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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: Is it possible to have seizures while remaining conscious?

Submitted by Tacapollo on Fri, 2013-07-05 - 08:33

Thank you, Theresa!!!

I know this is an older post but I hope you still read it. Your question and many of the responses helped me so much. I had a stroke just over a year ago, and let this be a warning to EVERYONE, the commonly listed stroke symptoms do not apply to every situation. I was just sitting at my desk when suddenly my left arm became numb and tingly feeling, like it had "fallen asleep." In fact that's what I thought had happened. No big deal, right? I kept shaking it and moving it around but the feeling didn't go away. After several hours I finally went to the local hospital where they did tests and said I had a brain anuerysm! I was transported to another hospital (West Virginia University Hospital) where I was treated as much as they said they could and after a day or so of observation (I forget exactly how long they kept me) I was released.

Within the next few days I started having what I thought were spasms in my left arm, leg and stomach muscles (seizures always involved losing consciousness, right?) I returned to the local hospital where they gave me something and also dismissed it as what I described it as, muscle spasms, and sent me home after a few hours. Later that night I was awakened by MAJOR spasms in my entire body. I managed to wake up my partner before I loss consciousness and he called the ambulance. For a while I was told I had even stopped breathing. This time I was taken back to WVU (the local hospital's doctors don't seem to be very competant)  and diagnosed with a grand mal seizure (not muscle spasms.) This time I was put on Dilantin and Tegratol for it. I'm also on Lamictal.

My brain aneurysm had reduced greatly when they tested me last September but I'm still having seizures and they are adjusting my meds. The seizures used to come only about once a month and now they seem to be happening more frequently. Most seem to be stress induced even over the smallest things (by nature I tend to internalize everything.) Sometimes I get a "sense" (which I really can't describe) that something isn't right shortly before they happen, but no actual auras.

Now the thing that seems different from everyone else here is that mine only happen on the left side of my body. My aneurysm is on the right side of my brain if that has anything to do with it. If I'm standing up when they start it usually begins with a slight jerking in my left leg. Three times it has started like this in the shower. I sit down asap before it gets any further and, I admit it, I self-medicate with 200 mg Dilantin (I've told my Neurologist that I do it and he says it sure couldn't hurt. I'm afraid of how far it will go if I don't.) My left arm, leg and stomach muscles jerk and twitch pretty violently for up to 45 minutes. I'm completely conscious and able to speak (usually to reassure those around me that I'm alright, calm down, I'm not in any pain, although muscles in my left arm start to hurt after a while.) Sometimes I have trouble getting out words (I'll say, for example, twenty when I'm trying to say two and I just can't say the word I'm thinking.) I know if my head starts to jerk to the side I'm in trouble and that's when I try to get help. Luckily this has only happened several times. Toward the end of the seizure my leg stops jerking suddenly and I'm able to control it again and the arm is always last to stop. I'm always tired afterwards and my leg is weak and shakey when I walk.

Sometimes my seizures are just in my left arm. Sometimes I just have slight tremors in the arm and leg.

I've taken the stroke and seizures fairly calmly so far until yesterday I broke down and cried during the middle of one, wondering if this is what my life's going to be like. Just because someone else has had a bad day and jumps on me over something minor, is my body going to lose control like that? I rarely go out in public because crowds stress me (always have) and I don't want to have one in the middle of a store somewhere and have everyone around wondering what's wrong with me. Twice it has started in public and I've managed to get to the car before it went into a full seizure.

I was lucky with my stroke. It has only affected my arm along with some weakness in my leg but it's these seizures that seem to be the worst result. But your message and the responses has helped bring some relief. I'm not the only one out there who has similar problems. Neither are you.

Thank you, Theresa!!!

I know this is an older post but I hope you still read it. Your question and many of the responses helped me so much. I had a stroke just over a year ago, and let this be a warning to EVERYONE, the commonly listed stroke symptoms do not apply to every situation. I was just sitting at my desk when suddenly my left arm became numb and tingly feeling, like it had "fallen asleep." In fact that's what I thought had happened. No big deal, right? I kept shaking it and moving it around but the feeling didn't go away. After several hours I finally went to the local hospital where they did tests and said I had a brain anuerysm! I was transported to another hospital (West Virginia University Hospital) where I was treated as much as they said they could and after a day or so of observation (I forget exactly how long they kept me) I was released.

Within the next few days I started having what I thought were spasms in my left arm, leg and stomach muscles (seizures always involved losing consciousness, right?) I returned to the local hospital where they gave me something and also dismissed it as what I described it as, muscle spasms, and sent me home after a few hours. Later that night I was awakened by MAJOR spasms in my entire body. I managed to wake up my partner before I loss consciousness and he called the ambulance. For a while I was told I had even stopped breathing. This time I was taken back to WVU (the local hospital's doctors don't seem to be very competant)  and diagnosed with a grand mal seizure (not muscle spasms.) This time I was put on Dilantin and Tegratol for it. I'm also on Lamictal.

My brain aneurysm had reduced greatly when they tested me last September but I'm still having seizures and they are adjusting my meds. The seizures used to come only about once a month and now they seem to be happening more frequently. Most seem to be stress induced even over the smallest things (by nature I tend to internalize everything.) Sometimes I get a "sense" (which I really can't describe) that something isn't right shortly before they happen, but no actual auras.

Now the thing that seems different from everyone else here is that mine only happen on the left side of my body. My aneurysm is on the right side of my brain if that has anything to do with it. If I'm standing up when they start it usually begins with a slight jerking in my left leg. Three times it has started like this in the shower. I sit down asap before it gets any further and, I admit it, I self-medicate with 200 mg Dilantin (I've told my Neurologist that I do it and he says it sure couldn't hurt. I'm afraid of how far it will go if I don't.) My left arm, leg and stomach muscles jerk and twitch pretty violently for up to 45 minutes. I'm completely conscious and able to speak (usually to reassure those around me that I'm alright, calm down, I'm not in any pain, although muscles in my left arm start to hurt after a while.) Sometimes I have trouble getting out words (I'll say, for example, twenty when I'm trying to say two and I just can't say the word I'm thinking.) I know if my head starts to jerk to the side I'm in trouble and that's when I try to get help. Luckily this has only happened several times. Toward the end of the seizure my leg stops jerking suddenly and I'm able to control it again and the arm is always last to stop. I'm always tired afterwards and my leg is weak and shakey when I walk.

Sometimes my seizures are just in my left arm. Sometimes I just have slight tremors in the arm and leg.

I've taken the stroke and seizures fairly calmly so far until yesterday I broke down and cried during the middle of one, wondering if this is what my life's going to be like. Just because someone else has had a bad day and jumps on me over something minor, is my body going to lose control like that? I rarely go out in public because crowds stress me (always have) and I don't want to have one in the middle of a store somewhere and have everyone around wondering what's wrong with me. Twice it has started in public and I've managed to get to the car before it went into a full seizure.

I was lucky with my stroke. It has only affected my arm along with some weakness in my leg but it's these seizures that seem to be the worst result. But your message and the responses has helped bring some relief. I'm not the only one out there who has similar problems. Neither are you.

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

Submitted by katfaerie on Sat, 2013-07-06 - 09:16
Absolutely YES you can have seizures without losing consciousness, they are called simple partial seizures. I suffer from them monthly. Good luck getting the diagnosis and help that you need. I write a blog about living with epilepsy. I was diagnosed 16 years ago, so i've been dealing with it for a while. Good luck!! KT http://ktslagle.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/my-brain-is-a-bitch/

http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2014-04-17 - 01:16
http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/seizure-without-loss-of-consciousness Yes it possible and here might given you some more information. I hope by now that you are doing better and that the diagnosis process have given you some answers.

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