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 ahardway on Sun, 2009-01-11 - 16:05

Hi Kiss. I am sorry to hear about your "episodes." Like you I am new to epilepsy myself. I am 27 and had my first seizure right after I turned 24 in August 2005. I was working part time at my college snack bar when out of the blue I went into these extreemly violent convulsions. I have no idea what happened because I do not do drugs nor am I very into alchohol. After I had my first one I had an EEG done but nothing was found. After i had several The docs finally decided to put me on a VEEG to find out where my seizures were coming from. They put me in an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at my local hospital and stopped my meds as a way to induce a seizure. After being there for a few days I had a very small staring spell that occured in my Left Temporal Lobe. I continued tyo have seizures with no cause and each time i had one my meds were raised. I was put on Dilantin and Lamictal and the Lamictal stopped my Grand Mals (convulstions). My last one was November 2007, but This past year 2008 I started having the hormonal seizures right b4 I had my period about every other month. I was then put on Keppra. Like you I have no idea how mine started all of a sudden once i hit my mid-20s although i was told thatit could be a chance that I had problembs with my nerons all of my life but nothing happened until my brain reached its adult peak and strongest point. I am currently on 500mg Phenytoin, 500mg Lamictal, and 2000mg Keppra. This past November 4th I had surgery done to my Left Temproal Lobe to remove the neurons that are causing my seizures. It is January now, and so far i am doing good. My last spell was in September 2008 which was just one of my small twiching and staring spells where i become out of it for a couple of minutes. Like you it was strange that tings like this would happen once you hit your 20s I hope things will be good for you and you have good luck fining a cure for you. So far my surgery has done me well.

Take care

Anna

Hi Kiss. I am sorry to hear about your "episodes." Like you I am new to epilepsy myself.  I am 27 and had my first seizure right after I turned 24 in August 2005.  I was working part time at my college snack bar when out of the blue I went into these extreemly violent convulsions. I have no idea what happened because I do not do drugs nor am I very into alchohol.  After I had my first one I had an EEG done but nothing was found. After i had several The docs finally decided to put me on a VEEG to find out where my seizures were coming from. They put me in an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at my local hospital and stopped my meds as a way to induce a seizure. After being there for a few days I had a very small staring spell that occured in my Left Temporal Lobe.  I continued tyo have seizures with no cause  and each time i had one my meds were raised. I was put on Dilantin and Lamictal and the Lamictal stopped my Grand Mals (convulstions). My last one was November 2007, but This past year 2008 I started having the hormonal seizures right b4 I had my period about every other month. I was then put on Keppra. Like you I have no idea how mine started  all of a sudden  once i hit my mid-20s although i was told thatit could be a chance that I had problembs with my nerons all of my life but nothing happened until my brain reached its adult peak and strongest point. I am currently on 500mg Phenytoin, 500mg Lamictal, and 2000mg Keppra. This past November 4th I had surgery done to my Left Temproal Lobe to remove the neurons that are causing my seizures. It is January now, and so far i am doing good. My last spell was in September 2008 which was just one of my small twiching and staring spells where i become out of it for a couple of minutes. Like you it was strange that tings like this would happen once you hit your 20s I hope things will be good for you and you have good luck fining a cure for you. So far my surgery has done me well. Take care Anna  

Hi Kiss. I am sorry to hear about your "episodes." Like you I am new to epilepsy myself. I am 27 and had my first seizure right after I turned 24 in August 2005. I was working part time at my college snack bar when out of the blue I went into these extreemly violent convulsions. I have no idea what happened because I do not do drugs nor am I very into alchohol. After I had my first one I had an EEG done but nothing was found. After i had several The docs finally decided to put me on a VEEG to find out where my seizures were coming from. They put me in an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at my local hospital and stopped my meds as a way to induce a seizure. After being there for a few days I had a very small staring spell that occured in my Left Temporal Lobe. I continued tyo have seizures with no cause and each time i had one my meds were raised. I was put on Dilantin and Lamictal and the Lamictal stopped my Grand Mals (convulstions). My last one was November 2007, but This past year 2008 I started having the hormonal seizures right b4 I had my period about every other month. I was then put on Keppra. Like you I have no idea how mine started all of a sudden once i hit my mid-20s although i was told thatit could be a chance that I had problembs with my nerons all of my life but nothing happened until my brain reached its adult peak and strongest point. I am currently on 500mg Phenytoin, 500mg Lamictal, and 2000mg Keppra. This past November 4th I had surgery done to my Left Temproal Lobe to remove the neurons that are causing my seizures. It is January now, and so far i am doing good. My last spell was in September 2008 which was just one of my small twiching and staring spells where i become out of it for a couple of minutes. Like you it was strange that tings like this would happen once you hit your 20s I hope things will be good for you and you have good luck fining a cure for you. So far my surgery has done me well.