Community Forum Archive
The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.
duration of video EEG?
Thu, 07/13/2006 - 12:13Here I am again! I feel like I'm hogging the diagnostic dilemma forum. I need feedback on this, though.
My neurologist has agreed to schedule me for a video EEG, to see if the episodes I am having are simple partial seizures, psychogenic seizures, or panic attacks. He said he goes 1-3 days tops for these, though, and I've read plenty, here and other places, about people going in for much more lengthy stays for a video EEG.
Further, I only have a cluster of these episodes every 4-8 weeks. I just had a cluster last week, and the v EEG is scheduled soon. It doesn't seem likely to me that I will have any episodes while in the hospital, although they are not always completely predictable...
I would just like to hear about other people's experiences. Do you have to have an actual episode while they are monitoring you for the doctors to determine whether or not there has been epileptic activity? Is my neurologist's insistence that we only monitor for 1-3 days the usual? I have already had an EEG and MRI done, and both had normal results; I am afraid that the results of this test will be "normal," too, and I won't be any closer to figuring out what's happening to me and how to treat it. Thanks everybody.
--heidi
Comments
Re: Re: duration of video EEG?
Submitted by SHYGIRL on Sat, 2006-09-09 - 22:09
I Am also going for a video EEG BUT IT Is not sleep deprived but i will be spendinding one night at the hospital and this is the first time having this test what is this test supposed to tell me? would it tell me what kind of epilepsy i have and what kind of seizeres i have been having? please give me some info on video eeg. thanks jennifer
Re: Re: Re: duration of video EEG?
Submitted by mommy2kyra on Sat, 2006-09-09 - 23:57
Hi Jennifer,
Why they would do a VEEG for only one day is beyond me. You might "get lucky" and have seizures right away, but most people don't. You're gonna need some stimulation to get abnormal brain activity caught in such a short period of time.
I assume that you have yet to be diagnosed with E? Deprive yourself of sleep before you're even admitted into the hospital. On the night that you are admitted, sleep only for a couple of hours. In the daytime, try physical and emotional stressors. Their hope is to find out A) if you having seizures B) where the abnormal brain activity is located, so that most effective treatment is provided to you.
The VEEG is pretty dull. Bring button down shirts for wear. Bring a book, game/s to play with, and music to listen to. Hope that your questions are answered, best of luck to you!
Heather :)
Re: duration of video EEG?
Submitted by mommy2kyra on Thu, 2006-07-13 - 14:29
Hi there Heidi, One to three days isn't very long for a veeg! After 5 days, I had to stop my phenobarb completely, and become sleep deprived in order to induce some seizure activity. I was really stressed, because, if I had been at home (under normal conditions) my seizures would have come a heck of a lot quicker. The nurses were very reassuring that the delay is very common. While being in the hospital isn't fun or relaxing, you are removed from common stressors and it may take something extra to get it out. In my case, my eeg's haven't ever been normal, so I haven't had to deal with doctors questioning whether my seizures are psychogenic or real. If your doctor will only hold you in the hospital for a couple of days, I would strongly recommend sleep deprivation (maybe 3 hours, tops) from the night BEFORE entering the hospital. If you're taking meds, you may also want to stop them the night before (to hopefully induce sz's). Talk with the doctor about stopping them before you do so, to make certain that you're both on the same page. The reason for my veeg was different, in that they were looking for the exact focus--to see if I was a decent candidate for surgery. Maybe that's why I was held longer?? I hope that you get answers to the questions very soon, and wish you the best of luck! Heather :)