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hearing voices

Thu, 04/03/2008 - 13:47

Hi everyone. 

Hope you're having a good day.  Hope I don't sound like too much of a "newbie" but that's exactly what I am.

OK, here's my story.

About 4 weeks ago my 16 year old son began complaining about being unable to sleep.  We gave him advice such as lay off the caffine .  Then, on 3/25 he had a seizure at school.  (he has since had one almost every day and two on one day.) During his seizures he has some "twitching" of his arms and legs but has always been able to get to a safe place.  He is able to answer questions with a yes or no or a nod of the head so he never completely looses control. He remains conscious through the seizures and has at least some memory of them though he is very weak afterwards. 

We've taken him to the ER (put him on keppra) and have had an MRI and EEG done.  Neither showed anything.  We're taking him to a neurologist tomorrow and having another EEG done on his orders today.

Maybe the scariest part for us has been the voices.  After he had the first seizure he told us that the reason he hadn't been able to sleep was that he'd heard voices.  Sometimes the voices are gibberish but other time they tell him things (in his own voice) like "your friends dont' really like you" or that the voices are going to hurt his friends of family.  They never tell him to do things and he knows the voices aren't real.

I've read about aura's and know some folks hear voices with seizures, but haven't been able to find much to tell me what the voices actually usually say.  Is what my son is hearing common? 

His behavior hasn't changed except he has become even more attached to his friends/family.  He's a great kid and everybody loves being around him, but this is scary stuff for all of us. 

Any "words of wisdom" from the voices of experience would be much appreciated. 

Comments

Re: hearing voices

Submitted by desiree richardson on Mon, 2008-04-07 - 15:02
My son has had seizures for the last 13 years. He often hears a "song", but he cannot sing it or describe it for me. Sometimes the song happens prior to the seizure and sometimes during the seizure. He also hears voices talking, but often cannot understand what they are saying. He says they sometimes say he is "dumb" or they laugh at him. His doctors say that the sounds/words come if the seizure begins in a specific part of his brain. He also hears a train sound during his seizures. He has a VNS implant and is on 4 medications yet the seizures continue. The best of luck to you and your son!!

Re: hearing voices

Submitted by gypsyg on Fri, 2008-04-11 - 11:36

  THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF TIMES WHEN

   I'VE HAD THAT HAPPEN TO ME.  THE FIRST

TIME I WAS 16  YRS OLD GETING READY FOR

SCHOOL AND I STARTED HEARING PEOPLE

SCREAMING IN MY HEAD.  I THOUGHT I WAS

GOING CRAZY.  I  STOPPED AND WENT TO BED

RIGHT BETWEEN MY MOM AND DAD LIKE A

LITTLE BABY.  THAT IS HOW SCARED I GOT.  I

STILL GET THOSE FEELINGS AND THOSE

SOUNDS BUT I LEARNED TO DEAL WITH THEM.

THE DOCTOR PUT ME ON ANTIDEPRESSNTS AND

SOMETHING FOR MY NERVES BESIDES  MEDS

FOR MY REGULAR MED FOR SEIZURES.  BUT

 STILL I HAVE SEIZURES BUT NO GRAND MALS.

BUT I KNOW THE FEELING AND IT CAN BE

SCARY.  GOOD LUCK.

  THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF TIMES WHEN

   I'VE HAD THAT HAPPEN TO ME.  THE FIRST

TIME I WAS 16  YRS OLD GETING READY FOR

SCHOOL AND I STARTED HEARING PEOPLE

SCREAMING IN MY HEAD.  I THOUGHT I WAS

GOING CRAZY.  I  STOPPED AND WENT TO BED

RIGHT BETWEEN MY MOM AND DAD LIKE A

LITTLE BABY.  THAT IS HOW SCARED I GOT.  I

STILL GET THOSE FEELINGS AND THOSE

SOUNDS BUT I LEARNED TO DEAL WITH THEM.

THE DOCTOR PUT ME ON ANTIDEPRESSNTS AND

SOMETHING FOR MY NERVES BESIDES  MEDS

FOR MY REGULAR MED FOR SEIZURES.  BUT

 STILL I HAVE SEIZURES BUT NO GRAND MALS.

BUT I KNOW THE FEELING AND IT CAN BE

SCARY.  GOOD LUCK.

Re: hearing voices

Submitted by Orien2 on Sun, 2008-04-13 - 23:19

Some people with TLE report having the same problem.  People with normal EEGs are sometimes having seizures.I'm sorry he's having a bad time and I'm sorry you are having such a difficult time too.  It's probably terrifying for all of you and not a barrel of laughs for him either.  :)  Has anyone run a blood test for electrolytes.  Was that a high res MRI with the big magnet or one of the older ones?

The good news is your boy doesn't have a tumor but the bad news is they don't know what's causing the seizures. Was he bonked in the head recently? Like did he ever have a head injury of some kind?  I'd say a video EEG would likely help week long most likely off the meds.    

Good luck and keep the faith. 

Some people with TLE report having the same problem.  People with normal EEGs are sometimes having seizures.I'm sorry he's having a bad time and I'm sorry you are having such a difficult time too.  It's probably terrifying for all of you and not a barrel of laughs for him either.  :)  Has anyone run a blood test for electrolytes.  Was that a high res MRI with the big magnet or one of the older ones?

The good news is your boy doesn't have a tumor but the bad news is they don't know what's causing the seizures. Was he bonked in the head recently? Like did he ever have a head injury of some kind?  I'd say a video EEG would likely help week long most likely off the meds.    

Good luck and keep the faith. 

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