Please Help Me: New To Epilepsy

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Well, My doctor believes that I have epilepsy. I am just starting Topamax. I have these "episodes" in the mornings. I usually get my seizures later that night or the next day..or not even at all. But the last episode I had was so earth shatteringly scary I had to write about it. I'm 20 and I've just started dealing with all this happening. All of this has landed in my lap at once and I am really freaked out. When I had my episode, which I am wondering if it might be an aura, it starts off like static in my head. It sounds like a shovel scraping lightly on a snowy wet pavement. Then I usually lock myself in the bathroom to catch my breath and tell myself that none of this is real. That I need to get a hold of myself. That is when the worst part comes. I see everything including my body in super fast speed. Like everything is a movie being fast forwarded. And I am trying to keep up with it. Usually there is a small part of my brain that I can control and hear and calm until the episode eventually stops, but this time was the first time it disappeared completely until it eventually went faster and faster until I felt like my brain was going to explode and boil. It was so frightening. I had never experienced anything that scary before. Usually I am scared but not like that. Please help me and tell me what you think. All of this is new to me. I've dealt with passing out and shaking all my life, but now it is getting worse and worse and I am very frightened. Plus with being a senior at university it is very difficult being tired and confused all of the time. Thank you for helping and listening.

Comments

Re: Please Help Me: New To Epilepsy

Submitted by swiggs07 on Thu, 2008-04-24 - 03:17

I wish i could say i knew what it was like to have an aura, but i don't, i simply suddenly have a seizure, at times i think it would be a good thing to have an aura, so i would know it was coming, but after reading what you go through, my heart simply goes out for you. There isn't much more i can add that the others have not other than learn to use your aura to make yourself safer, in other words if you know that within a certain amount of time from the aura you will be seizing, lie down somewhere safe, notify others around you that can stay with you and help keep you safe. Learn to control your epilepsy in whatever manner you have to. I agree with the others, if you don't like what one doctor tells you, find another, sometimes multiple heads are definately better than one, especially when they are dealing with your head. Don't let exhaustion get you down, just dedicate more to sleep than you normally do, I know it is hard, I have been there as have many others, unfortunately you have been given a disorder that causes you to have to make better decisions about your lifestyle and if that means getting more sleep at night then that is what you have to do. I wish you the best of luck and god bless you

Re: Please Help Me: New To Epilepsy

Submitted by angant2003 on Tue, 2008-06-10 - 17:28

Hi,

I am 38 years old. I have had symptoms for some time now of seizures.

in April 2006, My 7 year old was learning golf and whacked me in the head with a 4 iron golf

club. It knocked me out. although its funny. I have been experiencing complex partial

seizures. I hear a loud peircing high pitch in my ears and black out. I then am no able to

see, with out seeing halos, That maybe a aura. I also get very numb in my hands arms and

neck and head and then shake uncontrollable. I had 7 infront of Dr. s On May22,08. I don't

really remember to much, except it took a week to get my wits about me.

I was just diagnosed with epilepsy and am on a med called, lamicatal. Its only been a week since

I've been on it. I work in the med feild and its so important to take the meds as prescribed and

at the same time every day. Make sure you eat good and healthy. exercise and get destressed.

make sure your pottasuim is on level too. I am scared but I figure . hey, I got through the last

ones. I am just gonna focus on health and look out for the warning signs and live. I agree with

sleep . you have to get rested but you also have to be active.