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Should I even bother?
Sun, 07/16/2006 - 11:45For most of my life (i'm 19) i have had "episodes" where i would get dizzy and see black spots floating around and then one of my arms would shake uncontrollably for a minute or so. I never really paid much attention to it before, but it has happened alot more often lately (once or twice a month). i think it is becuase i started college this year and have more stress and far less sleep.
i have not even gone to the doctor yet, but from what i read online, this fits the description of a partial focal seizure. i realize that this can't diagnosed or ruled out unless i'm having an EEG during the episode.
my question is, should i even bother trying to get diagnosed? these episodes dont bother me too much or have any major impact on my life. could it get worse if it is a seizure? should i just ignore it?
thanks for your advice in advance
-keti
Comments
Re: Re: Should I even bother?
Submitted by Seruzies on Thu, 2007-09-06 - 00:48
It IS a big deal. You should see a Neuro about this and find out what it is. He/She might be able to prescribe something that ends this, and doesn't give you any side effects. It might be something you never notice other than taking meds every day.
Re: Should I even bother?
Submitted by mommy2kyra on Sun, 2006-07-16 - 14:09
Hi keti, No, I wouldn't ignore it. Seizures can and do get worse if they aren't being treated. Just because you aren't aware of strange episodes more than once or twice a month does not mean that an eeg wouldn't illicit abnormal brain activity. A lot of people (myself included) never have "normal" eeg's. I'm not saying that you do have E. What I am saying is that if you are suspicious, you should have it checked out. You know your body better than anyone. If you are having seizures...the sooner you work on getting them under control, the better. I went many years without anyone realizing I was having seizures (despite me mentioning odd events a few times that I recall). My grand mal led to discovery, and I finally began treatment. Over 8 years of trying to control my seizures, I took another step and had surgery. In that preparation, I found out that my hippocampus (greatly involvd in memory- storing and retrieving) on both sides of my brain was in the 10th percentile. Puny is a good word for it. Had my seizures been discovered and treated a lot sooner, I'd be in a lot better shape. Don't avoid the seizures, and assume it's no big deal. It *is* a big deal. Catch it as soon as you can, and hope that you can nip them in the bud! Maybe you aren't having seizures, I don't know. If you have strange occurances happening, you should most definitely get them checked out. See a neurologist or epileptologist (much better!), and go over your experiences. Best wishes to you! Heather :)