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Is it possible to have seizures while remaining conscious? PLS HELP!!!

Sun, 11/21/2004 - 19:19

I've had these "seizure-like" episodes for 5 months now.  The first one I had started while I was sitting at my desk at work and I had an aura for about an hour where I got this zig-zag line in front of my eyes and I couldn't really see straight.  I also couldn't think straight or speak straight.  And when I tried to read something, I couldn't even sound out a simple word.  Then when my sight started to return, my legs and body got very rigid and I could barely move, so much so that I could barely stand up or reach my arm out to get the phone.  My body started tremoring for about 15 minutes.  I was rushed to the hospital, but remained conscious through the whole thing.  The paramedics and everyone else around me never said seizure.  They all thought maybe it was hypoglycemia, or something like that.  Well, 5 months later (and many neurological tests later), I'm still having episodes.  (I've had about 24)  They aren't always the same.  But for the most part, now, I will be sitting and all of the sudden I won't be able to hold my head up anymore (or I'll get a feeling in the pit of my stomach), and then my hands will get all fidgety.  This will escalate, until my foot kicks out, or my hand and eventually it's my whole upper and lower torso and head tremoring from anywhere from 5-30 minutes.  It will be hard to speak and my breathing might get labored.  I'm unable to move my own body at that point, so wherever I am having the episode is where I will be until the episode over, unless someone physically moves me.  Sometimes it slows down and stops.  Sometimes it stops abruptly.  I am always totally exhausted afterward and have lots of trouble with my legs afterward, sometimes for an hour, sometimes for days.  They get very weak and heavy feeling and sometimes will give out when I walk.

They seem to come in clusters, like I will have 4-7 episodes within a 2-3 week period and then I won't have any for 7-10 days.  During the 7-10 days, I will feel good.  During the 2-3 week period, I will feel very lethargic and weak most of the time.

I've had an MRI, MRA, MRV, EEG, 24 hr. EEG, CT scan of the brain, EMG, ECG, EKG, blood work... plus probably some more that I'm forgetting about that have all come back normal.  One doctor even suggested pseudoseizures during an 8 day hospital stay, after he witnessed one of my episodes.  This was because I responded to him (remained conscious) during my "seizure" and he thought I was making it up, I guess.  I have two young children at home who have witnessed these episodes--I would not do that to them!   I was screened by a psychologist who does not believe they are pseudoseizures.

So my question is, could they still be seizures, even though I am conscious?  Or have any of you have similar episodes while remaining conscious and figured out what these episodes are?  I'm sick of the "pseudoseizure" label I've been getting.  I know something is physically wrong with me and I am trying to get to the bottom of it, but need some help from someone besides my doctors.  Thanks.

Theresa

Comments

RE: RE: Is it possible to have seizures while remaining consciou

Submitted by theresab72 on Fri, 2004-11-19 - 09:36

That's what they thought mine were while I was in the hospital in July, but when I looked it up, it doesn't make any sense to me.  You do lose consciousness in complex partial's from what I've read and you don't remember what happened.  I've never had that. 

Like you, I also have the whole body weakness.

I had another episode (seizure?) last night.  This one started with a jolt, then another about 10 seconds later.  This time I started smacking my leg with my hand.  My husband saw me doing it and thought I was trying to stop the seizure or thought I was getting upset, but I told him, I'm not controlling this, this is happening to me.  I've had that before, where I will smack myself in the forehead and yell out stop while it is happening, but it's just part of the seizure.  My mother actually laughed about it one time after she witnessed it.  She thought it was funny.  Not very funny to me!

I hate this.

Thanks for writing to me.

That's what they thought mine were while I was in the hospital in July, but when I looked it up, it doesn't make any sense to me.  You do lose consciousness in complex partial's from what I've read and you don't remember what happened.  I've never had that. 

Like you, I also have the whole body weakness.

I had another episode (seizure?) last night.  This one started with a jolt, then another about 10 seconds later.  This time I started smacking my leg with my hand.  My husband saw me doing it and thought I was trying to stop the seizure or thought I was getting upset, but I told him, I'm not controlling this, this is happening to me.  I've had that before, where I will smack myself in the forehead and yell out stop while it is happening, but it's just part of the seizure.  My mother actually laughed about it one time after she witnessed it.  She thought it was funny.  Not very funny to me!

I hate this.

Thanks for writing to me.

Is it possible to have seizures while remaining consciou

Submitted by g8e11 on Sat, 2008-11-22 - 05:10

I do not know if you finally got an answer I know this is a very old post however.......

 

I am most likelly a different sitaution then most and I want to state this because I am a head injury patient however I have been alert when I have had seizures I been having seizures since my first head injury and I have sustained Multiple Head inuries in my life time since I was 6 years of Age I am now 35 this Dec 2008.....

 

I have had siezures where I was in the present of Doctors, Nurses, Friends, Family members, Teachers, Ect.... I have them where I have heard people and where I haven't heard people.... Where I cannot talk after for a good 20 to 30 minutes after to where I can talk right after..... I have incidents where I been on medications where I sound like a idiots because I cannot talk.... I am going through this right now....

 

I have been able to do mild things for the doctors right after my seizure but I ended up with a migraine right after my seizure...... or riging in my ears or a consitant pounding in my head or thrubing in my eyes and my eyes hurt so bad I can not open then and it hurts my eyes to open them.

 

I have had Nuerologist tell me I am a lieing sack of crap and I need to see a psychologist.... Well I already see one of them because I have frontal lobe brain damage which I now have major depression and a organic mood disorder due to the frontal lobe brain damage which affects my behaiors personailty and emotions

 

However I am not faking this crap this is actually happen to me and that is what really annoys me with these doctors is that they just pawn it off on my mental condition because they cannot find a reason for it so because they cannot find a reason for it they blame it on my mental problems..... It drives me absolutly nuts.... So I get to live with this problem I get to live with what ever goes on with me and I get to go through life in hell just because these doctors do not want to try to keep searching for a reason?????

 

Why do we have doctors if they are not going to try to find a cure for what is going on for our medical problems????? That is my question......

 

 

I hope you found out what is wrong with you.....

 

 

Anna

I do not know if you finally got an answer I know this is a very old post however.......

 

I am most likelly a different sitaution then most and I want to state this because I am a head injury patient however I have been alert when I have had seizures I been having seizures since my first head injury and I have sustained Multiple Head inuries in my life time since I was 6 years of Age I am now 35 this Dec 2008.....

 

I have had siezures where I was in the present of Doctors, Nurses, Friends, Family members, Teachers, Ect.... I have them where I have heard people and where I haven't heard people.... Where I cannot talk after for a good 20 to 30 minutes after to where I can talk right after..... I have incidents where I been on medications where I sound like a idiots because I cannot talk.... I am going through this right now....

 

I have been able to do mild things for the doctors right after my seizure but I ended up with a migraine right after my seizure...... or riging in my ears or a consitant pounding in my head or thrubing in my eyes and my eyes hurt so bad I can not open then and it hurts my eyes to open them.

 

I have had Nuerologist tell me I am a lieing sack of crap and I need to see a psychologist.... Well I already see one of them because I have frontal lobe brain damage which I now have major depression and a organic mood disorder due to the frontal lobe brain damage which affects my behaiors personailty and emotions

 

However I am not faking this crap this is actually happen to me and that is what really annoys me with these doctors is that they just pawn it off on my mental condition because they cannot find a reason for it so because they cannot find a reason for it they blame it on my mental problems..... It drives me absolutly nuts.... So I get to live with this problem I get to live with what ever goes on with me and I get to go through life in hell just because these doctors do not want to try to keep searching for a reason?????

 

Why do we have doctors if they are not going to try to find a cure for what is going on for our medical problems????? That is my question......

 

 

I hope you found out what is wrong with you.....

 

 

Anna

Re: Is it possible to have seizures while remaining consciou

Submitted by franie on Sun, 2009-02-01 - 08:23

This is an old post and I hope someone out there still responds.  I too am having "spells".  But I become paralyzed for about 5 hours after the use of albuterol for which I need for asthma due an allergy to mold.  Not every time but enough I'm not allowed to use albuterol anymore.  Now I've had a catscan with contrast to check out my lungs and I became paralyzed from the contrast dye.

These "spells" last for about 5 hours... I can not hold my head up, move any of my limbs and sometimes my tongue is paralyzed too and sometimes it is just my jaw... the head is the only thing that isn't consistant.  I feel everything... those IV's hurt. 

I've been on deprakote, topamax and now lamictal.  Each drug causes me to become "stupid" where I have difficulty talking... making sense... like I've had a stroke.

The first few spells the hospital took great care of me... now I'm put in a room to wait out the paralysis... I've always had family with me except for the last time... it is very scary... I was afraid they were going to stick me into a closet somewhere when I had the reaction to the contrast dye... they just didn't get it that I couldn't move... they didn't support my neck and now I have neck pain... geeezzzzzzzzzz.

anyway... anyone have these symptoms??  It is either a seizure, complex migraine, and yes I've been told I'm psycho and doing it unconciously to myself.... but I've been to Hopkins and they did a muscle biopsy to check out mitochondrial disease and it showed nothing... I'm stuck in limbo... afraid of what next will cause the next "spell"... take care all who read this.... good luck... Franie

This is an old post and I hope someone out there still responds.  I too am having "spells".  But I become paralyzed for about 5 hours after the use of albuterol for which I need for asthma due an allergy to mold.  Not every time but enough I'm not allowed to use albuterol anymore.  Now I've had a catscan with contrast to check out my lungs and I became paralyzed from the contrast dye.

These "spells" last for about 5 hours... I can not hold my head up, move any of my limbs and sometimes my tongue is paralyzed too and sometimes it is just my jaw... the head is the only thing that isn't consistant.  I feel everything... those IV's hurt. 

I've been on deprakote, topamax and now lamictal.  Each drug causes me to become "stupid" where I have difficulty talking... making sense... like I've had a stroke.

The first few spells the hospital took great care of me... now I'm put in a room to wait out the paralysis... I've always had family with me except for the last time... it is very scary... I was afraid they were going to stick me into a closet somewhere when I had the reaction to the contrast dye... they just didn't get it that I couldn't move... they didn't support my neck and now I have neck pain... geeezzzzzzzzzz.

anyway... anyone have these symptoms??  It is either a seizure, complex migraine, and yes I've been told I'm psycho and doing it unconciously to myself.... but I've been to Hopkins and they did a muscle biopsy to check out mitochondrial disease and it showed nothing... I'm stuck in limbo... afraid of what next will cause the next "spell"... take care all who read this.... good luck... Franie

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