Community Forum Archive
The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.
Am I having seizures?
Wed, 09/14/2016 - 17:09Topic: Women With Epilepsy
Hello, I wonder if anyone can help me. I thought who better to ask than the people that know and understand it best. I am terrified after experiencing yet another strange turn. I've had a few before in the last year however this time was the worst. I'll run through what happens to me so you can have a good understanding and see if it sounds anything like what you experience. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I had a bad headache all day, so I stayed rested, but suddenly out of nowhere I felt the same feelings as I've had before. A sudden feeling of terror, strong waves in my stomach like it's dropping over an over, then hallucinations and feelings that my boyfriend looked different and distorted, (this is all hard to describe because feels so strange), I then get really fast random changing thoughts either like memories or just odd images, then I can't respond or understand anything anyone says. I can't form words or sentences. it literally feels like I have lost my sanity. I hardly remember some parts of this sometimes when it happens. Then my body goes. ...I start feeling like I'm falling out of concoousness but I don't ever fully go. My arms and legs go numb, feel faint, get tingles in my brain arms legs and hands, I feel as if I will vomit or wet myself or poo myself (sorry to much information). I did urinate everywhere today and was that out of it I didn't even care at the time. My head spins so badly I can't move my head or stand, then I start to violently shake uncontrollably all over. I don't lose concoousness but I keep feeling like I'm going in and out of alertness and awareness. The shaking lasts in few minute intervals then in between I feel I am going to go inconcious. Then the whole process starting with the stomach waves right to the shaking happens over and over. it is TERRIFYING. For the next few hours after I feel so nauseous, weak, dazed and confused and like my head isn't right at all. I felt like I couldn't even move my arms and legs. They still felt tingly and kept randomly twitching and jerking afterwards. I believe I may have seizures but I wanted the opinion of peiple who actually experience them. Any feedback would really be appreciated thankyou.
Comments
Thankyou Joe that's very
Submitted by Gemma87 on Sat, 2016-09-17 - 17:39
Thankyou Joe that's very helpful. My gp was going to refer me a few months ago but wanted to wait for my cardiology results back first which came back positive for POTS. (but that doesn't cause this). So I went back again but to a nurse practitioner who said she thinks it is anxiety. I explained that yes I have had anxiety since I was young which let's me know even more it's not that because I am very familiar with how that can make me feel. This is something so different. I wouldn't wet myself from anxiety and certainly not hallucinate. I got told for ysars my racing heart was anxiety too and it was actually a heart condition so I'm not taking any chances now. She referred me to a neurologist after I put up a fight thank goodness. Will the be able to pick things up on tests if your not having the episode of symptoms at the time of the scan? my first episodes seemed to be partial seizures, but the last one developed into something and that terrified me. How do you cope with them? And what do you and people around you do when they first started happening? I worry that it will happen again (it no doubt will) and I want to be prepared and have a bit of knowledge of what to do
Thankyou Joe that's very
Submitted by Gemma87 on Sat, 2016-09-17 - 17:41
Thankyou Joe that's very helpful. My gp was going to refer me a few months ago but wanted to wait for my cardiology results back first which came back positive for POTS. (but that doesn't cause this). So I went back again but to a nurse practitioner who said she thinks it is anxiety. I explained that yes I have had anxiety since I was young which let's me know even more it's not that because I am very familiar with how that can make me feel. This is something so different. I wouldn't wet myself from anxiety and certainly not hallucinate. I got told for ysars my racing heart was anxiety too and it was actually a heart condition so I'm not taking any chances now. She referred me to a neurologist after I put up a fight thank goodness. Will the be able to pick things up on tests if your not having the episode of symptoms at the time of the scan? my first episodes seemed to be partial seizures, but the last one developed into something and that terrified me. How do you cope with them? And what do you and people around you do when they first started happening? I worry that it will happen again (it no doubt will) and I want to be prepared and have a bit of knowledge of what to do
Welcome GemmaMost of the
Submitted by just_joe on Sat, 2016-09-17 - 16:07
Welcome GemmaMost of the things you posted are either seizures or parts of seizures.The best thing to do is start with your regular docotr and talk to them about these episodes. Just like you have done in here. Explain each part. Find out what they think it might be. If they think they might be seizures they nat refer you to a neurologist, Tell them these same things and how often they happen and how long ago they started happening. The tests th neurologist will want to do is an EEG which is a test showing the electrical activity in your brain.What a seizure is "It's an electrical impulse hitting wrong in your brain causeing a chain reaction." So by doing the EEG they can se whaere in your brain the activity started. The second test would be either a scan or an MRI. They want to see if there is anything different in that area of your brain. For me the EEG showed abnormalities in the left lobes of my brain. The MRI showed I have scared brain tissue in those lobes.So like I said start with your doctor and get a referal to a neurologist that specialises in epilepsyI hope this helps and you get the assistance you needJoe