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Pseudoseizures and EEG's that come back showing damage
Thu, 03/15/2007 - 01:39My daughter (age 18) was in the hospital last month because she had two seizures. The first one happened in the hospital emergency room when we were waiting with her dad who was having chest pain. She collapsed in a seizure. They didn't do any tests but said to bring her back if it happens again. We went home and she had another seizure that night so we went back in the ambulance. This time I wanted the doctor to do tests. The doctor was told by me (big mistake) that my daughter had bipolar disorder. As soon as they hear the psych diagnosis they assume pseudoseizures! I confronted them and wanted them to do more tests. They tried to discourage me and say it wouldn't happen in the ER. However when we insisted, they gave her an EEG the next morning in the ER. It showed abnormalities. The doctor refused to accept that. He said that the Ativan that they gave her could have skewed the results. (why then did they do this test when she was under the influence of Ativan????) Then they repeated the test and found evidence of damage. They prescribed tegretol.
There was no follow up care.
She saw three doctors, all of whom took the word of the first doctor and doubted their tests validity. I think stigma was powerful in this case. If it ever happens again we are going to another hospital and not saying a word about mental illness. Let them find the cause on their own.
Now my daughter has stopped taking the tegretol and I'm scared for her. She has been smoking pot and drinking. I'm afraid she will have another seizure.
I always thought she had some brain damage from birth. She had a hard time. How can we find out more?
Thanks
BTW, I am new to this forum.
Julia
Re: Pseudoseizures and EEG's that come back showing damage
Submitted by islandfever on Thu, 2007-03-15 - 04:59
The only thing I can suggest is to keep looking for another opinion and ask the doc HOW to test her without getting false results due to medicine. Find out who is supplying her with alcohol and cut off her supply. If she lives in your house, tell her "I love you but this is my house, so you must follow my rules." It's not only bad for her to drink, it's illegal (in the U.S.). The worst case scenario is to be involved in a fatal DUI. Does she have a job and pay her own insurance? Tell her she is not allowed to smoke in the house. She can be healthy as a horse and smoking is bad for her anyhow. Has she had an MRI? I know nothing about bipolar, but tell her doc about the drinking. Keep looking for other opinions and a way to get a definitive diagnosis if there is one. Keep a diary of anything you think might be a seizure (date, time, activity). Do your best to encourage her to live a healthy lifestyle. Lay down some rules if she lives with you. She's an adult, but if she lives with you, it's still your house. Don't be mean, be loving and explain things to her...your concern, your worries, what it is doing to you as well as her. I smoked for years and it took me watching my Mom die from COPD to to quit. I quit any recreational drinking in order not to mask any symptoms and because I actually read the material that came with my meds. I use the Internet (obviously) and I am trying to get an education from places like this (I'm newly diagnosed). This (epilepsy)is the LAST thing I expected out of life! Oh! And make sure the bipolar diagnosis is correct. I read that some forms of epilepsy can mimic bipolar disease and can be nearly indistinguishable. OK... I didn't mean to ramble on so much. Take care of YOURSELF also. Good Luck and Blessings to you and your family. "I just want to live happily ever after every now and then." Jimmy Buffett