No Solid answers after EEG

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I had a grand mal seizure back at the beginning of January of this year. I finally had a sleep deprived EEG in February. Immeadiately after my neurologist told me I had an abnormal EEG, I was having what she called sparks frequently. She never told me that I did or didn't have epilepsy. My main question is do I have epilepsy? I've had absence seizures I think especially when I wake up exhausted. For example I've dropped milk all over the floor, not been able to answer a question on the phone, and trailed off when I was talking, I could not stop them even though I noticed them, it felt similiar to paralysis.

I'm attempting to apply for a scholarship for epilepsy sufferers. I don't want to call her up and ask her to fill out part if I don't have it.

I'm also taking Lamictal as prescribed by her and she apologized after the EEG for it coming back that way, we had both hoped it would be a one time thing, the grand mal seizure. My MRI came back normal though.

Comments

Do you have visit paperwork

Submitted by Amy Jo on Wed, 2015-04-01 - 02:19

Do you have visit paperwork that lists diagnoses, or was it just a phone call with the doctor? Please clarify that at next visit or by calling the office. You need a doctor to talk frankly to you about what this means provided you are ready to listen. A lot is going on when one starts processing that something is wrong, so asking later is also ok. Spikes during an EEG can be associated with seizures (location it comes from might matter to you later) so it is likely you are being treated for epilepsy/seizure disorder, unless you have something else going on lamictal treats (bipolar is the only thing that comes to mind wrt mood stabilizer effects). You can get a copy of the EEG results. I'd bet there is a list of patient questions on this site somewhere, but check out the info on diagnosing/treatment to see other areas you might also want clarified.

If you have had a Grand mal

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2015-04-04 - 15:50

If you have had a Grand mal seizure and think you have had absence seizures then you have epilepsy. The 2 tests that were run are different. The EEG is showing the electrical out put comming from your brain The MRI is showing the brain and anything that might show up on it. I will use what I went thru to give you an idea of what the neurologists do with those 2 tests. I had 20-25 different EEG all comming back normal. I went thru testing during spring break (some break and I was planning on going to the beach a few times with friends) During that tests were run. The one they looked at showing the brain was an Neuro-angeogram (MRI of the 1960's) which also came back normal. Well the last test was another EEG. I was tired of the testing and fell asleep in the EEG. In that EEG they found abnormalities (seizure activity or spikes an waves). By knowing where in the brain they came from the neurologists looked closer and the mri of the 1960's and by checking that area closer they found scared brain tissue. BAck then they said it was before of after birth. Mom thought it might have been at birth. My current neurologist did the same tests because he wanted to see if there were any other procedures that I could have that would give me better control. He had me in a monitering unit fr 3 days in which they ran a constant EEG and videoed me. A MRI was done before the EEG I mean about an hour before. After the EEG within 30 minutes I was in another area and Doc went over the things found. The EEG showed hin the areas to look at closer and yes he did see scared brain tissue. However he said it was from a hemmorage to my brain between 6-8 YOA.The hemmorage was from a blow to my head. well it took some thinking but Doc was right. I had a blow to my head when a ladder rung came out with me on the top step. I hit my head which spun it arround only to slam my face into the bottom rung of the bunk bed kocking out 4 teeth and cutting the inside of my cheek and slashing my tongue. The doctors were more worried about my mouth and the teeth missing then the bump on my head since I needed 32 stiches on the inside of my nouth and on my tongue. The neurologists might also see a groth deformation or something else that does need to be checked out. I hope this helps Joe

If you have had a Grand mal seizure and think you have had absence seizures then you have epilepsy. The 2 tests that were run are different. The EEG is showing the electrical out put comming from your brain The MRI is showing the brain and anything that might show up on it. I will use what I went thru to give you an idea of what the neurologists do with those 2 tests. I had 20-25 different EEG all comming back normal. I went thru testing during spring break (some break and I was planning on going to the beach a few times with friends) During that tests were run. The one they looked at showing the brain was an Neuro-angeogram (MRI of the 1960's) which also came back normal. Well the last test was another EEG. I was tired of the testing and fell asleep in the EEG. In that EEG they found abnormalities (seizure activity or spikes an waves). By knowing where in the brain they came from the neurologists looked closer and the mri of the 1960's and by checking that area closer they found scared brain tissue. BAck then they said it was before of after birth. Mom thought it might have been at birth. My current neurologist did the same tests because he wanted to see if there were any other procedures that I could have that would give me better control. He had me in a monitering unit fr 3 days in which they ran a constant EEG and videoed me. A MRI was done before the EEG I mean about an hour before. After the EEG within 30 minutes I was in another area and Doc went over the things found. The EEG showed hin the areas to look at closer and yes he did see scared brain tissue. However he said it was from a hemmorage to my brain between 6-8 YOA.The hemmorage was from a blow to my head. well it took some thinking but Doc was right. I had a blow to my head when a ladder rung came out with me on the top step. I hit my head which spun it arround only to slam my face into the bottom rung of the bunk bed kocking out 4 teeth and cutting the inside of my cheek and slashing my tongue. The doctors were more worried about my mouth and the teeth missing then the bump on my head since I needed 32 stiches on the inside of my nouth and on my tongue. The neurologists might also see a groth deformation or something else that does need to be checked out. I hope this helps Joe   

If you have had a Grand mal seizure and think you have had absence seizures then you have epilepsy. The 2 tests that were run are different. The EEG is showing the electrical out put comming from your brain The MRI is showing the brain and anything that might show up on it. I will use what I went thru to give you an idea of what the neurologists do with those 2 tests. I had 20-25 different EEG all comming back normal. I went thru testing during spring break (some break and I was planning on going to the beach a few times with friends) During that tests were run. The one they looked at showing the brain was an Neuro-angeogram (MRI of the 1960's) which also came back normal. Well the last test was another EEG. I was tired of the testing and fell asleep in the EEG. In that EEG they found abnormalities (seizure activity or spikes an waves). By knowing where in the brain they came from the neurologists looked closer and the mri of the 1960's and by checking that area closer they found scared brain tissue. BAck then they said it was before of after birth. Mom thought it might have been at birth. My current neurologist did the same tests because he wanted to see if there were any other procedures that I could have that would give me better control. He had me in a monitering unit fr 3 days in which they ran a constant EEG and videoed me. A MRI was done before the EEG I mean about an hour before. After the EEG within 30 minutes I was in another area and Doc went over the things found. The EEG showed hin the areas to look at closer and yes he did see scared brain tissue. However he said it was from a hemmorage to my brain between 6-8 YOA.The hemmorage was from a blow to my head. well it took some thinking but Doc was right. I had a blow to my head when a ladder rung came out with me on the top step. I hit my head which spun it arround only to slam my face into the bottom rung of the bunk bed kocking out 4 teeth and cutting the inside of my cheek and slashing my tongue. The doctors were more worried about my mouth and the teeth missing then the bump on my head since I needed 32 stiches on the inside of my nouth and on my tongue. The neurologists might also see a groth deformation or something else that does need to be checked out. I hope this helps Joe