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.

Bizzare Aura: does anyone else feel this way

Fri, 06/08/2018 - 08:58
So hey, I’m an epileptic who’s had their seizures under control with 150 mg of Lamotrigine and 300 of aptiom. While I don’t have seizures often, I still get auras that will come and go, mostly when I’m asleep or trying to go to bed. I haven’t been able to find anyone else with the same aura I’ve had though, so has anyone ever had this same feeling: It’s hard to describe, since it’ll usually subside after sleep, but the best way to describe it is that it first starts with “mental overload” like a computer trying to boot up 5 different programs at once. All of those thoughts get kind of mixed together to form a word salad in the brain. It’s a really unpleasant feeling that further gets compounded by the next feeling. It’s like those old, cd rom programs that would freeze and repeat the same sound over and over again before the “not responding” message popped up. Shortly after that, it’s like if whoever is operating the computer keeps hitting “Ctrl+Z” to try and restart the process in hopes that it’ll all run smoothly next time. Your thoughts get rewound and you experience the same or similar feelings over and over again until you snap out. It even carries over into dreams sometimes, where the feeling becomes more vivid, but for some reason, if I sleep on it, I’ll usually feel totally better in the morning as if the programs worked themselves out and are running smoothly. So yeah, has anyone else had a similar experience? It’s hard to put it in the words, but this is the best analogy that I can come up for it. It hasn’t seemed to have resulted in a seizure, but this aura is highly intrusive, making me take a second at work to just breathe and “fight” the feelings. Doing such only puts it off and it builds until I get the chance to actually rest and wipe it from my brain. Thanks, Austin

Comments

Welcome AustinGlad to see

Submitted by just_joe on Sat, 2018-06-09 - 16:57
Welcome AustinGlad to see your seizures are being controlled and that you don't have them often.Auras to some people are warning that they may have a stronger seizure. I reality they too are seizures themselves. If you haven't discussed them with your neurologist then you should. Do note the days you have them and what went on during the day. If your medications and dosages haven't changed in a period of time then that may be all that i needed to get your seizures and auras under better control..Joe

Sign Up for Emails

Stay up to date with the latest epilepsy news, stories from the community, and more.