What is wrong??

[agent387]

Let me start off by saying that I have never had any diagnosis of any sort of epilepsy. However, through some research, my symptoms seem to be related to epilepsy, so I thought I would see if anyone here has any suggestions. I have told my doctor about my symptoms before, but he didn't know what could be wrong, and suggested that I see a neurologist which I have neglected yet to do.

I am currently 18 years old and started feeling symptoms sometime around the age of 13. I cant remember the exact date, but I can definitely remember the experience. Since the beginning of my issues the symptoms have stayed the same, but the frequency seems to be getting worse, and from what I've experienced it seems to be worse when I am tired, anxious, nervous, or excited.

I have come to the conclusion that I am having simple partial seizures, although clearly this hasn't been diagnosed. The most notable difference, however, is that mine seem to be triggered by a sensation in my leg. It is truly an impossible feeling to describe, but it is a sort of awareness that there is an feeling there. Over the years I have become very conscious of this feeling, and know exactly what it means. Tensing of my calf and foot are major triggers of the paralysis, which affects only the left side of my body. The leg with the odd feeling in it is also on the affected side of the body.

The "attacks" last only a few second, but I lose all control over the complete left side of my body. During this time I am completely aware of what is happening, but simply cant control what that side of my body does. It is extremely prevalent when I get up quickly and use force on the left side of my body. It seems to help, however, If I focus on something or take a deep breath when I can feel an attack coming on. Something that takes deep thought like a math problem seems to help, or maybe I'm just convincing myself that it help.

Today I was convinced that my problem was neurological. A friend of mine had given me a couple of adderall to help me with a standardized test, so I took one today to make sure that it would make me crazy, and effect my tests scores in a negative way. To my surprise, not only did they help me in school, but they also helped with my attacks!I had even tried to make myself have an attack, which I am usually able to do by tensing the muscles in my calf, but had no luck Now, I don't know if this has any relation to epilepsy, but I figured it was important enough to include in here just in case.

If anyone has experienced similar symptoms or has any suggestions, please let me know! Any advice is greatly appreciated!

P.S. I know that I clearly need to see a neurologist and an appointment will be made, but I was surfing the web and figured I might as well start here.

 

[agent387]

Let me know if you have any more questions regarding what is happening. I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability, but it is so hard sometimes, as i'm sure many of you are aware, to describe what is happening...

 

[agent387]

Also, as I mentioned before my calf and ankle are triggers for the spasms. I guess I should explain that a little more. For example if I pull my foot towards my shin and stretch my calf muscle it seems to trigger the spasm. The attacks i'm having ALWAYS occur the same way, and I can feel when one is coming on. There is also a constant sort of numbness going from part of my thigh to my foot, which I failed to describe too well in my previous post. After doing a little more research it brought me to the possibility of Multiple Sclerosis. Is there a common misdiagnosis when it comes to MS and epilepsy?

Any and all replies are GREATLY appreciated!

 

[Nakamova]

Hi agent387, welcome to CWE!

It's tough to tell from what you describe. There can be several possible (and more benign) causes than epilepsy or MS. The by far most likely causes are: 1) fatigue, followed by, 2) anxiety/nervousness, 3) caffeine intake, 4) exercise, 5) improper footwear, 6) body position when seated, 7) dehydration or mineral imbalance such as insufficient calcium and magnesium.

Epilepsy seems less likely, since generally speaking, it's difficult to force a seizure by flexing a muscle, or to control a seizure by focusing on something else. In addition, if the symptoms were epilepsy-related, the Adderall would tend to make things worse rather than better (stimulants are triggering for people with seizure disorders). [BTW, it's terrible idea to take Adderall if you don't need it for health reasons. I realize that it's fairly common behavior now to take it in school, but still. Don't make a habit of it.]

A visit to the neurologist is the best way to figure out what's going on. It's a good idea to write down when the symptoms occur, making note of all the surrounding circumstances -- time of day and time of month along with any stressors related to diet (low blood sugar/dehydration/caffeine, etc.) or behavior (fatigue, stress, illness/infection, etc.). Let the doc know if the spasms have been changing frequency, duration, or kind.

Regardless of the cause, the spasms may improve if you add a magnesium supplement to your diet. (Magnesium plays a role in relieving muscle tension throughout the body).

Best,
Nakamova

 

[agent387]

Thanks for the reply! and I will definitely be seeing a neurologist soon about my issues. and yes I somewhat agree. At first my symptoms were very similar to those of a simple partial seizure, but even then those are longer than what I experience.