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Scared, Confused, Please Help Me :(

Mon, 02/07/2005 - 12:01

The first time I ever "passed out", was when I was 17 yrs old.  It was actually in the shower and a very scary experience.  I still remember the absolute fear of waking up from my first episode not knowing where I was and what was happening.  I am currently 24 years old and have been having spells were I "pass out" for going on 7 years now.  I was in college at this time with no healthy insurance, so I visited the university center to see a Dr.  I discussed my situation with him (maybe didn't give the WHOLE truth because of embarrassment) but did tell him about my situation and how I was passing out.  He decided that I was hypoglycemic and was reacting to a drop in my blood sugar.  For 7 years now, I have truly believe I was hypoglycemic.  However, now I am beginning to question it.  Let me describe what happens to me and please tell me what you think.  I am just so scared and confused lately.

My spells have no consistency.  They don't happen 2 times a week, 1 time a month, etc.  Sometimes I can go a few months without a spell, sometimes I can have a couple days where I have one spell a day.  Lately, I have been having about one spell every couple months.  The past two weeks, I have "passed out" twice.  Before I pass out (this may sound odd), I always have this overwhelming feeling of deja vu.  Whatever I am doing, I feel like I have done before and I feel like I know what is going to happen next.  It is so scary.  I never told anyone but my husband because I thought that I was crazy.  I usually have a warning time before I pass out.  I can feel this sensation of deja vu coming on and I try to fight it.  I use to be able to fight it and stop myself from "passing out" sometimes.  My spells lately come on a little faster.  I have deja vu, try to get to an area away from others, and then black out.  I wake up on the ground, usually with bumps and bruises.  I look around wondering where I am and feeling like I am just waking up in bed.  I quickly realize I just "passed out" again and am definitely am not in bed.  The past two times I had these spells, I did it on concrete.  :(  My body has been taking quit a little pounding lately.  After I "wake up", I am confused and stunned.  It takes me awhile to figure out where I am, what happened, what hurts, and reorganize my thoughts.  I don't get as scared as I use to - as I am a little more use to it now and can compose myself.  People who have witnessed me pass out say that I do twitch a little (mostly my head) and my eyes remain open in a lost gaze - I don't convulse or anything. 

I am a new mother who is breastfeeding and has low blood sugar, so I cropped it up to not eating right.  I have always been told I was hypoglcemic.  However, today I felt like I ate a lot of protein.  I just don't understand why my blood sugar would be low enough to cause me to pass out today?  So I got on the Internet and put "deja vu passing out" in the Yahoo search engine.  Up popped pages with information on epilepsy.  EPILEPSY!  I have never even heard that word said to me!  Right now I am only working part-time and have no healthy insurance.  I gave up a full-time job and insurance to be a part time stay at home mom with my baby.  I may be able to qualify for some assitance but I am unsure.

I guess my questions are -

What is going on with me?  Does this sound like I could have epilepsy and not hypoglcemia at all!?

I read some about Temperal Lobe Epilepsy?  What they described sounds exactly like what I am experiencing.  Do you think that is the "type" I could have?

Could low blood sugar bring on my "seizure"?

My spells seem to happen during high periods of stress - could this be causing my episodes?

How do I know if I have epilepsy?  What test need to be done?

Do I NEED to go to a Dr. right now?  Why?  Meaning if I don't, could it get worse - what could happen?  I have lived this way for 7 years now.  However, I am tired of my head hurting (usually from the impact with the floor) :(

Would I need meds?  Even though my spells are irregular?  Or is there a way for me to learn to controls these episodes with medication?

PLEASE HELP ME! :(  I am seriously in tears over this.  I don't know what to do - what to think.  I just had a baby and she is the joy of my life.  I can't imagine not seeing her grow.  Luckily, I always have a deja vu experience before I pass out - so I know to set her down if have her in my arms.  However, both times this has happened so far she has not been with me.  Thanks goodness.  I am just such a mess and need some guidance/information/support - I feel like I am lost. 

What is going on with me????

Thank You,

Rachel :(

 

Comments

RE: RE: Scared, Confused, Please Help Me :(

Submitted by RaeRae80 on Sat, 2005-02-05 - 13:14

Molly,

Thank you so much for your response...

On top of everything else I ended up getting sick Friday night :(  Because we are so busy and overwhelmed right now we went out for fast food (Wendy's).  I ended up with food poisoning - the most severe I have ever had.  I was sick from 3:00 am in the morning unti late last night.  Now it is Saturday afternoon and the naseau is subsiding.  I have NEVER been so sick in my life.  I would had went through labor and delivery again in a heartbeat (no exageration!).  Then again my labor was only 2 hrs :)  I have never been so sick!  I am trying to keep saltines and water down.  Gosh, I tell ya, when it rains it pours!  I am thinking about quitting my job and going down to see if I would qualify for some type of medical assitance.  I said I never would...I said I would always leave it for the people who truly needed it.  But my daughter needs me - so I am thinking I should just get rid of the pride and march down to see if I qualify.  I hope I can begin testing soon.  Do you know what I should expect?  How long will it take?  Nothing painful right? 

Thanks Again,

Rachel

Molly,

Thank you so much for your response...

On top of everything else I ended up getting sick Friday night :(  Because we are so busy and overwhelmed right now we went out for fast food (Wendy's).  I ended up with food poisoning - the most severe I have ever had.  I was sick from 3:00 am in the morning unti late last night.  Now it is Saturday afternoon and the naseau is subsiding.  I have NEVER been so sick in my life.  I would had went through labor and delivery again in a heartbeat (no exageration!).  Then again my labor was only 2 hrs :)  I have never been so sick!  I am trying to keep saltines and water down.  Gosh, I tell ya, when it rains it pours!  I am thinking about quitting my job and going down to see if I would qualify for some type of medical assitance.  I said I never would...I said I would always leave it for the people who truly needed it.  But my daughter needs me - so I am thinking I should just get rid of the pride and march down to see if I qualify.  I hope I can begin testing soon.  Do you know what I should expect?  How long will it take?  Nothing painful right? 

Thanks Again,

Rachel

RE: Scared, Confused, Please Help Me :(

Submitted by Karen on Mon, 2005-02-07 - 12:01
Hello, Rachel.I'm just going to confirm a lot of what has already been written. We have a few parallels here. My first seizure was also in the shower. (I never thought I would ever say to someone "Been there done that) Everyone thought I slipped on the soap. Woke up flat on my back in the tub with 5 strange men in the bathroom with me. Tremendously embarrassing, but I lived through it.I, too, was in college at the time. It really wasn't, and never will be, convenient! But that was over 25 years ago and my life has been good. A few suggestions: 1. GET MEDICAL INSURANCE AT WHATEVER COST. Lady, you don't know what stress is until you have 13 different medical offices contacting you for payment and threatening you with going to court. If you can start working full time, it is likely that the "open enrollment" for new employees will make it possible for you to tap into the coverage right away. If not, and you have a waiting period, then get that started. Medicine is a business and if you can't pay, you are in trouble. If you have a church community, perhaps you could ask them to pay your insurance premiums for a year so you can get diagnoses and on a good treatment plan. If you need to get public assistance, GO GET IT. I have paid into the system for that 25+ years and by the grace of God have not needed to request the assistance. So, FEEL FREE TO APPLY - you can use my contributions! 2. For me, STRESS has always been the trigger - extreme stress, that is. Look at what is causing stress in your life, and identify those things that you can change, get rid of, or delegate. 3. Low blood sugar can bring about seizures. Been there .... 4. Set up/work out a healthy life style for yourself. Get adequate sleep, eat absolutely healthy foods, and reduce stress. None of these will be easy for you as a new mother. They were challenging to me and I had no children. I believe them to be critical nonetheless.I believe you are in a doable/workable situation, but "work" is the key. It won't be easy. I will keep you in my prayers.Karen

RE: Scared, Confused, Please Help Me :(

Submitted by jennamay on Fri, 2005-02-04 - 15:03

Hi Rachel,

It sounds like you have a lot of different concerns so I'll try to address as many of them as I can through the links I'm listing below:

http://www.epilepsy.com/101/ep101_epilepsy.html

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/auras.html

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/provoke_nutrition.html

http://www.epilepsy.com/stories/ps_1094853390.html

 

I hope these links are helpful.

 

Best Wishes,

Epilepsy.com Editor

 

 

Hi Rachel,

It sounds like you have a lot of different concerns so I'll try to address as many of them as I can through the links I'm listing below:

http://www.epilepsy.com/101/ep101_epilepsy.html

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/auras.html

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/provoke_nutrition.html

http://www.epilepsy.com/stories/ps_1094853390.html

 

I hope these links are helpful.

 

Best Wishes,

Epilepsy.com Editor

 

 

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