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Normal EEG, is epilepsy still an option?
Wed, 06/10/2015 - 15:33Hello everyone,
I hope that someone can help me. I had my first seizure when I was six years old, after a normal catscan and EEG the doctors told my parents that it would be a one time occurence. I did not have any grand mal seizures for a few years after. However, I did "stare off into space" which ended up getting me into major trouble with parents and teachers because they thought I was being disrepectful. I honestly never heard or saw them until a touch on the shoulder would make me realize they were standing there. It seemed like a flashing TV was my worst enemy, just seeing it in the corner of my eye was enough for my mouth to drop and my eyes to glaze, I wasn't watching the TV...I was just gone for a few seconds.
I had another grand mal when I was about 12-13 because of sudden sharp pain while roller skating. I was alone, no one saw, when I told my parents they assummed I got the "wind knocked out of me" so I slept most of the day away. I had a few more throughout middle school and high school, but in college it became much worse and I started having more and more seizures. Again, they ran a catscan, MRI, EEG, and bloodwork- all came back normal. My neurologist looked at me like I was crazy and said that I probably needed to just "not stress so much". No diagnosis.
I am now 23, and my grand mal seizures are becoming an issue again. Yesterday, I almost did not get the car pulled over in time. Everyone who has witnessed me, says I act like an epileptic. My only warnings are an anxiety rash and an "aura" that I get a few days before an episode. We know that my triggers include fast-sharp pain, lack of sleep, poor diet, and above all anxiety. I have learned to control my stress levels, I eat as much healthy & organic foods as I can, and I have a specific sleep schedule, but it still remains a problem.
I am trying to find a new neurologist for a second opinion (I've always had the same one), but I am wondering if anyone else experienced this? Does this sound like something else? Please, even if you don't think this is epilepsy I would love some feed back. I'm quite scared.
From what I read of your post
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2015-06-10 - 16:16
From what I read of your post you have been having seizures. Grand mal. absence and photosensative seizures. Some people have seizures when they get a flashing light of the sun coming thru the leaves. Or better yet a dico ball. You need to gt a second openion because the times you got in trouble were absence seizures. The TV thingy was another seizure which is associated with flashing lights, A grand mal seizure is just that. All it takes to diagnose epilepsy is 2 seizures. If you are seeing a neurologist that doesnt specialize in epilepsy then they may not know what to look for.I had 20-25 dofferent EEG's and all came back normal. The MRI of the 60's was normal until I fell asleep in the last test ran which was another EEG. In that EEG they found abnormalities and by knowing where they cam from the neurologists checked that area in the MRI and a closer look found scared brain tissue in left lobes of my brain.You got in trouble with your parents and others because they thought you might be ignoring them. I had been written up for day dreaming in class. Those day dreams were petite mal AKA absence seizures. I had wierd feeling in my right hand or I would feel a twitch in it. Those too were seizures focal seizures AKA simple partial seizures. I had a grand mal while at school. So a person can have more then 1 type of seizure. A ordinary EEG is short and it does not find everything. Most will come back normal. A erson can have a MRI come back normal but they can still have seizures. Also EEG,'s cant catch the electrical impulses going off deeper in the brain. I would suggest yo uget the diary which can be found in here. It has a note pad to note a eipsode you had and if there was anything different that day. Try and find a neurologist that specializes i epilepsy. This sight can help you find a doctor you need. I hope this helpsJoe