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Deja vu/panic attacks - Very tired of being undiagnosed

Thu, 11/01/2012 - 18:14
Hi all, I'm very new to thinking that I possibly have simple partial seizures, however after looking through many posts here, it could possibly explain my symptoms. Over the last few months I have started having these very brief episodes of intense deja vu/flashbacks, and have realised that they mostly revolve around dreams I've had. I usually have the worst ones in the morning, and lead to what I thought was a panic attack. Then, through the rest of the day, I have extremely brief (less than half a second) deja vu flashes, that actually feel like my brain jolts somehow. I initially thought there was something wrong with my heart (as the panic attacks initially started with severe heart palpitations), however these have stopped, and after doing an ECG, EEG, and a holter test, nothing wrong at all. I'm getting to the point where I am so over the whole thing and starting to think that I'm losing my mind, and also that this will never stop. Does anyone have a similar thing happening, particularly with the brain 'jolts'? Any help would be really appreciated, I don't know how much longer I can keep feeling like I'm losing the plot! Thanks in advance, Gemma

Comments

Re: Deja vu/panic attacks - Very tired of being undiagnosed

Submitted by gemleigh on Mon, 2012-11-05 - 19:47
Hi Howard, Thank you so much for your response. I'm on nothing more than contraception meds at the moment, although have in the past been on anti-depressants. I went and saw the Dr yesterday and he is going down two routes until we get a firm answer on either. One is the neurologist (however being in New Zealand, if you don't have health insurance, it's still free, it just takes a little longer, so I may be waiting around a month to have response from them), as well as the anxiety route. I am definitely going to look at cognitive thought exercises as either way, it's not going to hurt me to have good techniques like that! My husband is very supportive, but it is difficult for him to understand exactly what's going on, particularly without a diagnosis. Thank you so much again, this small thread has made me feel like there are others out there going through similar things and that I don't have to feel so isolated and alone. Thanks, Gemma

Re: Deja vu/panic attacks - Very tired of being undiagnosed

Submitted by tcameron on Sun, 2012-11-04 - 20:35

Deja vu is often called auras or simple partial seizures. I've experienced panic attacks, sometimes after a seizure, others without.  Some medications for panic attacks are also AEDs.  As far as the 'panic attacks', that can be caused by seizures.  If you haven't had a diagnosis from your neurologist, see an epileptologist. (neurologist that specializes in epilepsy.)  There is a possiblity that these are nonepileptic attacks.  The only way to know for sure is by EEG.  If it isn't seen in a regular sleep deprived EEG, you might need a VEEG (video eeg). 

Deja vu is often called auras or simple partial seizures. I've experienced panic attacks, sometimes after a seizure, others without.  Some medications for panic attacks are also AEDs.  As far as the 'panic attacks', that can be caused by seizures.  If you haven't had a diagnosis from your neurologist, see an epileptologist. (neurologist that specializes in epilepsy.)  There is a possiblity that these are nonepileptic attacks.  The only way to know for sure is by EEG.  If it isn't seen in a regular sleep deprived EEG, you might need a VEEG (video eeg). 

Re: Deja vu/panic attacks - Very tired of being undiagnosed

Submitted by JenniferWagner02 on Thu, 2013-08-15 - 17:54

Hello,

I am curious if you ever received a diagnosis.  I have the exact same symptoms, and it is affecting my life greatly.  I am 20 years old and about to leave for Basic Training, and I would like to have an idea of what this is.  From the internet, I have gathered that these are temporal lobe seizures.  I cannot afford to go to the doctor any more for this and would like to find ways to deal with these overpowering deja vu symptoms. I have had many tests done, and the doctors cannot find anything wrong.  I read on the internet, that the only way they can find out what it is, is to have an episode during a CT scan.  Obviously, that is hard to accomplish because these episodes happen at random.

Thank you,

-Jennifer

Hello,

I am curious if you ever received a diagnosis.  I have the exact same symptoms, and it is affecting my life greatly.  I am 20 years old and about to leave for Basic Training, and I would like to have an idea of what this is.  From the internet, I have gathered that these are temporal lobe seizures.  I cannot afford to go to the doctor any more for this and would like to find ways to deal with these overpowering deja vu symptoms. I have had many tests done, and the doctors cannot find anything wrong.  I read on the internet, that the only way they can find out what it is, is to have an episode during a CT scan.  Obviously, that is hard to accomplish because these episodes happen at random.

Thank you,

-Jennifer

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