Hi everyone! I've been dealing with strange "spells" for quite awhile now and am scheduled to have an MRI next week. My doctor thinks I've been having small seizures, and I have to admit the symptoms do seem to match up with simple partial seizures. Deja vu, phantom smells, seeing spots, confusion/forgetfulness/spaciness...a lot more. I've been been keeping track of it since last summer and I've noticed that it seems to come in a pattern. A week or two of multiple occurrences, and then nothing for two months. Then more, then two months of nothing. Every two months. I'm a little curious about that and wondered if anyone knows why that might be happening in a cycle like that. Is that common? I've heard hormones can play a factor for some people in seizures, but from what I can tell my period/ovulation doesn't seem to be contributing.
Seizure cycles?
- Thread starter jessmm
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Hi Jess,
It sounds like this is all hormone related but I could be wrong. I see patterns in my seizures every month they always happen certain days of the month and at certain times of the day or night. Even if your period or ovulation doesn't seem to be contributing your hormones are still changing every now and then and depending on your age if you are older you may be going through pre menopause which often increase of decrease a persons seizures. Also keep track of the weather often the weather will trigger seizures for some people if there's a low pressure in the weather that will affect a persons hormones and in turn trigger seizures for some people. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!
Sue
It sounds like this is all hormone related but I could be wrong. I see patterns in my seizures every month they always happen certain days of the month and at certain times of the day or night. Even if your period or ovulation doesn't seem to be contributing your hormones are still changing every now and then and depending on your age if you are older you may be going through pre menopause which often increase of decrease a persons seizures. Also keep track of the weather often the weather will trigger seizures for some people if there's a low pressure in the weather that will affect a persons hormones and in turn trigger seizures for some people. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!
Sue
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High estrogen and/or low progesterone are the seizure triggers in "catamenial epilepsy". That kind of spiking or dipping can occur several times a month -- or even more variably depending on the individual (as Porkette notes).Though it doesn't sound as if that's what going on for you, it might be helpful to see an endocrinologist if you're concerned.
If it's not hormones, it could be something else entirely. It would be nice to identify something specific, but it's not always possible. Some triggers have a delayed effect or work in combination, such as fatigue + stress, which can make it tricky.
Since you have a rough sense of when your seizures will show up, have you tried being particularly proactive before or during that time? Maybe introduce a meditation routine, or change up your diet? It would be interesting to see if you could disrupt your body's current seizure cycle.
If it's not hormones, it could be something else entirely. It would be nice to identify something specific, but it's not always possible. Some triggers have a delayed effect or work in combination, such as fatigue + stress, which can make it tricky.
Since you have a rough sense of when your seizures will show up, have you tried being particularly proactive before or during that time? Maybe introduce a meditation routine, or change up your diet? It would be interesting to see if you could disrupt your body's current seizure cycle.
Janus
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Hi. Yes, my doc and I were just talking about this. He said the brain is like a computer that has a hard_drive and is planning planning for a seizure and will have one because it has been building up for it for a while. Mine started happening about twice a month. If one has not happened for a month the brain may trigger one by itself. It's like in the software. I am not sure if that would help at all.
Yes that tend happen to me at times sometimes reasons if in lot of pain get no sleep and when I was younger it was at times hormonal and like others weather I get cluster if humid and hot.They just triggers that may set it off but stress can but not always
That's a fascinating idea Janus.
That's a good idea, trying to interrupt them beforehand to see if I could. I haven't tried that before it started, but this time around I have been trying exercising more (thinking maybe it would provide a type of physical release for the pent-up...whatever it is), and taking magnesium supplements. I can't tell if it's really been helpful yet.
Thank you for the feedback!
I saw documentary young boy had serverer e and he took up weight lifting at competition level he often felt something coming on but with both physical and mental training he reduced her sz substantially .It al worked on young girl who had worse naprlolexy you can get she just be walking down street and collapse even started collapsing and wake up before hit floor she roughly fell asleep every ten mins it was awful debilitating and she was fully disabled by it needed someone with her at all times...She took up ballet which very physical both mind and body it reduced her narcolepsy by a third,so physical and mental work outs must be good
I've been suffering with epilepsy for about 8 years, (partial seizures right temporal lobe).
I've always had clustered seizures were I'd have a bunch 5 (ish) seizures in the space of afew days, then I won't have anything for about 5-6 weeks, followed by another cluster.
The pattern was pretty consistent until recently, it's now more like 12 weeks before I'll have a burst. Though I'll have twice as many as I did .
It basically means it evens itself out with the number I have, but in a different pattern... I not sure which pattern I prefer!.
I've always had clustered seizures were I'd have a bunch 5 (ish) seizures in the space of afew days, then I won't have anything for about 5-6 weeks, followed by another cluster.
The pattern was pretty consistent until recently, it's now more like 12 weeks before I'll have a burst. Though I'll have twice as many as I did .
It basically means it evens itself out with the number I have, but in a different pattern... I not sure which pattern I prefer!.