What do you think they are?

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momof3boys

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Ok, so Ive been thinking alot about what this neurologist of mine is "Thinking". If he thinks the "episodes" I had during my VEEG were "Anxiety Attacks"... Im trying to see where he is getting this answer....

To give you the details of what the "episodes" were like....

It first started out with a feeling of Fear, or sadness.... sometimes alittle of both....

Then, would come the numbness in my hands and feet.....

The numbess would work its way up my leg, and my upper body, where my head would then turn to my right. I remember at times trying to fight it off... but I couldnt. With my head now turned to my right, the numbness then went into my face, and the intensity of the numbness went into my nose and mouth area, where i remember having a very weird very numb feeling in the roof of my mouth.

During this, my right side would stiffen, and would start to jerk.

These would last between a minute to 2-3 minutes.

Now during this whole time this is going on, I can still hear people talking, and depending on how intense the numbness and stiffenting and jerking are, I remember at times trying to communicate with the nurses when they would ask me questions. But there were other times i couldnt respond back.

The only time I remember it being really intense during the VEEG was on the 4th day. That morning around 7am, I woke up, and all of what I described above took place, only this time I remember the room going black for a few seconds, not hearing or knowing what took place, and then coming to, to see the nurses face and them giving me adivan in my IV.

So, because my dr is thinking these episodes I described to you are "Anxiety attacks", would you describe them as Anxiety Attacks or Simple Partial Seizures?

The weird thing about it is that Ive never before experienced these in my life til he took me off Cold Turkey off my medications for this VEEG.

Before, I was experiencing complex partial seizures, where I would go unconsious and not know what happened during the seizures.

Im just trying to figure this all out. If he really thinks these are not seizures, Then why is he leaving me on Keppra? A antiseizure medication? It just doesnt make sense.
 
I forgot to add that none of these episodes occured once I was put on Keppra and another anti seizure medication. They all quit. I have went for a period of time, March 10th through March 22nd with only being on Keppra and having these episodes occur, some not as bad, but then as time went on, things got worse, and they added the Vimpat or Lamictal which took it all away again, but caused bad side effects.

As of tomorrow morning, it will be 2 days that I have only taken the Keppra, at 1250mgs twice a day. No Lamictal since friday morning.

So, Im very eager to see what this will all bring. Last time I was put only on the Keppra... I went for 4 days with no problems. That was at 3000mgs of Keppra only. On the morning of the 5th day, I had seizure activity. The numbness came back and my head turned to my right, the jerking started again.
 
I think the neurologist is the cause of your anxiety attacks. If he were my neurologist I would be experiencing not only anxiety but homicidal rage too... :)

Seriously, I don't think you should spend any additional time on his thought processes. The symptoms you describe sound so much more like simple partials than they do like anxiety attacks. Yes, there can be some overlap, but classic anxiety attack symptoms more closely resemble having a heart attack then having a seizure. And you have EEG results that indicate epilepsy, so in this case it seems the most likely explanation (simple partials) seems to be the correct one.

Messing with epilepsy meds can be so hard on the brain and body. I do hope you can start to stabilize ad remain seizure-free (despite what your history is on the solo Keppra). Hang in there!
 
I think the neurologist is the cause of your anxiety attacks. If he were my neurologist I would be experiencing not only anxiety but homicidal rage too... :)

Seriously, I don't think you should spend any additional time on his thought processes. The symptoms you describe sound so much more like simple partials than they do like anxiety attacks. Yes, there can be some overlap, but classic anxiety attack symptoms more closely resemble having a heart attack then having a seizure. And you have EEG results that indicate epilepsy, so in this case it seems the most likely explanation (simple partials) seems to be the correct one.

Messing with epilepsy meds can be so hard on the brain and body. I do hope you can start to stabilize ad remain seizure-free (despite what your history is on the solo Keppra). Hang in there!

Thank you so much for giving me your opinion. I see it the same way. I saw my mom today and she said she is praying HE is right! And I can see where she is coming from... if you could choose between having seizures and anxiety attacks, Id probably rather have anxiety attacks! But me being so use to seizures all my life, Its just so hard to comprehend everything.

Going for years with having complex partial seizures and grand mal seizures. Then after he takes me cold turkey off both medications I was on, these new seizures happen. He tells me he is going to leave me on the Keppra, then changes his mind or opinion through out the two months, and comes out to tell me I don thave epilepsy at all.

I told my mom I would like to go back to the neurologist here, the one in town that we started seeing when we moved here. I havnt seen him for around 3 or 4 years, but I feel that this neuro I have now, isnt on the same page as I am. I want a second opinion on all the things Ive had done. The VEEG, the medications, the new seizures Ive had. etc. I had NONE of these seizures before being taken off the medications. How in the world can this dr tell me Ive never had epilepsy, and all its been was anxiety attacks?

When He told me this, I asked him, If you think all Ive had was anxiety attacks, then why didnt I experience these anxiety attacks for years before I even met you or you took me off the medications cold turkey? Why did the Keppra and Carbatrol that I had been taking for over 11 years together, hold my seizures and keep everything under control? And why did you say that my VEEG showed spikes of Epilepsy in March, and now in May youre telling me I dont have epilepsy at all?!

It just doesnt make any sense to me. My mom says I should keep the psych appointment that is schuled for tomorrow afternoon. She wants me to go there, tell them everything that has happened, and see what they say. They sent me all the forms to fill out, with questions in regards to how I handle stress, what stresses I have in my life, etc. The only thing I could put down with stresses in my life at this time was the changes Ive gone through since March with medications changes. Its alot of stress on my body and I can see a huge difference of me today, than what I was two months ago.

And my mom wants me to stay on the 1250mgs twice a day of the keppra til we see the neuro May 25th. Im just praying the keppra holds me for the time being. The pharmacist gave me a bottle of 500mg keppra pills, 180 count. So I think that will get me by til the appointment.

This is so much to take in. Youre right, apart of me thinks this crap that the neuro is pulling, is causing me stress too!
 
May 25th, less than three weeks, you can do it! And Happy Mother's Day, btw!
 
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