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Simple Partial Seizures and EEG/EKG
Sun, 01/09/2005 - 16:08I have not been diagnosed, but I am beginning to supiscion that I have been having Simple Partial Seizures. Please bear with me, it might take a little while to describe my experiences and my questions....
Every so often (perhaps once every 2 months and more frequently at times) I have been experiencing what I have seen other people on this site describe as strong, scary deja vu feelings. It feels like deja vu, but much stronger. It feels like I know what is going to happen next or I have dreamed that moment in time before. Sometimes this feeling is so strong that I almost wonder if I am losing my mind - or if I'm just now seeing the world with a rare moment of clarity. It is like I am seeing the world with new eyes for just a few seconds. This is accompanied by what feels like a frightening adrenaline rush. I'm not sure if this rush is a response to the deja vu/psychic feeling frightening me or if it just part of the experience itself.
A few months ago I was sitting on the floor in a very emotional state and I had one of these "episodes". (I wish I had a name for them!) But this time, the next thing I knew it was about 15 minutes later and I had no recollection of what had happened since the episode. I felt a bit nauseus with a headache and my tongue was bitten and quite swollen. This has never happened before.
I went to the doctor and I had an EEG and EKG/ECG taken. It while I was waiting in the neurologist office that I saw for the first time a poster describing a "psychc simple partial seizure". This was the first time that I had ever heard of something that may have explained the "episodes" I have.
My physician called me after breifly reviewing the EEG results and said, "It looks like you didn't have a seizure in the EEG, so you must have just stood up too fast and passed out."
I think that perhaps when I lost conciousness I may have experienced a Psychic Simple Partial Seizure (one of those "episodes") that lead to a Complex Partial Seizure (the part I don't remember) which was triggered because I was in such an emotional state. Is it possible that these deja vu "episodes" are Simple Partial Seizures that would not have been detectable by an EEG? Is it possible that if I did have a Complex Partial Seizure that didn't show up on an EEG? I don't understand what exactly an EEG can determine.
~Erica
Age 24
Comments
RE: Simple Partial Seizures and EEG/EKG
Submitted by batman on Sun, 2005-01-09 - 12:44
Erica,
With what you said discribing your experiences sound like what is called, "simple partial secondarily generalized seizures". Easier way to understand what this basically is, is where you start having what's called an "Aura" [simple partial seizure] that will advance into the general type of seizures where the "Tonic Clonic Seizures" [nicknamed Grand Mal] takes place, becoming unconcious and bitting you tongue. For more detailed information on this go back to this website home page www.epilepsy.com, then in the menu on the leftside of the page point and click one titled "ALL ABOUT EPILEPSY & SEIZURES". then when the additional listings come up point and click on the one titled "Types of Seizures". After you come to the next page and along the same leftside menu area there will be list of multiple types of seizures. Point and click on the one named "Secondarily Generalized Seizures", then you can see the details describing it, along with other types you might need to glance over.
EEG result reading are one of the specific types of tests used to help determine whether or not a patient has seizures/epilepsy, but they are not always acurate. With where the wires and electrodes are placed on your head tries to find what part of the brain the seizures originate. Kind of like trying to locate where an earthquake took place. Was in Florida, Texas, California, Canada, etc. I've gone through several basic EEGs and 2 separate 24hour video monitoring EEGs, helping to determine my szs taking place in my left temporal lobe, which is located above my left ear. Pretty much the only way a EEG will pick up abnormal results is when the patient really does have a seizure, any of the szs, during the time of when the EEG testing is being done.
As for the doctor search. I agree with what other people's replies on here, but you may want to locate one, if there's one within where you're located, who deals more indepth on epilepsy. A seizure/epilepsy specalist called an "Epileptologist", easily located in Comprehensive Epilepsy Centers.
Have any more questions let us know. Hope this will help.
Bruce J
Erica,
With what you said discribing your experiences sound like what is called, "simple partial secondarily generalized seizures". Easier way to understand what this basically is, is where you start having what's called an "Aura" [simple partial seizure] that will advance into the general type of seizures where the "Tonic Clonic Seizures" [nicknamed Grand Mal] takes place, becoming unconcious and bitting you tongue. For more detailed information on this go back to this website home page www.epilepsy.com, then in the menu on the leftside of the page point and click one titled "ALL ABOUT EPILEPSY & SEIZURES". then when the additional listings come up point and click on the one titled "Types of Seizures". After you come to the next page and along the same leftside menu area there will be list of multiple types of seizures. Point and click on the one named "Secondarily Generalized Seizures", then you can see the details describing it, along with other types you might need to glance over.
EEG result reading are one of the specific types of tests used to help determine whether or not a patient has seizures/epilepsy, but they are not always acurate. With where the wires and electrodes are placed on your head tries to find what part of the brain the seizures originate. Kind of like trying to locate where an earthquake took place. Was in Florida, Texas, California, Canada, etc. I've gone through several basic EEGs and 2 separate 24hour video monitoring EEGs, helping to determine my szs taking place in my left temporal lobe, which is located above my left ear. Pretty much the only way a EEG will pick up abnormal results is when the patient really does have a seizure, any of the szs, during the time of when the EEG testing is being done.
As for the doctor search. I agree with what other people's replies on here, but you may want to locate one, if there's one within where you're located, who deals more indepth on epilepsy. A seizure/epilepsy specalist called an "Epileptologist", easily located in Comprehensive Epilepsy Centers.
Have any more questions let us know. Hope this will help.
Bruce J
RE: Simple Partial Seizures and EEG/EKG
Submitted by music on Sun, 2005-01-09 - 16:08
I too can understand your concerns, I only had one impression of siezures in my mind and it was one of my siblings, shes had Epilepsy since 12, shes now 47, she had what I later learned Grand Mal, she would just go flying , once right into the Bathtub, I acutally remember hearing her fell into it late into the night when I thought she was using potty, I was only 9 then, I come to find out in my 40s that she was born with Brain damage they saw on her scan (would have been CT back then) I suppose (60s), well after having my 4th Brain surgery for Brain Anyerusm, 3 motnhs later I had a small stroke, but they also saw something not much on EEG there, th nuero came in she looks at me (like an arrogant turd) and says" well this explains it then she left, I was so out of it I never followed up.................
here I am a year since being put back into hopistal for those y6 days, 4 brain surgeries later and suffering so badly the last year having what I called "Spells", I didnt tell anyone, finally my spouse made me call my doctor, they put me in for 24 hrEEG, I thought it would show nothing, what it did show was Abnormal EEG now covierng ENTIRE region of Right Temporal Lobe, I stil havent seen anyone, I still dont even know the Nuerologist thats going to see me, Im left in limbo. Funny thing is they also saw spikes in Vertex that they coudlnt explain they thought maybe meds (it said I was on Detrol for Bladder, Im NOT!!!! nor have been, this cracked me up really. But they did say the right side was very abnormal. I know I have Brain damage was alrady told that way before second EEG, and have lost memory from Anyeyrusm, but we also know Im having either continual TIAs (ishemic attacks ) or Siezures.
DONT stop until you find someone to help you, its NOT normal to feel these things, I know this for a fact that our bodies tell us when things are not right, I have suffered because I was born with irregular Brain (rare Brain disease) and Progressive spinalcord Disease, then anyerusms (2), I had odd things all my life but no one bothered to look and because I lived in a time where they didnt have access where we lived to things (medical) no one knew , now we DO have access and you need to find the cause of this so you dont suffer your life later as I ahve. Im tough and I insist when I get to the point somthing is interfering with my daily life, unfortinatly its too late for me the dmage is done, but for you its Not so GO GET EM!./
Will keep you in my payres.
Music
I too can understand your concerns, I only had one impression of siezures in my mind and it was one of my siblings, shes had Epilepsy since 12, shes now 47, she had what I later learned Grand Mal, she would just go flying , once right into the Bathtub, I acutally remember hearing her fell into it late into the night when I thought she was using potty, I was only 9 then, I come to find out in my 40s that she was born with Brain damage they saw on her scan (would have been CT back then) I suppose (60s), well after having my 4th Brain surgery for Brain Anyerusm, 3 motnhs later I had a small stroke, but they also saw something not much on EEG there, th nuero came in she looks at me (like an arrogant turd) and says" well this explains it then she left, I was so out of it I never followed up.................
here I am a year since being put back into hopistal for those y6 days, 4 brain surgeries later and suffering so badly the last year having what I called "Spells", I didnt tell anyone, finally my spouse made me call my doctor, they put me in for 24 hrEEG, I thought it would show nothing, what it did show was Abnormal EEG now covierng ENTIRE region of Right Temporal Lobe, I stil havent seen anyone, I still dont even know the Nuerologist thats going to see me, Im left in limbo. Funny thing is they also saw spikes in Vertex that they coudlnt explain they thought maybe meds (it said I was on Detrol for Bladder, Im NOT!!!! nor have been, this cracked me up really. But they did say the right side was very abnormal. I know I have Brain damage was alrady told that way before second EEG, and have lost memory from Anyeyrusm, but we also know Im having either continual TIAs (ishemic attacks ) or Siezures.
DONT stop until you find someone to help you, its NOT normal to feel these things, I know this for a fact that our bodies tell us when things are not right, I have suffered because I was born with irregular Brain (rare Brain disease) and Progressive spinalcord Disease, then anyerusms (2), I had odd things all my life but no one bothered to look and because I lived in a time where they didnt have access where we lived to things (medical) no one knew , now we DO have access and you need to find the cause of this so you dont suffer your life later as I ahve. Im tough and I insist when I get to the point somthing is interfering with my daily life, unfortinatly its too late for me the dmage is done, but for you its Not so GO GET EM!./
Will keep you in my payres.
Music
RE: RE: RE: Simple Partial Seizures and EEG/EKG
Submitted by ErkaDrka on Sun, 2005-01-09 - 10:59
~Erica
Thanks for the thoughts and encouragement, Lee! I'm sure you understand how reassuring it is for me when someone is able to relate to what I'm experiencing. I'll be finding a new doctor soon....
~Erica