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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

seizures while remaining conscious - Absolutely!

Submitted by deirdre2 on Thu, 2009-04-16 - 22:41
I just recently had a tonic/clonic while conscious.  I felt it building up, felt my foot start to jiggle and twitch and then BAM, felt a jolt of elecricity from my hip down my leg and then it was off to the races, stiffening, jerking and all.  I very coherently and loudly hollered, "Make it stop, make it stop!" My husband verified this all later, so no, I didn't imagine it.  I became unconscious shortly thereafter, with from the seizure or medication.  You can be 100 percent conscious during a full-blown seizure.

Re: seizures while remaining conscious - Absolutely!

Submitted by glorid on Sat, 2012-04-14 - 18:31

I liked the way you described it! It made me smile to remember once when I was literally at the races and had a seizure! I was with a date and my family (Thank God my family was there because that was my last date with him! I had already told him that I'm prone to seizures but I guess knowing it and seeing it is a different story.)

My diagnosis is SLE (Sustemic Lupus) which took about 20 years to finally confirm. I actually didn't start having seizures until I was in my 30s. It started as migraines when I was younger, and as the nerves degenerated the symptoms progressed. At this point I've had quite a few different types of seizures which honestly are the least of my concerns, not to belittle anyone's health issues but because I've had other things that were more urgent related to SLE, such as kidney failure etc.

My seizures have ranged from mild episodes of confusion to suddenly becoming aware and not knowing where I was to the repetitive tasks (Such as looking for something in my purse so long that I 'some to' with people freaking out around me... I am usually unaware, except for the obvious effects (like slowly coming to on the floor for no apparent reason), although at least once I literally watched myself thrashing on the tile floor and heard the crunches as I broke both bones in my arm.

At this point I've been living alone for a while, and it never occurred to me until I mentioned it to my sister "I haven't had a seizure in 3 years!" I was so proud until she said "How do you know? You live alone and you've mentioned sore muscles etc."

I liked the way you described it! It made me smile to remember once when I was literally at the races and had a seizure! I was with a date and my family (Thank God my family was there because that was my last date with him! I had already told him that I'm prone to seizures but I guess knowing it and seeing it is a different story.)

My diagnosis is SLE (Sustemic Lupus) which took about 20 years to finally confirm. I actually didn't start having seizures until I was in my 30s. It started as migraines when I was younger, and as the nerves degenerated the symptoms progressed. At this point I've had quite a few different types of seizures which honestly are the least of my concerns, not to belittle anyone's health issues but because I've had other things that were more urgent related to SLE, such as kidney failure etc.

My seizures have ranged from mild episodes of confusion to suddenly becoming aware and not knowing where I was to the repetitive tasks (Such as looking for something in my purse so long that I 'some to' with people freaking out around me... I am usually unaware, except for the obvious effects (like slowly coming to on the floor for no apparent reason), although at least once I literally watched myself thrashing on the tile floor and heard the crunches as I broke both bones in my arm.

At this point I've been living alone for a while, and it never occurred to me until I mentioned it to my sister "I haven't had a seizure in 3 years!" I was so proud until she said "How do you know? You live alone and you've mentioned sore muscles etc."

Re: Is it possible to have seizures while remaining conscious? P

Submitted by jamie crowell on Fri, 2009-04-17 - 17:23
I have all of my seizures when i am conscious. They are very short only 1-3 seconds long.My muscles in my face tighten up and sometimes my chin would sort of drop down but worst of all i sometimes become incontinent. I have had epilepsy my whole life and am 46 years old now. I used to have just tonic-clonic seizures. These short seizures started when i was about 17 years old.I have not had a tonic-clonic seizure for 2 years. Now.I have these short seizures about 6-7 a week. I usually have more when it is the week of a full moon. I know that may sound strange and some doctors disagree that the moon can effect us but from a lifetime of experiencing this i have to believe that it is possible. I would lose consciousness when ever i had tonic-clonic seizures which i only about 3-4 a year. I wish i was able to control these small seizures.I am taking 3 kinds of medicine for a total of 24 pills a day and i also have the vagal nerve stimulant implant. The implant helps a little because it is constantly running.It is good to have if you have an aura before the seizure because you can swipe the magnet and stop the seizure. i have never had an aura before any seizure so i swipe the magnet afterwards to prevent it from getting bigger. My doctor says that these small seizures start the same way larger ones do but are not strong enough to turn into a tonic-clonic seizure.So the answer to your question is yes it is possible.

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