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Simple Partial Seizures & Long-term memory
Mon, 07/07/2008 - 05:26Hi, I am new to this forum.
I suffer from what are suspected to be Simple Partial Seizures. They are currently under investigation, and having had an MRI and EEG with nothing abnormal showing, the doctor is starting to suspect epilepsy, although nothing has been diagnosed as yet. I have always thought since they started that these simple partial seizures are just a minor inconvenience which I can live with, and as such I probably wouldn't want medication in case the side effects were worse than the actual seizures.
However recently I've started wondering if these seizures are cumulatively damaging my long-term memory. Sometimes my wife talks of things we've done, places we've been, and it's worrying that, for some things, I have no memory of them at all.
If this is the case then of course I'd want to take medication in the assumption that controlling the seizures might prevent further memory loss.
Does anyone know of a link between seizures (I believe they are temporal lobe based) and long-term memory loss? Or maybe I've just always had a lousy memory anyway?
Comments
Re: Simple Partial Seizures & Long-term memory
Submitted by teachergreen on Wed, 2009-05-20 - 16:31
Boy! do i know what you're talking about. my husband gets so frustrated with my memory loss. He tells me not to talk around people in case i say something stupid. i have almost finished my masters and am in education and i tell myself these things i forget must not be important to me (general info. I remember work related info well.) I'm trying puzzle, memory programs etc but it doesn't seem to make a difference. These activities just take up time.
He told my i should start using the calendar at home better. Read it daily, x out the day before. keep school info on a different calendar altogether. I'll try because i don't like to see him pissed off at me. He told me he knows i'm smart and not an idiot. Memory loss is humiliating.
Good luck! if you get your memory back, tell me how you did it.
Boy! do i know what you're talking about. my husband gets so frustrated with my memory loss. He tells me not to talk around people in case i say something stupid. i have almost finished my masters and am in education and i tell myself these things i forget must not be important to me (general info. I remember work related info well.) I'm trying puzzle, memory programs etc but it doesn't seem to make a difference. These activities just take up time.
He told my i should start using the calendar at home better. Read it daily, x out the day before. keep school info on a different calendar altogether. I'll try because i don't like to see him pissed off at me. He told me he knows i'm smart and not an idiot. Memory loss is humiliating.
Good luck! if you get your memory back, tell me how you did it.
Re: Simple Partial Seizures & Long-term memory
Submitted by CPMJohn on Wed, 2009-05-20 - 13:23
Started waking up occasionally with total amnesia (blank) about 5 years ago (59 years old). Even though it was scary, I could quickly "rebuild" my memory, I thought. Finally went to my Kaiser Dr. 3 years ago, who quickly sent me to a neurologist. They spent almost a year giving me sleep apnea, catscan, mri, lumbar puncture and standard eeg tests for about 8 months. The only thing found was a "slight" brain wave wiggle on the eeg. The Neurologist then set me up with an Ambulatory EEG; I wore the 16 electrodes and a recorder for 48 hours. Kaiser contracted the reading of the results with Stanford (Palo Alto); their Neuro quickly called my Dr. (Artz of Kaiser, San Rafael) and reported definite "abnormal brain waves."
They put me on 600 mg of Carbatrol, and later prescribed Aricept; I take them diaily.
I've had no more Amnesia incidents.
However, clearly I've suffered long term memory loss. It's obvious when my wife and family bring up events that I attended, but have ZERO memory of. It's very frustrating, and, quite debilitating.
I'd obviously like to hear that someone, or something, could bring back the memories. But I'm not holding my breath.
In addition, I suffer a cognitive (thinking loss) and I really get lost traveling in areas that I had traveled frequently.
Started waking up occasionally with total amnesia (blank) about 5 years ago (59 years old). Even though it was scary, I could quickly "rebuild" my memory, I thought. Finally went to my Kaiser Dr. 3 years ago, who quickly sent me to a neurologist. They spent almost a year giving me sleep apnea, catscan, mri, lumbar puncture and standard eeg tests for about 8 months. The only thing found was a "slight" brain wave wiggle on the eeg. The Neurologist then set me up with an Ambulatory EEG; I wore the 16 electrodes and a recorder for 48 hours. Kaiser contracted the reading of the results with Stanford (Palo Alto); their Neuro quickly called my Dr. (Artz of Kaiser, San Rafael) and reported definite "abnormal brain waves."
They put me on 600 mg of Carbatrol, and later prescribed Aricept; I take them diaily.
I've had no more Amnesia incidents.
However, clearly I've suffered long term memory loss. It's obvious when my wife and family bring up events that I attended, but have ZERO memory of. It's very frustrating, and, quite debilitating.
I'd obviously like to hear that someone, or something, could bring back the memories. But I'm not holding my breath.
In addition, I suffer a cognitive (thinking loss) and I really get lost traveling in areas that I had traveled frequently.