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Deja vu and Epilepsy

Sat, 09/06/2008 - 19:09

Ok I'm going to give a short version and a long version, as the long one might be too long for many...

SHORT:

-I'm 23, have had 5-6 deja vu episodes in 3-4 weeks. Daydream alot and have fleeting thoughts of normal things seeming weird or funny (but not necessarily unfamiliar). No family history, no grand mal, no head trauma. What's the likelihood of TLE? What else might it be?

LONG:

I'm 23 and have experienced five or six very strong feelings of deja vu in the last 3-4 weeks or so, which was enough to tip me off to possible temporal lobe epilepsy after searching around a bit. They generally last about 10-20 seconds and are not accompanied by the same dread, or stomach discomfort, or fear, or happiness that seems to be common with many TLE patients, but they're also momentarily quite strong (and frustrating!) for me.

I also have been having these thoughts every once in a while that ordinary things, objects, words, concepts, etc. (could be anything depending on the concept) seem somewhat silly or different than they normally would feel. In a way, I feel like I'm processing the world differently, almost a bit, yet not entirely, detached from it for just a few seconds or so. I'm not quite sure it's jamais vu since it's never had any sort of emotion or gut-type "feeling" that deja vu has, and I know what I'm looking at/touching/hearing/etc fine and not actually forgetting anything about it. As an example, it could be as trivial as say looking at a phone or hearing the word phone (or whatever else) and thinking "hm, what a funny thing with a funny name. never thought of a phone that way, i know it's a phone, but it seems kinda silly. kind of weird we use them" and then snap back into it and realize a phone is a phone and i've been using it and familiar with it my whole life. It feels like I'm a permanent stoner or something. Sorry if that sounds a bit nuts, just a quirky thing that I'm wondering if it's related to possible TLE or something else.

I also tend to have some issues fairly regularly with daydreaming or forgetting for a second what it was I was doing or wanted to do (momentary memory, basically), but I've always attributed that to lack of sleep, being a space cadet, or whatever else might cause it, and I'm not too sure if it's symptomatic of TLE.

In any case, I have never had head trauma, have no family history of epilepsy, and obviously never had a grand mal or anything like it. I saw a neuro who took history and notes before referring me to a specialist who's going to take a month to schedule an appointment and for an MRI in the meantime. He mentioned that there are psychological theories but no other neurological explanations aside from TLE to explain having 6 deja vus along with the other quirkiness. Obviously then, it would be frustrating if the MRIs and EEGs, etc all come back fine with no diagnosis made as I could be stuck with these spells (which are affecting my work right now).

That said, I'm wondering a few things:

1) What is the likelihood of TLE (given age, no family history or trauma, symptoms)? Also, what is the likelihood that someone non-TLE has 6 dejavu episodes in a 3-4 weeks timeframe?

2) What are potential alternative explanations if not TLE?

3) What can/will be done if everything comes back okay but I'm still having symptoms?

4) Would stress/lack of sleep cause the symptoms, or do they actually trigger the epilepsy which in turn triggers the symptoms?

Obviously any answers to any of the questions are much appreicated. Thanks and look forward to the discussion!

-Mikey

Comments

Re: Deja vu and Epilepsy

Submitted by abitner2 on Sat, 2008-09-06 - 23:48

Hello,

My name is Amy age 24 and I have some of the same symptoms.  I was diagnosed with Left Temporal Lobe Epilepsy about 7-8 years ago.  When I have episodes I have some of the symptoms you have explained.  Mine usually start with a wierd feeling in my stomach, I also find myself swallowing and then have the deja vu.  Its usually last approx. 15-30 seconds.  It's hard to explain my deja vu, when I have episodes (seizures) I always have the same deja vu but I quickly forget what it was.  I always get asked what was your deja vu and I just can't talk about it because I don't remember - it's wierd.  I also find my self with memory issues.  All of those symptoms affect me while at work.

It really sounds like you may have TLE.  But there are alot of different types of seizures it's possible that it could be coming from somewhere else. 

Maybe you can get your MRI and EEG pretty soon.  I know they are both annoying, and they can be very time consuming.  But the MRI will definatly help you with alot your questions.  And make sure you really like the neurologist that you are seeing, I believe that is very important.

I know for sure that lack of sleep can cause some episodes.  I also know that stress and depressions can cause seizures.  My doctor tells me since I have epilepsy he wants me to have more than 8 hours of sleep every night.  So make sure you get enought sleep everynight.

I am not too sure what to tell you if your MRI or EEG comes back normal just don't give up.  Maybe you need more tests, and need some blood work.  Don't give up until they give you a proper diagnoses.  If the MRI does come back abnormal make sure the doctor really explains what it means.  And if they suggest medicine do some reseach of the medicine.  I have tried so many different anit-seizure meds.  Some just didn't work or gave me some bad side effects.

Hopefully you get some good answers soon.  Make sure you get tests that the Dr. ordered.  Take Care

 

Amy

abdancer1010@comcast.net 

 

Hello,

My name is Amy age 24 and I have some of the same symptoms.  I was diagnosed with Left Temporal Lobe Epilepsy about 7-8 years ago.  When I have episodes I have some of the symptoms you have explained.  Mine usually start with a wierd feeling in my stomach, I also find myself swallowing and then have the deja vu.  Its usually last approx. 15-30 seconds.  It's hard to explain my deja vu, when I have episodes (seizures) I always have the same deja vu but I quickly forget what it was.  I always get asked what was your deja vu and I just can't talk about it because I don't remember - it's wierd.  I also find my self with memory issues.  All of those symptoms affect me while at work.

It really sounds like you may have TLE.  But there are alot of different types of seizures it's possible that it could be coming from somewhere else. 

Maybe you can get your MRI and EEG pretty soon.  I know they are both annoying, and they can be very time consuming.  But the MRI will definatly help you with alot your questions.  And make sure you really like the neurologist that you are seeing, I believe that is very important.

I know for sure that lack of sleep can cause some episodes.  I also know that stress and depressions can cause seizures.  My doctor tells me since I have epilepsy he wants me to have more than 8 hours of sleep every night.  So make sure you get enought sleep everynight.

I am not too sure what to tell you if your MRI or EEG comes back normal just don't give up.  Maybe you need more tests, and need some blood work.  Don't give up until they give you a proper diagnoses.  If the MRI does come back abnormal make sure the doctor really explains what it means.  And if they suggest medicine do some reseach of the medicine.  I have tried so many different anit-seizure meds.  Some just didn't work or gave me some bad side effects.

Hopefully you get some good answers soon.  Make sure you get tests that the Dr. ordered.  Take Care

 

Amy

abdancer1010@comcast.net 

 

Re: Deja vu and Epilepsy

Submitted by LisaDM on Thu, 2010-09-16 - 03:55
Thank you everyone for sharing. I am so happy I found this site today. DOES ANYONE ELSE SMELL SOMETHING STRANGE WHEN THEY HAVE THESE EPISODES? My husband kept telling me to see a doctor but I thought a doc would think I was nuts if I walked in there and said I was having Deja Vu and smelling something weird. I have been having these episodes too but have not been able to describe them. I also thought I was just remembering a dream from the previous night. Usually this would start after having a restless night sleep with disturbing dreams. It then starts with a weird feeling in my stomach and then the strong sense of Deja Vu then dizziness and that sense that I am out of myself. And sometimes I can hear someone yelling in my left ear. The episodes that are really strong are coupled with that smell. I can't explain what kind of a smell it is but I remember thinking the first time it happened that it is a familiar smell but I can't pin point what it is exactly. I was told that I had a seizure about 2 years ago but I was a heavy drinker and thought it was just a withdrawal from alcohol. Now when I have these what I call "smell episodes" sometimes I am really scared and think I am having a stroke. What I do know is that when I had my alcohol withdrawal seizure the person I was with said I kept asking him if he smelled that weird smell and then after that my eyes rolled back in my head and I started to turn blue. He gave me mouth to mouth and I came out of it. I have never had anything like that again but about once a month now I have this Deja Vu thing. It happens off and on all day and then the next day it is like nothing ever happened. My husband thought maybe it was because of menapause ( I am 48) and it was a hormone imbalance so I made an appt with the doc. I went to the doctor today for an EEG. I told the technician that it might sound weird but the only way I could describe it is to say it is like Deja Vu but a scary Deja Vu and a sick feeling in my stomach accompanied by dizziness. She made me feel so much better when she said I am not the only one that experiences this and that it is related to seizures. She said my EEG looked normalthough so now what? I will keep checking back to this discussion. thanks for sharing everyone. Now I don't feel like such a nut.

Re: Deja vu and Epilepsy

Submitted by SBamber on Tue, 2011-03-29 - 10:35

Well... I don't beleive it! After having another Deja Vu moment the other morning at work, I decided to look into it, and here I am. I didn't really think I'd find anything because I'd always thought I was the only one who experienced it. I have had these strange yet welcoming episodes of 'Deja Vu' for at least 10 years or more now. They are so random and not very often. I say I get them at least once or twice within 2-3 days every 3 or 4 months or so, could be longer... but the other morning I had quite a strong one which for the first time had left me feeling quite lethargic and naucseous.

And here I am, reading the symptons of exactly what I feel when I get these 'Auras'. I've never talked to anyone about them mainly because they've never bothered me and I wouldn't even know how to describe them, though reading through this forum I have many of the symptons described.

My 'Auras' never seem to last longer than 10-15 seconds and I'm fully aware of my surroundings. I've never had them outside or anywhere else other than at home, in bed or at work.
It starts with a sudden rush of anxiety but at the same time feels kind of euphoric. I then seem to go into a day dreaming state, everything seems distant and hazy, sounds seemed muffled but still audible. I've never got the impression that these are linked to dreams, they purely feel like Deja-Vu... everything that happens within those 10 or so seconds seems to have happened before. I don't feel like I'm predicting what's happening, but when it does, I seem to tell myself 'I knew that was coming...'
On quite a few occasions I've snapped myself out of them by quickly focusing on something but will always leave me feeling quite out of it for the rest of the day. Then over the next 2 or 3 days I will get split second surges as if another one is coming, but it never seems to materialise, then nothing again for months.

Nothing seems to trigger them off, like i said they seem very random, but the weird feeling of all is whether I am home or at work, the sensation of these Deja Vu feels exactly the same.

Well... I don't beleive it! After having another Deja Vu moment the other morning at work, I decided to look into it, and here I am. I didn't really think I'd find anything because I'd always thought I was the only one who experienced it. I have had these strange yet welcoming episodes of 'Deja Vu' for at least 10 years or more now. They are so random and not very often. I say I get them at least once or twice within 2-3 days every 3 or 4 months or so, could be longer... but the other morning I had quite a strong one which for the first time had left me feeling quite lethargic and naucseous.

And here I am, reading the symptons of exactly what I feel when I get these 'Auras'. I've never talked to anyone about them mainly because they've never bothered me and I wouldn't even know how to describe them, though reading through this forum I have many of the symptons described.

My 'Auras' never seem to last longer than 10-15 seconds and I'm fully aware of my surroundings. I've never had them outside or anywhere else other than at home, in bed or at work.
It starts with a sudden rush of anxiety but at the same time feels kind of euphoric. I then seem to go into a day dreaming state, everything seems distant and hazy, sounds seemed muffled but still audible. I've never got the impression that these are linked to dreams, they purely feel like Deja-Vu... everything that happens within those 10 or so seconds seems to have happened before. I don't feel like I'm predicting what's happening, but when it does, I seem to tell myself 'I knew that was coming...'
On quite a few occasions I've snapped myself out of them by quickly focusing on something but will always leave me feeling quite out of it for the rest of the day. Then over the next 2 or 3 days I will get split second surges as if another one is coming, but it never seems to materialise, then nothing again for months.

Nothing seems to trigger them off, like i said they seem very random, but the weird feeling of all is whether I am home or at work, the sensation of these Deja Vu feels exactly the same.

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