Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: what does it feel like?

It can vary drastically from person to person. Mine would hit me like a bat out of hell ! It would then be days and sometimes weeks before I knew who I was and where I was. I under went a left temporal lebectomy in 1998 to stop my seizures. I was very fortunate. I no longer have seizures. I'm 55 years old now and still in the saddle. Continue to ask questions and read all you can about epilepsy and medications. The potential side effects of medications can be worse than the seizures themselves. What do you get when you combine Tegretol, Topomax,Zoloft,Phenabarbitol,Dilantin, Paxil and Lexapro ? Hell can't be much worse !! I would rather have seizures than be on certain combinations of medications !

Hi I was diagnosed in 2007 after having a full blown grand mal ...I was misdiagnosed over a decade earlier as having panic dissorder when I final spoke to a neurologist what I discribed as an aura she toold me that it was and aura and not a panic attack.              I am also a student studying to be an xray tech...which i have now had 3 semesters of anatomy physiology...ok to answer your question no 2 people are going to have the same symptoms,also there are other possible not probable medical conditions that are associated with your condition . for example the fact that they found a leision I would look in to other conditions to make sure they have been ruled out. MS, Tumors blood clots etc...I don't mean to scare you but those things also must be rulled out . the reason why I am telling you this is because you are the one that has to live with this condition. it will also determin your quality of life which is very important.   1st get a second opinion from a different neurologist you have to be happy with your treatment ...my first neurologist was a night mare....second the meds that they put you on well for lack of a better explanation you kind of need to experiment(what I mean to say is begin a drug therappe and see how the drug effects you. if the side effects are un bareable communicate that with your nerologist...to try some thing else...you want the most effective meds that do not inerfer with your day to day living...third keep a diary of your symptoms, feelings, concerns, drug therappes attempted... this is something you have to manage  4th know what your triggers are, stress is my #1 so you have to decompress and eliminate stressful situations from your life...example if you have someone in your life that causes nothing but drama...avoid them in a peacable polite way.. 5th remember epilepsy is a neurological condition not a mental condition, you are still the same beautiful person you have always been . don't allow a medical condition to determine your self worth ...it is easy to allow you to be dragged down by all of this ...but that is a choice you  have control over!!!!...this is a poor example but i have a freind that is always complaining about her age she is turning 50 soon and she still has a rockin bod her hubby agrees and she doesn't look like what most people would associate what 50 looks like ...i keep telling her dude age is just a number ...your still the same person right...its the same with this condition.  6th  know your condition stay away from drug interaction, alcohol,high places, and pay attention to anything your dr tells you    when they say temporal lobe epilepsi to my understanding is that means that is the area that it is trigered....  my epilepsy is triggered in or near the same area, not on medication I have seizures,absence, partial, and grand mal ,severe insomnia, severe horrible depression and a constant state of panic, some memory loss, ADD, and dislexia....On meds I  have for the most part as i am drifting of to sleep my arm or head will jerk, still have some dislexia and focus can be off at times, but I have been seizure free for almost 2 years ...the initiating auras before having a seizure while not on meds felt like I couldn't hear couldn't breathe,  couldn't see , couldn't focus, and overwhelming frantic fear with a side of feeling the sensation of immediate impending death and the vision was like and old 1940-50;s tv picture tube fading to black ,,,it was aweful!!! i hope this gives you an idea or two to work with FYI I AM NOT A DOCTOR so trust your own judgement and find a neurologist you can trust!!! good luck and godbless  ps was on topamax...ish!!!! now on keppra much better!! last and final thing pic your self up a copy of a used text book on anatomy/physiology relating to the brain...read up on the differnt areas of the brain and the different  centers motor cortex sensory cortex etc it will answer some of your questions 

I've had temporal lobe epilepsy since my craniotomy in April 2008. Seizures were Grandmal. I was put on Keppra to start, but depression and suicidal thoughts caused my doctor to prescribe Lamictal(400mg/day). I have taken it for 2 1/2 years without any side effects I would recognize. Living with the fear of a seizure is part of the condition. I have not had a seizure in two years and have got over the fear. It would be embarrasing in public and most people would call an ambulance for a brief and non-life threatening episode. I never let on I have had brainsurgery or that I am epileptic, because it becomes a stigma that people associate with mental illness and avoid you or treat you differently. No problems with Lamictal, except in the first few months, be cautious of the pharmacy sourcing generic suppliers. Although the active ingredients are purported to be the same, I experienced a few breakthrough seizures during that time and stay on top of that when receiving my prescriptions. Fortunately, my seizures give me enough advance notice 45-60 seconds to get in a position of safety. Having taken Dilantin, Tegretol, Trileptal and Keppra, my brain tolerates Lamictal the best. I would not be scared of it. It is also a mood elevator and used for bipolar treatment. I hope this helps.