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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

This has recently started to

Submitted by Zach1993 on Thu, 2020-04-23 - 10:28
This has recently started to me! In the past I was diagnosed with tonic grand mal seizures (possibly status epileticus) and I've been on medication for about 6 years now (Im 27 years old). In the past three weeks however, I've had two episodes where I feel an aura (I've never felt that before)... In which I have about 1-2 minutes to move. Then I feel cold and hollow. My skin loses all color/complexion, my heart starts racing and I almost feel paralyzed, like I'm having a heart attack or stroke... The weirdest thing about it though, is that I remain fully conscious and I'm able to comprehend/talk to the individual aiding me the whole time it's happening (almost 20 minutes long both times). Then once, everything is over I feel almost back to normal. Definitely not good, but much better compared to all the times I've woken up after having grand mal seizures (migraine, nausea, physical exhaustion). Has anybody else experienced this before? The first time it happened I called the aid car and the paramedics hung out with me for about 15 minutes while it was happening then shot me up with a benzo after it continued to NOT stop. I went to the doctor/ER, but she told me she didn't think I even had a seizure... (Even though I'm a diagnosed epileptic, but whatever). Yesterday, (about two weeks later) the same thing happened. I didn't call the parmedics this time however. I ran to my neighbors apartment. Told him what was happening. And then had one sitting on his living room couch. It lasted again for almost 20+ minutes in which I couldn't move, my body was twitching out, my heart rate sky rocketed, but I was able to talk to him the whole time. It almost feels like I'm going to have a full blown seizure, but then the lights never go out. If you have any advice or have had this happen to you before please let me know. Doctors say they've never seen that happen before, and when I research online I find similar results in people diagnosed with partial/complex seizures, but never lasting for 20 minutes long... 

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