sweating (during attack)
Sudden paleness (during attack)
Sudden loss of familiarity of known surroundings
Sudden uncontrollable crying
Some of these symptoms are common with me and some are rare. The ones which are most common are the ones I mentioned earlier.
My recovery after a severe attack can take 15min, if it was a light attack it would normally take just a couple of mins. During the recovery I take a while before I can communicate and speak. I also feel exhausted but after recovery I feel fine, fully alert and active. When it comes time for me to sleep, I sleep like a rock and a lot of the time it is a bad and an uncomfortable sleep which is not normal.
The only medical conditions I have are:
Hayfever
Asthma (due to hayfever)
High cholesterol (no medication taken)
Dyslexia
So could some one please give me some advice and enlighten me.
Thank you for your time in reading this.
Kind Regards
Dani
I didn't have another incident for a few months after, but when I did it was totally different. My body would violently shake, but it was mostly in my left leg and abdomen. These symptoms would become more and more frequent to such a point I would have it about 10 times a day. But there would be times where I would only have it once a week or a month.
I have had the following tests. 3X EEG, ECG, MRI, CT Scan, a picture taken of the optic nerve, ultrasound of the eyes, several eye tests and several blood tests including immediately after an attack. The results all came back negative, however they did find calcium deposits on my optic nerve in the left eye (I think) which is putting pressure on the optic nerve. My attacks are not triggered by light.
There was one time when I had the attack and they gave me Diazapam IV 10mg. This didn't work and so the repeated it a further 2 times. Totaling at 30mg in the space of 10min. The Diazapam still didn't do anything.
I have seen 3 separate Neurologists' all of whom said I was faking it. And eventually I ended up seeing a Neuro Psychiatrist who put it down to Anxiaty and referred me for CBT. Back then I admit I was anxious because of exams and also having no idea what was happening to me.
After about 2-3 years my attacks calm down to only 2-3 time in a 6 month period and very minor. But recently over the past 2 years it has peeked up again. Nothing as bad as before but sometime it would last for 1 hour.
The symptoms I get before an attack happens are:
A strange electric sensation at the back of my neck shooting to the bottom of my spine.
In ability to communicate (I.e my eyes are open but my brain isn't)
Palpitations.
The parts of my body that are effected during an attack are:
Left leg and Abdomen (always)
Arms shaking (sometimes but not violent)
Whole body is stiff and ridged
Pins and needles from both elbows to my hands and my nose and upper lips (rarely)
Pale body (always)
Sweating (always)
People have said my hands were cold but I am unaware of this.
I feel hot (always)
Neck muscles twitch making my face twitch also (almost all the time)
Left ear twitches all the time
One thing I am certain of is that I can hear and feel everything and I am aware of my surroundings. But there have been I think 2 or 3 instances where I lost complete memory for a short period of time (1-2hrs)
There was a time, about a year ago. I had some massive neck cramps and it would hurt my eyes and some localized parts of my head. It happened twice so far, both of which I took Voltarin IV and it provided immediate relief. After this I have been get some pain but this has now seem to have stopped.
The reason why I am disputing Anxiety is that for the past 2-3 years I have been extremely happy, wear as before I was scared and depressed and had lots of worries. Even now I'm fine. But I am still getting the attacks. I just had an attack yesterday and the doctors did an extensive blood test. One thing that they were concerned about was my Creatine Kinase (it doesn't say which on specifically). The reading should be anything between 30-200 but mine was 1340 IU/L
I was looking at Focal Seizures, and it looks like I have some of the symptoms:
Inability to Speak
Inability to Move
Muscle jerking - on one side of the body
Muscle stiffening - on one side of the body (except mine is whole body)
Abnormal uncontrollable muscle movements
Abnormal uncontrollable eye movements
Uncontrollable blinking
Facial twitching
Uncontrollable limb shaking
Sudden uncontrollable fear for no apparent reason
Sudden sweating (during attack)
Sudden paleness (during attack)
Sudden loss of familiarity of known surroundings
Sudden uncontrollable crying
Some of these symptoms are common with me and some are rare. The ones which are most common are the ones I mentioned earlier.
My recovery after a severe attack can take 15min, if it was a light attack it would normally take just a couple of mins. During the recovery I take a while before I can communicate and speak. I also feel exhausted but after recovery I feel fine, fully alert and active. When it comes time for me to sleep, I sleep like a rock and a lot of the time it is a bad and an uncomfortable sleep which is not normal.
The only medical conditions I have are:
Hayfever
Asthma (due to hayfever)
High cholesterol (no medication taken)
Dyslexia
So could some one please give me some advice and enlighten me.
Thank you for your time in reading this.
Kind Regards
Dani
