partial seizures or Dissociation?

[tara]

hello

I got a knock to my head over a year ago,i cannot remember anything for 5-10 mins after it.since then I have been getting a weird feeling/my name been called and no one there/strange taste in my mouth that I do not even no what it tastes like and servere headaches.i feel detached from the world so to speak,when this happens,my memory and concentration have been effected by this.
I seen a doctor and they said it may be a head injury or Dissociation,they said a neuropsychologist will have to see me to diagnose me.

are the symptoms the same or what id the difference?

 

[Cint]

hello

I got a knock to my head over a year ago,i cannot remember anything for 5-10 mins after it.since then I have been getting a weird feeling/my name been called and no one there/strange taste in my mouth that I do not even no what it tastes like and servere headaches.i feel detached from the world so to speak,when this happens,my memory and concentration have been effected by this.
I seen a doctor and they said it may be a head injury or Dissociation,they said a neuropsychologist will have to see me to diagnose me.

are the symptoms the same or what id the difference?

This sounds to me like a SP/CP seizure. You need to be seen by a neurologist and have the correct testing done, an EEG/MRI, so they can make the right diagnosis. But even then, E is sometimes hard to diagnose. With a SP seizure, one sometimes hears voices as part of the aura and gets that "strange" taste in their mouth. Memory and concentration are definitely affected by it.

Have you suffered from a head injury? This could bring on seizures.

Here is more info on a SP seizure:

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-seizures/simple-partial-seizures

Sensory seizures:
These cause changes in any one of the senses.
People with sensory seizures may smell or taste things that aren't there; hear clicking, ringing, or a person's voice when there is no actual sound; or feel a sensation of "pins and needles" or numbness.
Seizures may even be painful for some patients. They may feel as if they are floating or spinning in space.
They may have visual hallucinations, seeing things that aren't there (a spot of light, a scene with people). They also may experience illusions—distortions of true sensations. For instance, they may believe that a parked car is moving farther away, or that a person's voice is muffled when it's actually clear.

 

[tara]

Yes,i got a knock to the head and "lost" a few minutes in a minor car accident.the doctor is sending me to a Neurologist Psychiatrist‎.
iam not sure what tests they will do or just ask questions.the doctor mentioned "Dissociation"?
how can they tell the 2 apart?

 

[Cint]

the doctor is sending me to a Neurologist Psychiatrist‎.
iam not sure what tests they will do or just ask questions.the doctor mentioned "Dissociation"?
how can they tell the 2 apart?

By doing an EEG at a hospital.

Check this out:
http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/diagnosis/eeg
http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/diagnosis/neurological-exam


A neuropsychiatrist treats brain disorders like Bipolar, dissociative disorders and some psychotic disorder(s) that DO go with E.

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/impact/moods-and-behavior/mood-and-behavior-advanced

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/impact/moods-and-behavior/mood-and-behavior-advanced/psychosis

 

[tara]

but if the EEG is clear because iam not having a partial seizure,will I be diagnosed with Dissociation?
I don't have them all the time,iv only realised recently that I sometimes getting a warning before they happen.sometimes I remember the black-outs,sometime I don't.
Does anyone know anything about Dissociation?
thanks

 

[Cint]

but if the EEG is clear because iam not having a partial seizure,will I be diagnosed with Dissociation?
I don't have them all the time,iv only realised recently that I sometimes getting a warning before they happen.sometimes I remember the black-outs,sometime I don't.
Does anyone know anything about Dissociation?
thanks

Just because the EEG is clear, doesn't mean the person isn't experiencing seizures. Seizures don't happen all the time, that is why E is so difficult to diagnose. Often times it takes years before one is diagnosed correctly.

There used to be a member here on CWE who knew quite a bit about it. Here is some info she posted a few years back:

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com...isorder-8461/?highlight=dissociation+epilepsy

 

[tara]

I thought that Neurologist Psychiatrist‎ would get me to fill out a real long questioner before sending me to EEG.
I know I already have ptsd from the accient,but the more I read,it looks like I have sensory epilepsy and it is just as bad if not worse,than the ptsd.
With sensory epilepsy there seem to be warning with some people and I get that,taste in mouth,headache,de ja ue,then when I get that I get in intense headache for a few minutes,some time the headache can stay a few hours,but the real intense bit can go after a few minutes.
I was getting these for over a year and I did not realise they were a kind of warning until started reading up on this.
the doctor put me on medication for headaches,but when I read upon them,i found out they were for epilepsy"GABAPENTIN" and they really help,not as many episodes and great for the headaches.
I am just afraid they will mis-diagnose me with dissociation and take me of the medication.

 

[Cint]

I am just afraid they will mis-diagnose me with dissociation and take me of the medication.

That is why you need to see an epileptologist (a specialist in epilepsy) as well as a neuropsychiatrist.

 

[tara]

I have been put on "Neurontin"/Gabapentin" a few months ago and it has really helped,but if I am sent for an EEG,will it not come back clear because of the medication or how is that looked at??

 

[Nakamova]

If the medication is controlling your symptoms, then yes, it's possible that the EEG will come up negative. This is why it's important to discuss the procedure with an epilepsy specialist first.

 

[tara]

I had to leave my work as I could not concentrate and memory was not great and
having these "maybe partial seizures" did not help.Iv keep a lot of the symptoms to myself as I have been embarrassed,people would think iam going crazy.
Can partial seizures leave your brain "foggy" even the days you don't have them?

 

[Nakamova]

Yes, partials can you leave you foggy on "off days." The fogginess might even be a form of seizure, or it could be a medication side effect. It could also be an indication that you're getting poor quality sleep at night, which can have a variety of causes.

If you don't already, try to keep a journal of your symptoms: Write down when they happen, how long they last, what form they take, if they change or escalate. Write about feeling "foggy". Take note of your overall health -- if you're feeling tired, achy, etc. Do certain activities/environments/times of day make your symptoms worse? Are there patterns to when they occur?

A symptom journal can be helpful to both you and your neurologist for getting a sense of what is going on.

 

[tara]

thanks for the advice.
I must keep a journal,but the symptoms for partial sezuires and Dissociation sezuire are so alike,there must be some that tells the 2 apart?
At night or durning the night I was get a warning,like a scream/high pitch buzzing before I feel like iam awake,but cant move my body.sometime I feel like iam floating around the room.