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HELP!!!

Mon, 04/03/2017 - 01:39
Hello everyone. I'm a 25 year old woman and I've been having 'strange episodes' for just over two weeks. After seeing multiple doctors and being in hospital twice, no one can give me a definitive answer and they have dubbed me a medical mystery. So I was wondering if anyone could help? Background: I suffer from anxiety for which I am on medication, I have never had anything similar to what has been happening lately, I struggle with sleep and am a final year student. What's been happening: Just over two weeks ago I was visiting family for a baby shower, I had been perfectly fine all day when all of a sudden I began to feel rather light headed. I tried to ignore it then I got a strange sensation in my right cheek along the bone structure and down to my jaw. My right arm also began to feel strange. My mum came over to me and said I looked unwell and told me to sit down. After I'd taken a seat, I felt really spaced out and heavy, I suddenly became very very tired and was told by family members that my skin had gone grey and my pupils were dilated. I then became quite unresponsive with family members having to say things 2 or 3 times before I would acknowledge them. Speaking was difficult and when I did manage to string a sentence together it was slurred. We contacted 111 who put me through to an out of hours GP who told me she was sending an ambulance because she thought I had suffered some sort of fit. The whole thing lasted about an hour and a half, when the paramedics arrived however they said they didn't think it was a fit and because it had only happened the once, wouldn't be able to tell anyway. I was taken to hospital to have blood tests and my blood pressure was tested as well as a urine sample. All tests came back negative and my cognitive function was perfectly fine. All of a sudden I snapped out of it and could speak again and felt fine. Fast forward two weeks and I've now had 5 of these episodes. The symptoms are the same however each time they change slightly or a new one is added. I've seen a TIA nurse who told me it wasn't a mini stroke, migraines have been ruled out and they also don't think it's linked to my anxiety. After being in hospital again on Saturday night I have now been told once more they think I'm having some sort of abnormal seizure. Because my symptoms don't seem to fit in to any one category, it has confused every medical professional I've seen. I'm due an MRI soon and have also been put through to a Neurologist and seizure specialist but nobody seems to be convinced of what it is. Can anyone relate to this? Symptoms (in order of how it happens): - light headed feeling - strange sensation in face along the bone structure - vision out of focus - extreme fatigue - pupils dilated - skin pale or grey - strange sensation in forearms - some pain in fingertips and crease of arms where elbows are - heavy feeling, everything takes a lot of effort - confusion - slurred or jumbled speech - trouble processing what people are saying to me - trouble holding my head up - can't touch my chin to my chest - quite jumpy and a feeling of unease The whole thing lasts for about 40 minutes to an hour and a half. It's quite scary and scares the people around me. All of a sudden I snap out of it and am completely fine (albeit tired). From what I've read and what I've been told this doesn't seem to fit in to one category. Any thoughts or help would be really appreciated. When it's over I usually get a headache in my temple and am quite tired but otherwise fine. Because it's happened so frequently in such a short space of time it's constantly playing on my mind and as a final year student in my last month it's really not what I need. Sorry for the essay! I just wanted to give all the information I could. All the best.

Comments

Hello! I have experienced

Submitted by TeddyHa11 on Tue, 2017-04-04 - 00:03
Hello! I have experienced similar things. I've had epilepsy since I was 14, I'm 30 now, and have felt some of these things. I'll get spacey, confused, light headed and trying to comprehend what people are saying. I take 2 different types of medication to control my seizures and they are also prescribed for anti-anxiety/bipolar disorder. They can give me an out of body, kind of like I'm looking at something that's not there and just general confusion. I question life at certain points during the day but it's a daily occurrence. When something like that happens, I just try to relax and breathe.  Just gotta get my bearings straight then it's back to business. That's my personal experiences I hope it was somewhat helpful! 

Thank you so much for the

Submitted by MedicalMystery on Wed, 2017-04-26 - 00:43
Thank you so much for the response! It helps to know other people have experienced something similar. I'm seeing a neurologist next week so hopefully I will get some answers. 

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