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MINI Sudden Blackouts - Has anyone had something similar??

Thu, 08/14/2008 - 21:49

The reason I ask is because it's something that only started over the last few months. I have complex partial epilepsy with primarily left seizures & secondary generalisation sometime.

 I've lately developed this 'thing' where whilst having a seizure, I'll suddenly have a mini blackout. It literally last for like a seond or two - and I'm fully consious, but my eyes will just drop closed and then a second later I'llcome to with a massive jolt. It scares the absolute crap out of me... It's like when you've just dosed off, and you wake up instantly feeling your about to be smacked in the head... or like dosing of behind the steering wheel! (I dont drive, it's jsut what it feels like) That terror & fear all in one second.

And then I'm fine....     I'm bound to see my specialist in November, where they will do the final MRI, Video EEG(2 weeks) SPECT scan and Pet scan. But till then it's getting to be a more and more regular occurance with my fits.

 Has ANYONE else had this?

Comments

Re: MINI Sudden Blackouts - Has anyone had something similar??

Submitted by MichaelK on Fri, 2008-08-15 - 02:02

This sounds REALLY similiar to something I've developed in the past few months as well. Like you, I have complex partial seizures but with tonic-clonic seizures. It happens so fast to me that I don't fall forward or backward; I just fall in a pile on the ground. Out of nowhere I started to do exactly the same thing you described. I am an American living in Japan and these seizures absolutely scare me more than anything. Once I had one of these seizures while getting off of a train and my eyes closed just as I made my first step from the train to the platform. The next thing I remember is that my eyes opened suddenly while being dragged off of the train. Another time one of these seizures happened while jogging; I just fell in a pile on the ground then suddenly opened my eyes less than 2 seconds later.

Sometimes they vary in intensity, though, with me. I was walking once and one of these seizures occurred wherein I kept walking but lost consciousness. About 2 seconds later I regained conciousness but was not where I was before.

As I wrote in my personal story, I feel like somebody is flipping an on-off remote switch. These seizures made me scared to do anything; to ride a bicycle, to walk across a busy street.  Studying the information on this website made me first think these were tonic seizures that did not go to the clonic stage but now I am starting to change my view. I now wonder if these seizures are primary complex seizures with secondary generalization. Do they feel like they have the same origin as your other primary seizures?

Please look at my story for a better description of my history. I am really interested in yours so please contact me back!

This sounds REALLY similiar to something I've developed in the past few months as well. Like you, I have complex partial seizures but with tonic-clonic seizures. It happens so fast to me that I don't fall forward or backward; I just fall in a pile on the ground. Out of nowhere I started to do exactly the same thing you described. I am an American living in Japan and these seizures absolutely scare me more than anything. Once I had one of these seizures while getting off of a train and my eyes closed just as I made my first step from the train to the platform. The next thing I remember is that my eyes opened suddenly while being dragged off of the train. Another time one of these seizures happened while jogging; I just fell in a pile on the ground then suddenly opened my eyes less than 2 seconds later.

Sometimes they vary in intensity, though, with me. I was walking once and one of these seizures occurred wherein I kept walking but lost consciousness. About 2 seconds later I regained conciousness but was not where I was before.

As I wrote in my personal story, I feel like somebody is flipping an on-off remote switch. These seizures made me scared to do anything; to ride a bicycle, to walk across a busy street.  Studying the information on this website made me first think these were tonic seizures that did not go to the clonic stage but now I am starting to change my view. I now wonder if these seizures are primary complex seizures with secondary generalization. Do they feel like they have the same origin as your other primary seizures?

Please look at my story for a better description of my history. I am really interested in yours so please contact me back!

Re: MINI Sudden Blackouts - Has anyone had something similar??

Submitted by tan_the_fan on Fri, 2008-08-15 - 03:05

That's very interesting Micheal... I've never lost conciousness whilst fitting, so I'm not sure if it's related - but it's onlyever happened whilst I was having my 'nomal' seizures so it's definately connected to my normal seizures in the sense that they dont happen individually.

I would be sitting on the couch, and between my seizures I would unvoluntaringly close my eyes (I can still hear everything etc) for a second and then SMACK I jump back to attention. It litterally feels like i've dosed off and now something is going to hit me in the face - although I KNOW there is nothing there...

My siezures are mainly muscle contractions on my left side, sometimes to the point where I cant walk because my legs are so unstable & would 'vibrate' .

That's very interesting Micheal... I've never lost conciousness whilst fitting, so I'm not sure if it's related - but it's onlyever happened whilst I was having my 'nomal' seizures so it's definately connected to my normal seizures in the sense that they dont happen individually.

I would be sitting on the couch, and between my seizures I would unvoluntaringly close my eyes (I can still hear everything etc) for a second and then SMACK I jump back to attention. It litterally feels like i've dosed off and now something is going to hit me in the face - although I KNOW there is nothing there...

My siezures are mainly muscle contractions on my left side, sometimes to the point where I cant walk because my legs are so unstable & would 'vibrate' .

Re: MINI Sudden Blackouts - Has anyone had something similar??

Submitted by MichaelK on Fri, 2008-08-15 - 12:07

Thanks for your reply.

You are at first having muscle contractions on your left side and then this situation develops. I never have muscle contractions, unlike you, but I start with simple seizure where I have full consciousness (i.e. aura) and can continue to do whatever it is that I am doing, even speak and listen to people, but my answers will be much slower. For a long time this simple seizure foretold of one of my tonic-clonic seizures to come.

Lately, though, the simple seizure that I had before developed into a situation where it could either remain the same as before or it could worsen and suddenly I would lose all muscle control for a very brief span of time, maybe 1 second or 2-3 seconds at the most. Then I would suddenly regain all motor control with a sudden jolt of electricity. In that respect, then, this is definetely related to my other seizures, but I am desperately searching for any clues as to how.

It literally scares the &#@ out of me. It happens so quick that it makes it impossible for me to function correctly during the day. However, I just had an appointment with my neurologist today and he told me his main priority is keeping my tonic-clonic seizures under control. These are the ones that are causing me the problems!

 

Thanks for your reply.

You are at first having muscle contractions on your left side and then this situation develops. I never have muscle contractions, unlike you, but I start with simple seizure where I have full consciousness (i.e. aura) and can continue to do whatever it is that I am doing, even speak and listen to people, but my answers will be much slower. For a long time this simple seizure foretold of one of my tonic-clonic seizures to come.

Lately, though, the simple seizure that I had before developed into a situation where it could either remain the same as before or it could worsen and suddenly I would lose all muscle control for a very brief span of time, maybe 1 second or 2-3 seconds at the most. Then I would suddenly regain all motor control with a sudden jolt of electricity. In that respect, then, this is definetely related to my other seizures, but I am desperately searching for any clues as to how.

It literally scares the &#@ out of me. It happens so quick that it makes it impossible for me to function correctly during the day. However, I just had an appointment with my neurologist today and he told me his main priority is keeping my tonic-clonic seizures under control. These are the ones that are causing me the problems!

 

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