Unusual symptom - perhaps meaningless?

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masterjen

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I had a night seizure around 3 AM, and 5 hours later got up to start my day but realized I had to go back to bed (due to typical post seizure symptoms for me of extreme fatigue, dizziness/imbalance/lightheadedness, mild nausea,etc.). While lying there but not yet asleep my upper lip, nose and head/face from my upper lip upwards felt like it had swelled to multiple times its actual size and the same sensation was in my right hand. I started to feel it starting in my left hand along with feeling like I was being pulled into a void (probably just the fatigue), but must have fallen asleep.
I have had hallucinations (if that's what these are) a handful of times before in the three and half years I've had seizures, but also 0-2 times a year at night throughout my life, but usually the "swelling" is confined to my my head along with a sense of not being where I really am and feeling like I could be pulled into some void if I didn't focus on not going there. The sensation would last usually less then a minute.

Anyone out there say "aha, I've had that" and know it is seizure related, or is this just some bizarre thing too far out in left field to even comment on?

If it helps, my seizures are nocturnal motor complex partial (although to me I don't feel like I lose awareness).
 
I've never in 30+ years of seizures had anything like the swelling sensations at all. The unreality and being pulled into a void business I have all the time. (well, not ALL the time, but when I have my partial szs.) It's not fun, is it.
 
masterjen said:
I had a night seizure around 3 AM, and 5 hours later got up to start my day but realized I had to go back to bed (due to typical post seizure symptoms for me of extreme fatigue, dizziness/imbalance/lightheadedness, mild nausea,etc.). While lying there but not yet asleep my upper lip, nose and head/face from my upper lip upwards felt like it had swelled to multiple times its actual size and the same sensation was in my right hand. I started to feel it starting in my left hand along with feeling like I was being pulled into a void (probably just the fatigue), but must have fallen asleep.
I have had hallucinations (if that's what these are) a handful of times before in the three and half years I've had seizures, but also 0-2 times a year at night throughout my life, but usually the "swelling" is confined to my my head along with a sense of not being where I really am and feeling like I could be pulled into some void if I didn't focus on not going there. The sensation would last usually less then a minute.

Anyone out there say "aha, I've had that" and know it is seizure related, or is this just some bizarre thing too far out in left field to even comment on?

If it helps, my seizures are nocturnal motor complex partial (although to me I don't feel like I lose awareness).
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New to E and new to this forum. I appreciated your description of you post seizure feelings/symptoms. I can relate to those. Thanks
 
bentwanderer: you mean you have actually had the sensations of swelling, as well as the "void" sensations?
 
I'm sorry if I was misleading. I was relating to your extreme fatigue, dizziness/imbalance/lightheadedness, mild nausea. I'm so new to E, I'm in a real learning mode.

Susan
 
The last seizure I had was also very strange, but not exactly the same. I have simple partial motor seizures caused by a tumor in my pre-motor cortex, but the one eeg I had showed abnormal activity in the parietal and temporal lobes. Anyway, during this last seizure my leg felt kind of numb and tingly which is normal, but it also felt like my dogs were clawing at my leg even though they weren't. I also couldn't tell where my leg was and at one point, it felt like it had rolled up like the Wicked Witch of the East when the good witch zaps the ruby slippers off her feet. Definitely seemed hallucination-like. I've never had that before. Seizures can be scary, can't they :P
 
arnie and travel bug: as travel bug said, seizures sure can be scary! Although I never wish similar symptoms on somebody, it always helps when someone else has experienced them. Has your doctor ever said what these sensations are? I haven't been in a position to tell mine yet, as I don't have a follow-up until March. Besides, dr's are never too interested unless a symptom is recurring.
 
My guess would be that the swelling feeling is seizure-related. Abnormal sensations are pretty common with epilepsy, and the fact that you sense it in both your head and your hand suggests it's more "global" =-- i.e. misbehaving neurons in the brain as opposed to nerve damage in the spine or motor cortex. Sensations of swelling, shrinking, or moving of body parts are particularly associated with seizures that originate in the non-dominant parietal lobe as well as the nearby temporal and occipital lobes.
 
For what its worth; i have those strange (my word) feelings of being pulled into a void and , to me, like an out of body experience where i have a sense of virtigo yet feel aware of whats going on around me. I had a neurologist tell me once that that is normal for seizure feelings.
 
Many thanks for your explanation Nakamova, and thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences :)
 
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