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Is it possible to have seizures while remaining conscious? PLS HELP!!!
Sun, 11/21/2004 - 19:19I'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
Re: Is it possible to have seizures while remaining conscious?
Submitted by NHcoyote on Fri, 2011-01-14 - 22:39
Nat,
Have you ever been tested for Lyme Disease? If you've ever spent any time outdoors, hiking, camping, barbecuing in the back yard, doing yard work or have a pet that goes outdoors and lives in the house with you, perhaps you were bitten by a Lyme infected tick. (Borrelia burgdorferi is the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, but ticks can also carry other co-infections like Babesia, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, Anaplasma, Tularemia...etc.) which when a tick bites you can be passed on to you.
I was finally diagnosed with Lyme after 20 years of symptoms that no one could figure out. Some of these symptoms are migrating joint pain, extreme fatigue, sensitivity to bright light, sensitivity to loud noises/music, cold night sweats, plummeting body temperatures, nausea/vomitting, racing heart beats where it felt as though I couldn't catch my breath, and what I call "conscious seizures", where if I'm standing, I usually end up on the ground with my arms and legs moving or thrashing uncontrollably. Sometimes I can speak through these episodes, and sometimes it is difficult to speak, but I am aware of what's going on.
The reason I'm sharing this is that many people who actually have Lyme disease are being misdiagnosed or NOT diagnosed. Because I've gone undiagnosed for so long, it's felt that I now have neuroborreliosis, in addition to co-infections, Babesia and Ehrlichia.
IGeneX Labs out of California probably has one of the more reliable Western Blot Lyme and Co-infections Tests available. Another Lab, NeuroScience, in conjunction with Pharmasan Labs has come out with a new Lyme test called My Lyme ID or Lyme Immune Tolerance Test which measures cytokines our body produces in response to Borrelia specific antigens.
The IGeneX website: http://igenex.com/Website/
The Lyme ID website: https://www.neurorelief.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=604
I wish you the best of luck with your search for answers. NHcoyote
Nat,
Have you ever been tested for Lyme Disease? If you've ever spent any time outdoors, hiking, camping, barbecuing in the back yard, doing yard work or have a pet that goes outdoors and lives in the house with you, perhaps you were bitten by a Lyme infected tick. (Borrelia burgdorferi is the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, but ticks can also carry other co-infections like Babesia, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, Anaplasma, Tularemia...etc.) which when a tick bites you can be passed on to you.
I was finally diagnosed with Lyme after 20 years of symptoms that no one could figure out. Some of these symptoms are migrating joint pain, extreme fatigue, sensitivity to bright light, sensitivity to loud noises/music, cold night sweats, plummeting body temperatures, nausea/vomitting, racing heart beats where it felt as though I couldn't catch my breath, and what I call "conscious seizures", where if I'm standing, I usually end up on the ground with my arms and legs moving or thrashing uncontrollably. Sometimes I can speak through these episodes, and sometimes it is difficult to speak, but I am aware of what's going on.
The reason I'm sharing this is that many people who actually have Lyme disease are being misdiagnosed or NOT diagnosed. Because I've gone undiagnosed for so long, it's felt that I now have neuroborreliosis, in addition to co-infections, Babesia and Ehrlichia.
IGeneX Labs out of California probably has one of the more reliable Western Blot Lyme and Co-infections Tests available. Another Lab, NeuroScience, in conjunction with Pharmasan Labs has come out with a new Lyme test called My Lyme ID or Lyme Immune Tolerance Test which measures cytokines our body produces in response to Borrelia specific antigens.
The IGeneX website: http://igenex.com/Website/
The Lyme ID website: https://www.neurorelief.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=604
I wish you the best of luck with your search for answers. NHcoyote