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Deja vu

Tue, 04/05/2005 - 08:00

Hi, my name is Lisa and this is my first time posting.  I am 39 years and a mother of two daughters.  About 18 months ago, I had two experiences of deja vu.  After the deju vu feeling passed, I had a strange feeling in my stomach (like being on a rollercoaster).  These deja vu experiences were about a week apart and I believe only lasted a second or two.  About two weeks after these deja vu experiences and had a "doom" feeling.  I was in the bathroom and this intense feeling of dread happenned followed by that strange feeling in my stomach.  After these incidents I feel very "foggy" and tired.  I called my family practioner and he ordered an MRI which was "normal" and showed no lesions.  He asked if I wanted to see a neurologist but I declined because I thought it would never happen again.  Well it did--last Friday I had two more episodes of Deja Vu, once when I was laying in  bed and again about an hour later.  I know they were deja vu and at the time intense, however I cannot remember what the particular dream sequence was.  I called my family practioner and he has referred me to a neurolgist that specializes in seizure disorders.  I cannot get into the neurologist until late May? Am I on the right track here?  should I request certain tests?  does an EEG only show irregularities while having a seizure?  Also, I am afraid to drive in case one of these episodes occur.  Thanks!

 

 

 

Comments

A Whole Other Life

Submitted by Wagelz on Wed, 2011-10-19 - 13:18

Hello. I'm Zoe, and this is my first time posting here.

I came across this website after having an episode of this "deja-vu" biking to work this morning. As soon as I arrived, I decided to research the symptoms once again, as I have been wont to do, and attempt to identify my recurring episodes. 

It came as quite a surprise, then, when the particular combination of words I chose to search this time around brought up the webpage I am currently posting on. I had tried, once or twice in the past, to locate others online that have also experienced these episodes, but have always failed to - likely because the phrase "deja-vu" had never occured to me as a descriptor for the strange occurences.

A bit of background - I am an 18-year-old Canadian girl, and these strange bouts have plagued me literally for as long as I can remember, which is why the sight of mostly 25+-year-olds posting here was a bit surprising to me, especially since most of them describe these episodes having an origin point, and often after childbirth. My earliest memory of these is in elementary school, waiting for the bus. I must have been no older than seven or eight. 

The reason I had so much trouble locating others like myself, as I mentioned, is because of the "deja-vu" tag clearly associated with this phenomenon. Although I can completely understand the similarities, and in fact realize that it may be the best descriptor available, it seems less to me like something that feels as though it's happened before, and more like a huge, integral facet of my life has been erased, and I am desperately attempting to remember it. I've also heard the term "jamais-vu" applied, and I think both are accurate. As my brain works furiously to remember what it believes it has forgotten, the tangible world in which I am standing begins to feel slightly surreal, or at least wildly more unfamiliar. I was standing in my kitchen the other day, and as the deja-vu hit, I saw my surroundings as if for the first time, the way I must have seen them when I walked into my new kitchen the day we moved in. For a moment, imaginary and real swap, and I can only attempt to make sense of this new reality as my discomfort rapidly rises. As the familiar and unfamiliar feelings swell, as does my nausea, weakness and, occasionally, lightheadedness. To me, this process is very similar to that of attempting to remember a dream that is quickly fading from your consciousness, although I've no idea where the strange images and "memories" I chase when in this state originate from.

I have never, however, fainted nor come close. It has always remained an unpleasant experience that usually lasts a morning or an afternoon, in waves, and recurs every few months (though I will occasionally experience several over the course of a few days.)

From what I have read, many people seem to have consulted with doctors and had EEGs and other similar tests performed, though from what I have gathered, it seems most of the people posting on this thread have been sent away with a clean slate and persisting symptoms. Even if a medication were to reveal itself, I can't help but wonder if any side-effects of taking it would end up being a larger inconvenience to me than having a morning of discomfort every month or two. I remain on the fence about consulting a physician. 

Any thoughts, comments, similar experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks, Zoe.

 

 

Hello. I'm Zoe, and this is my first time posting here.

I came across this website after having an episode of this "deja-vu" biking to work this morning. As soon as I arrived, I decided to research the symptoms once again, as I have been wont to do, and attempt to identify my recurring episodes. 

It came as quite a surprise, then, when the particular combination of words I chose to search this time around brought up the webpage I am currently posting on. I had tried, once or twice in the past, to locate others online that have also experienced these episodes, but have always failed to - likely because the phrase "deja-vu" had never occured to me as a descriptor for the strange occurences.

A bit of background - I am an 18-year-old Canadian girl, and these strange bouts have plagued me literally for as long as I can remember, which is why the sight of mostly 25+-year-olds posting here was a bit surprising to me, especially since most of them describe these episodes having an origin point, and often after childbirth. My earliest memory of these is in elementary school, waiting for the bus. I must have been no older than seven or eight. 

The reason I had so much trouble locating others like myself, as I mentioned, is because of the "deja-vu" tag clearly associated with this phenomenon. Although I can completely understand the similarities, and in fact realize that it may be the best descriptor available, it seems less to me like something that feels as though it's happened before, and more like a huge, integral facet of my life has been erased, and I am desperately attempting to remember it. I've also heard the term "jamais-vu" applied, and I think both are accurate. As my brain works furiously to remember what it believes it has forgotten, the tangible world in which I am standing begins to feel slightly surreal, or at least wildly more unfamiliar. I was standing in my kitchen the other day, and as the deja-vu hit, I saw my surroundings as if for the first time, the way I must have seen them when I walked into my new kitchen the day we moved in. For a moment, imaginary and real swap, and I can only attempt to make sense of this new reality as my discomfort rapidly rises. As the familiar and unfamiliar feelings swell, as does my nausea, weakness and, occasionally, lightheadedness. To me, this process is very similar to that of attempting to remember a dream that is quickly fading from your consciousness, although I've no idea where the strange images and "memories" I chase when in this state originate from.

I have never, however, fainted nor come close. It has always remained an unpleasant experience that usually lasts a morning or an afternoon, in waves, and recurs every few months (though I will occasionally experience several over the course of a few days.)

From what I have read, many people seem to have consulted with doctors and had EEGs and other similar tests performed, though from what I have gathered, it seems most of the people posting on this thread have been sent away with a clean slate and persisting symptoms. Even if a medication were to reveal itself, I can't help but wonder if any side-effects of taking it would end up being a larger inconvenience to me than having a morning of discomfort every month or two. I remain on the fence about consulting a physician. 

Any thoughts, comments, similar experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks, Zoe.

 

 

Re: A Whole Other Life

Submitted by bellydance_goddess on Wed, 2011-10-19 - 14:51
It sounds like you are having simple partial seizures. I had the same occurrences for 10 years. I went to 3 neruos, 3 cardiologists, an ENT twice, several docs, etc. My MRI was normal, but seizure meds stopped the occurences and I feel better. Go to a neuro.

Re: A Whole Other Life

Submitted by Taylore4 on Wed, 2013-07-31 - 21:46
So I wanted to reply to this because I've never been able to describe what I was feeling, but this is perfect. I used to have them when I was younger around age 12 or under and they stopped until recently. I started having 1 of these "déjà vu" episodes every few days for a couple weeks until one morning I woke up in an ambulance after having a grand mal seizure.... My boyfriend found me, I had fallen out of bed I was convulsing and unconscious. When I came to I was completely disoriented. My head CT was negative... my doctor said the "déjà vu" episodes were simple seizures as well. They put me on Keppra, I have an EEG scheduled for tomorrow, but Im just worried they aren't going to find anything wrong with me! Anyone have any words of wisdom?

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