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msuder0583

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Has anyone ever had this feeling? - I was driving down a city steet that I am very familiar with. I have driven it my whole life. But for the last few weeks, there will be a 20-30 second period I am not familiar with any of my surroundings and I have no idea where I am. Sometimes I will forget my name or others....It is very frightening, and no one seems to understand. I told my neuro and she said it was a side effect of one or possibly two of my meds but I don't believe it. Any thoughts?
 
It does sound like it could possibly be a small seizure.

What medication(s) are you on again?
 
Wow, I'd tend to think it likely that your neurologist is right.

Personally I think you're lucky to have a neurologist that acknowledges the side-effects of your meds rather than gloss over them.
 
Hey there. :) I don't take meds (DRE), and I have those symptoms from time to time. In fact, I had a very similar experience yesterday while driving. I didn't know where I was for a minute or so. Pulled over until I could get my barrings again. Doesn't happen often, (don't drive as often as I use too) so it was a little disconcerting for a while. Bazpa also mentioned in a post that she had a strong seizure yesterday.

I came home and checked to see what was up with space weather, solar/geomagnetic activity , as strong activity can zap me without my awareness, and there's plenty of research to show that I am not alone with these experiences/symptoms. It happens to people who don't have a seizure disorder, but those of us with a low threshold tend to be more susceptible, as the research has shown. If technology can be zapped, which is why NOAA warns of these space weather conditions, then certainly it makes sense to me that our brains which are also electrical, can be affected. That's not to say that your experiences aren't med related, as I read that you've stopped taking Ativan (withdrawal symptoms?), or did for a day or so and you're on a strong cocktail. Plus you mentioned that you have gone without eating for a couple of weeks - so you may have low blood sugar. Those may be your main culprit. The active conditions in the mid and upper atmospheres of earth these past couple of days may have not help matters. You've got a lot going on there.

Here's a short, simple video I put together with some excerpts from a behavioral neuroscientist who has been doing research on geomagnetic activity and human behavior since the early 80's. Towards the end, I put a very small sampling of some studies and the side-effects of space weather, but there are hundreds of such studies. Notice in one of the studies that males seemed to be more affected by these conditions then females. This research tends to take people out of their comfort zone, but the more we become aware of our environment on the outside as well as the environment on the inside, the better off we will be in preparing for any possible reactions/interactions. elizzza started a thread in the Kitchen about seizures and solar sunspot/geomagnetic activity. You might find some of the research posted in there of interest, perhaps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<obj...ays" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Latest space weather forecast:

IIA. Geophysical Activity Summary 20/2100Z to 21/2100Z:
The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled due to the arrival of a
favorably positioned negative polarity coronal hole.

IIB. Geophysical Activity Forecast: The geomagnetic field is
expected to be unsettled with a chance for active conditions at high
latitudes on Days 1 and 2 (22-23 Aug) with the arrival of a second
coronal hole high speed stream (HSS).
Click to expand...

Source: Space Weather Prediction Center
 
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hey there.

wow awesome. that is some great video and literal info. thanks so much. i don't really pay much attention to the geometric or solar activity or whatever. the only thing i do notice is that when it's about to rain or when i know it's going to rain i can tell because my brain starts to feel weird and it seems my side effects get worse, but i will definitely check out that video. thank you so much.
 
I agree with Eric. It could possibly be seizure activity or it could be side effects of meds. There are simple partial seizures where one can experience deja vu or jamais vu.
http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_simplepartial
Psychic seizures:

>These seizures change how people think, feel, or experience things. They may have problems with memory, garbled speech, an inability to find the right word, or trouble understanding spoken or written language. They may suddenly feel emotions like fear, depression, or happiness with no outside reason. Some may feel as though they are outside their body or may have feelings of déja vu ("I've been through this before") or jamais vu ("This is new to me"— even though the setting is really familiar).
Click to expand...
 
Psychic seizures:

>These seizures change how people think, feel, or experience things. They may have problems with memory, garbled speech, an inability to find the right word, or trouble understanding spoken or written language. They may suddenly feel emotions like fear, depression, or happiness with no outside reason. Some may feel as though they are outside their body or may have feelings of déja vu ("I've been through this before") or jamais vu ("This is new to me"— even though the setting is really familiar).



This happens to me ALL the time
 
Bernard it's funny that you posted that. I feel only a few of the symptoms of the Alice in Wonderland syndrome but I was reading an official Epilepsy website and it said it can lead to dementia and even though I am rather young it still has me worried, and I am afraid that I may have an onset to pre-dementia symptoms. Thanks for the links
 
msuder0583 said:
hey there.

wow awesome. that is some great video and literal info. thanks so much. i don't really pay much attention to the geometric or solar activity or whatever. the only thing i do notice is that when it's about to rain or when i know it's going to rain i can tell because my brain starts to feel weird and it seems my side effects get worse, but i will definitely check out that video. thank you so much.
Click to expand...

My pleasure. I've had simple partials since I was 4, so the thing for me is to understand why I'm having those symptoms. I can recognize them, no problem there, but understanding why I got abnormal electrical activity in the first place is key for me, which is why I've studied beyond just knowing what the symptoms are.

Thanks again for reading my ramblings and watching the video. Hope you get to feeling better real soon.
 
wow I don't know if I'd be able to deal with them that long. 4 years with just those is long enough for me, and I really haven't done much research on them

Thank you for your help
 
..and if you will humor me with one more simple video? :embarrassed: This will give you a little foundation about what I was talking about with regard to our interaction with the outside environment. I put this data in a video because people tend to get bored (eye glaze over) with technical stuff when reading, so a little music never hurts in getting the message across, lol.

Best to watch in HD, as the text reads clearer in the beginning. I didn't pick the best contrast for this one, but the image was just too cool. ;D

Edited to say: turn down the volume some if you are sensitive to higher pitched flute type sounds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<obj...ays" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Note: Recognizing what your symptoms are is key, which is why this site is so awesome. Once you've done that, then you can work on finding why you are having those symptoms - a process of elimination. That's when the fun begins. :D
 
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You are quite the video master. I will check that one out in a minute or two since I'm sure the thread will still be up. Thanks again =)
 
msuder0583 said:
Psychic seizures:

>These seizures change how people think, feel, or experience things. They may have problems with memory, garbled speech, an inability to find the right word, or trouble understanding spoken or written language. They may suddenly feel emotions like fear, depression, or happiness with no outside reason. Some may feel as though they are outside their body or may have feelings of déja vu ("I've been through this before") or jamais vu ("This is new to me"— even though the setting is really familiar).



This happens to me ALL the time
Click to expand...

Gosh, you've been here since Feb, and you are just finding out about this now? I've not checked your profile to see when and/or if you were diagnosed, and what seizure disorder(s) you were diagnosed with. I apologize if I came across as too assuming in my posts. I'm just a little surprised that you are just now learning that these symptoms are seizure related, and that your neurologist wasn't aware either. It's rather sad when we are the ones who have to educate the doctors about seizure disorders, but that seems to be par for the course, as I have read so many with similar experiences. Usually, during an evaluation, you fill out an extensive questionnaire.

Possible Temporal Lobe Symptoms

--> http://www.pni.org/neuropsychiatry/seizures/ptls.html

Here's a short version of an INSET evaluation, if you haven't already been given one.

-->http://www.pni.org/neuropsychiatry/instruments/inset/inset_short.html

INSET: Inventory of Neppe of Symptoms of Epilepsy and the Temporal Lobe

The INSET involves screening for possible temporal lobe, epileptic and organic symptoms and spells. Thereafter the symptoms are categorized into several headers namely nonspecific symptoms, possible and controversial temporal lobe symptoms, seizure related and other focal features. The test is based on the subject and / or his family responding to questions which are thereafter elaborated in greater clinical detail.

The INSET has two sections: a broad demographic and screening section, and a second specific question section where responses are at two time levels: current plus the most common frequency in the remote past. The patient ranks frequency from "never" through "more than daily " (i.e. 0-6). Questions in the INSET have been based on the earlier Neppe Temporal Lobe Questionnaire which itself derived from an intensive literature review on the topic.
Click to expand...

I'd print it out and have another family member or friend that's around you a lot to also fill one out as well, then I would advise that you take it to your doctor. At least it's a start.

Bernard it's funny that you posted that. I feel only a few of the symptoms of the Alice in Wonderland syndrome but I was reading an official Epilepsy website and it said it can lead to dementia and even though I am rather young it still has me worried, and I am afraid that I may have an onset to pre-dementia symptoms.
Click to expand...

With regard to your fear of dementia...don't be. Brain plasticity! If you don't use it, you'll lose it, and that's with anybody. You can do brain exercises to prevent dementia, keep your head in the books...just keep your brain active.

Dementia Weekly - Use Healthy Brain Cells to Compensate for lost ones.

"Brain plasticity refers to the brain's remarkable ability to change and reorganize itself. It was long thought that brain plasticity declined with age, however, our study demonstrates that this is not the case, even in the early stages of Alzheimer's", declares Sylvie Belleville.
Click to expand...

I speak from experience, and countless others have also experienced remarkable progress. Guard your thoughts, because every thought you think is a potential neural pathway in the making.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<obj...ays" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
 
well i've only had epilepsy since I was 18, so about 10 years. I have seizures, get my meds and go about my business. don't ask too many questions. if it works, it works. if it doesn't i change my meds. =p and i'm in college so my brain is always in the books but i find it very hard to concentrate. school is very tough, especially with all the meds i'm on. oh boy. another vid. i still gotta catch up on the last one
 
msuder0583 said:
well i've only had epilepsy since I was 18, so about 10 years. I have seizures, get my meds and go about my business. don't ask too many questions. if it works, it works. if it doesn't i change my meds. =p and i'm in college so my brain is always in the books but i find it very hard to concentrate. school is very tough, especially with all the meds i'm on. oh boy. another vid. i still gotta catch up on the last one
Click to expand...

LOL - sorry, I can be intense sometimes, and overwhelm with data, but I was a little surprised to learn that you were clueless.

OK, so here's the deal Mike...you NEED to ask questions...and you need to bug the hell out of your doctor. This is YOUR Life. You really, really need to be proactive in this. The mortality rate for people with epilepsy is two to three times higher—>and the risk of sudden death is 24 times greater. Source

Sorry for fussing. I do care, because there is so much neglect in this area, and it needs to be taken serious. Thanks for putting up with me. Oh, and btw, I understand how difficult it can be to concentrate. Once you start brain exercises, (lots online) and focus on getting better (make it a priority), you will begin to see a big difference, I promise you.

Promise!
 
oh. it's no problem and i really appreciate the morbid facts :) But i will definitely try the brain exercises cause it seems like my brain is grtting dumber so to speak, such as memory, speaking, writing, spelling, etc. and I appreciate that you care. It seems that those who have the same issues can be very empathetic. And I will talk to my doctor as well...alot.
 
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