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Epilepsy?

Fri, 09/28/2007 - 06:55
Hi there I am coming to the conclusion that I may have epilepsy. I started having some hallucinations in Feb of this year - I am 36. The hallucinations come about once a month but a couple in a week. They start with me having a really clear view, bright view of the world - like great clarity. I feel very strange and like sort of twitchy but I dont think I move or anything - its like all in my head. Its not really very easy to describe but I feel antsy but it could be nothing. In the beginning I didnt notice this. then I hallucinate something - so maybe a spider across my keyboard or a leech on my baby or an insect in the corner. It is usually in my peripheral vision and then I turn towards it slowly and look at it then maybe I blink or something, I am not really sure then it goes away or maybe I just cant see it any more and it has been a couple of mintes. I am not really sure on that. Then I feel very very empty and miserable and want to go to bed and curl in a ball - not that I need to but I just feel like empty. anyway this has gone on since Feb. In March I went to see a dr who said it was nothing. then in August I started to get the same thing but instead of a hallucination I got just like flickering in my peripheral vision. I had a sleep induced EEG (abnormality on frontal lobe during the photo bits). So the neurologist I wanted to see couldnt see me so arranged for an MRI (clear) and an appointment with a young neurologist. She said that she wasnt sure what it was as hallucinations or anything like that are normally the same thing every time so she didnt think it could be epilepsy. She has referred me to a psychiatrist to see whether it could be psychiatric and suggested I start taking some drug therapy for psychosis anyway and have another EEG. This all seems really strange as I have had one EEG and also the more I read the more it seems to me like epilepsy. Does anyone else have hallucinations that are not always the same - you know like different insects and animals - for me that is always the case - but no two hallucinations are the same? The EEGs are like $600 so I am not really keen on having another. I am also 8 weeks pregnant and so am not keen to take any meds - does anyone else have a similar story that they are controlling without taking medication? I would really appreciate any ones comments on this - I feel like I am going nuts so maybe she is right :) Also my sleep has been very disturbed for the last 2 years as I have young kids and my gut instinct tells me this is the real problem. thanks a million Vivienne

Comments

Re: Epilepsy?

Submitted by spcsangel on Fri, 2007-09-28 - 08:31
the hallucinations that i have are not all the same. Lamictal worked wll for my seizures I couldnt take it though... they onlt last a few seconds and feeling of deja vu comes very strong with them... do Or have you ever passed out Or blacked out when I black out i smack my lips or repeat movements with my hands

Re: Epilepsy?

Submitted by catsamu on Fri, 2007-09-28 - 12:55
I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy about 6 months ago, after apparently having had it since high school or college in the '70s. I sometimes have had little split second dreams that I can see very clearly, then I go into a quick microsleep type of thing--just a head snap with a quick black out. On sleep tests these haven't shown up as sleep, and EEGs have shown spikes and slowing in the left temporal lobe. Other times I've had different types of episodes where I've actually walked places and not known how I got there, or found myself staring at my computer rubbing my chin over and over. I've also had very detailed dreams but at the same time I've been completely aware of what's going on around me and I know I'm awake at the same time I'm having a dream. I can describe the dreams to people and they're never the same thing twice. Before any of these things happen, I usually feel like my stomach has just jumped; a roller coaster like feeling. I also feel so sluggish, shakey-tired and like my mind is stuck in glue right before and after these seizures. Does this sound familiar to you? When I'm very sleep deprived these are much, much more likely to happen. Since I've been on Keppra (2000 MG/day) and getting more regular sleep I've hardly had any problems at all. Deb

Re: Re: Epilepsy?

Submitted by vivienne on Fri, 2007-09-28 - 16:08
I think I am going to see another neurologist for a second opinion as it does sound very much like it. I am like confused before and after and seem to lose some time - around the time it happens I know all about the hallucination but then there is some time and I am not really sure on this but there is a little time just afterwards that I am not really sure what happens. Its like a blank. I am pretty sure I dont fit though as I have been in public and noone ever mentioned anything to me. I know I was shouting a little on a plane once which was embarrasing but that was strange too as noone really said anything afterwards so maybe I wasn't. last week I was driving and it happened - I recognised something was happening so quickly pulled over. I had my 2 little children in the car and they were sleeping so I had a "funny turn" and then I think I went straight to sleep. I slept really heavily for half an hour then and woke up determined to get it sorted and not to drive again until I can. To top it all when I was waiting for my MRI I found out I was pregnant again. The neurologist asked me if I was catholic (as opposed to being completely stupid) which was quite funny really. It is a total shock - with a husband working away and 2 kids under 2 and a fulltime job running my own software firm and a possible neurological condition having babies was really not on the cards and has really increased the stress level! I cannot believe I made the mistake - its like the immaculate conception but obviously changes things in terms of drugs. I really want to try to minimise my drug intake for whatever is going on but do want to be able to drive which at the moment I dont feel I can. thank you so much for letting me know about you - I will print these out and take to the neurologist. thanks Vivienne

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