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Is this frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE)?

Thu, 04/06/2006 - 13:59
My wife was diagnosed with panic attacks approximately 10 years ago. She had a very poor response to psychiatric care and was eventually reffered to a prof of psychiatry. After about a 2 hour history he concluded that what she was suffering from was some form of seizure, as he felt that a panic attack could not last for 10 hours plus. He put her on Topamax and she was approx. 80% better. Up till that stage she was pretty much bed ridden Her symptoms are that she will feel as though her brain becomes "flat" - usually a day or so before and she is abnormally tired. she will then wake the next day and be very irritable/aggressive/anxious after which she will start rocking on her bed - always on the right side and if she is sitting up her right had will tap her forhead very rapidly.She says she feels that her brain and body are going "crazy" and she is fully aware at all times although not totally rational. She has only had three tonic clonic seizures. This can continue indefinately if she is not sedated, and if she goes into a series of these it can last weeks from one sedation to the next without a break. They will then stop suddenly one morning and she is perfectly normal, or tired with quite a few headaches So far we think they are made worse by a lack of sleep, stress and possibly alcohol. The AEDS work well, but occasionally they seem to stop working all of a sudden for no good reason. EEG showed nothing - the neurologist said that it looked like an autistic type movement during the seizure but feels that it is frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). What concerns me is the duration that it can last. Is there such a thing as status FLE Any ideas, similar experinces.

Comments

Re: Is this frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE)?

Submitted by axb024611 on Fri, 2006-04-07 - 13:32
I have very similar experiences. I would suggest getting a second opinion. My old neuro. said I was having panic attacks and suggested I take paxil. I didn't accept that because every tonic clonic and complex partial seizure I have had came after these "episodes". I went to a different neuro. and he did an MRI and a video EEG. The video EEG is when you go into the hospital for several days and the patient is monitored 24/7. He did this because he wanted to see if I would have one of these "episodes" while I was there to determine what they were. Luckily I had one and they were in fact seizures. They were simple partial seizures because they only last for about 30 seconds. If you don't come out of this seizure they spread into a complex seizure and then possibly a tonic clonic (grand mal). I am getting better treament and most of all answers. If your wife feels as though she isn't getting answers and feels uncomfortable with her neuro. find another one there is someone out there that can help her. Good Luck to you both!

Re: Re: Is this frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE)?

Submitted by zoobie on Fri, 2006-04-07 - 13:49
Thanks, we did video EEG and induced seizures by slighly tapering off the AEDS, after about three days they started again - but the EEg was inconclusive - said there was to much movement artifact. She was doing relatively well on Topamax, but every now and then it would just stop working? Going to try Kepra now cause she is having a very bad run at the moment.

Re: Is this frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE)?

Submitted by ac420ec on Tue, 2006-04-18 - 07:49
My daughter was recently diagnosed with FLE. Her seizures occur at night. I have read a lot about fle and it is very common for these to generalize and status is more common with fle than other types of seizures. Han went 2 years with no diagnosis, frontal lobe seizures are more difficult to detect w/eeg. Our epi told us to use diastat if they last more than 3 minutes or more than 2 in ten minutes. Perhaps you could ask her dr. if this would work for your wife? Maybe if you catch them when they are still complex partial, before they go tonic/clonic she will have better control. Good Luck!

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