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Panic attacks that are actually seizures

Tue, 04/03/2012 - 04:26

Hi all!

 Wow, to say I've been on a journey is an understatement.  I've suffered from what I thought was panic/anxiety attacks for coming on 7 years.  I'm 27 years old and this has without a doubt partially taken over my life from the sheer fear of it all. Problem I have is I don't really remember what happens during them only that I swallow a lot, cant recall the finer details (sort of memory loss), It can feel like de javu (especially if Im listen to someone talk, or watching TV) I'm petrified from them and I freeze and cant talk properly.  I cant seem to get any normal words out.. such as "Hang on I'm having a funny turn!" but I cant and if I do manage to talk it makes absolutely no sense. 

Now for years I've gone to doctors who hand me print outs of GAD or panic attack sheets, they've tried to put me on anti-depressants.  Which i've refused as I'm not depressed just bloody confused. Often doctors sat there with a blank expression thinking I was tapped... which as many of you will know that makes you feel so much worse.  Being honest I can feel pretty shook up after an attack (which tend to happen in the morning or when i'm partially awake) so I'm probably quite anxious from it all.

 Now finally after finding a good doctor, who also discovered I had PCOS (polycystic ovaries), she said she'd get a 24 hours heart rate check and also send me to a neurologist.  Purely to clear in my mind and that way I could stop worrying.  so, I went for my neurologist appointment on Friday.  There was the neurologist and a nurse present, I was asked to explain exactly what happens during my attacks.  I firstly said it was probably panic attacks and that this was just to confirm with myself it was that.  I explain exactly what happens during an attack... de javu, swallowing, cant remember, etc etc.  I then had to go through to the other room and my reflexes were tested, he watched me walk, and looked into my eyes with a torch.  

After this I went through and sat down waiting for his verdict... by how he acted with me I was totally expecting him to say I was just having anxiety/panic attacks.  he didnt.  "You're experiencing complex partial seizures'  - my reaction was "Pardon?!"  

There and then was a bit of a blur as I was baffled... why hadnt this been sorted before? was my first thoughts.  He said there and then I needed to inform DVLA and also did I want medication there and then.  That was the most confusing part... how did he know for sure?  would his reflex tests etc have shown him? I did say no and that I wanted the brain scan he was refering me for.  My sheets had ASAP all over them. 

 Part of me wants to be confirmed with seizures as I can finally get on with my life, the other part doesn't because I will have this for life.   Also if it isn't that if im just having panic attacks/ anxiety attacks then what the hell is it? 

 

Anyone else had a similar experience?  Any advice? 

 xx

 

 

Comments

I'm going through the same

Submitted by Lisawolfe11 on Fri, 2018-01-26 - 03:20
I'm going through the same thing right now. Im currently with a neurologist and being tested for partial seizures. It makes a lot of sense if I were to look back on my mental and physical history but it's a tough pill to swallow. There are things that are helping them distinguish the difference between panic and seizure and they are:  I have auditory  hallucinations I smell bizarre things before handMemory loss And the physical pain that comes with it is quite immense. It starts in the back of my neck and travels up through my brain like a stream line of liquid fire or something intensely cold. I hope you find an answer for yourself. I don't wish this upon anyone Lisa

I have had what I have always

Submitted by eelkins on Sun, 2019-04-21 - 22:33
I have had what I have always believed to be panic attacks as well and I started reading and I kept finding things that I deal with either on a daily basis or very often and I don’t know what to think of it because any doctor I’ve ever been to about literally anything has said nothing was wrong without doing many tests and now that I’m reading all of this it’s kindve scary I’m 17 and have dealt with “panic attacks” for as long as I can remember but reading all this is kindve like “oh that would explain a lot” I don’t know what to do about it though

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