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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: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Is it possible te re

Submitted by connersmommy on Thu, 2011-01-20 - 16:11
I know this post is old....did you ever find out what was wrong with you

Re: Is it possible te re

Submitted by epilady on Sun, 2011-01-23 - 07:21

until recently i've always had nothing but grand mal seizures .. for the past month or so i've been experiencing simple partial seizure, i'm awake and aware .. and a little spooked too

here's how my last one progressed ...

1.) aura and nausea

2.) blurred vision

3.) a pit in my stomach

4.) my legs felt like spaghetti, then fell out from underneath me and i fell to the floor

other then my legs falling out from underneath me, these are some typical onset symptoms for a grand mal, i had no idea what  i was in for

here are ( some of ) the meds i've tried ..

including but not limited to :

* tegretol

* depakote

* dilantin

* phenobarbital

* felbatol

* keppra

* topamax

* lyrica

and i'm currently on lamictal .. i like the lamictal best, it has lesser side effects then the rest

i'm not sure what brought these seizures on, they're " new " to me .. what i DO know is, i have an inner ear infection ( not middle, inner ) for over a month and i have yet to find a doc who believes that's the problem ..  it's triggering my seizures, any stress on the body triggers them .. but why the simple partials and not grand mal ? i wish i knew 

 

until recently i've always had nothing but grand mal seizures .. for the past month or so i've been experiencing simple partial seizure, i'm awake and aware .. and a little spooked too

here's how my last one progressed ...

1.) aura and nausea

2.) blurred vision

3.) a pit in my stomach

4.) my legs felt like spaghetti, then fell out from underneath me and i fell to the floor

other then my legs falling out from underneath me, these are some typical onset symptoms for a grand mal, i had no idea what  i was in for

here are ( some of ) the meds i've tried ..

including but not limited to :

* tegretol

* depakote

* dilantin

* phenobarbital

* felbatol

* keppra

* topamax

* lyrica

and i'm currently on lamictal .. i like the lamictal best, it has lesser side effects then the rest

i'm not sure what brought these seizures on, they're " new " to me .. what i DO know is, i have an inner ear infection ( not middle, inner ) for over a month and i have yet to find a doc who believes that's the problem ..  it's triggering my seizures, any stress on the body triggers them .. but why the simple partials and not grand mal ? i wish i knew 

 

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

Submitted by spiritling on Fri, 2007-08-24 - 09:15
At the beginning of my epilepsy history, doctor just diagnosed the seizures encountered by me as "psychology problem", i am over pressured in my study. Because of doubt of that diagnosed, i went for EEG in a specialist hospital. yap, no seizure activity show up in my EEG test even though doc triggered my seizures attack by force using "special lightning".i was subscribed with psychotic medicines because they believed that i am not one of those epileptic victims. Sure, my seizure was not under control by taken those "crazy medicine" instead worsen my condition. Abnormal brain wave was found in my second time EEG test after few years. Then i only started taken my epileptic medicine under supervision of doctor about 3 years ago. Recently i learned about got 20% probability epilepsy victims got seizure attacks with normal brain wave activity in EEG test. Some of them no seizure attacks with abnormal brain wave detected in EEG.

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