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Complex partial epilepsy
Sun, 11/14/2004 - 19:12It is certainly difficult to live with epilepsy (at least here in Australia). I overwent the surgery but it didn't work. I don't blame anyone, of course. I am now taking Rivrotil, Lamictal and Keppra. Keppra seems to work for me but I still have a big problem. I often have difficulties to understand what a person is saying and I certainly have difficulties to answer him/her. It also happens when I watch TV and suddenly I feel that something doesn't work in my brain because I don't understand what's going on on TV. I hear voices, strange voices coming from far away like an echo. Is this caused by stress, tiredness or something else? Does anybody have the same problem?I feel lonely and I don't have anybody whom I can trust and talk about epilepsy, gaining some support and hope to overcome this problem. I was 19 yrd when I had my first seazure and now I am 46.
Comments
RE: RE: Complex partial epilepsy
Submitted by edy_telephone on Sat, 2004-11-13 - 22:07
Hi,I don't know your name and I will answer your questions the best I can. I had my surgery on May 2000. Sorry to tell you but things are not so much better. After the surgery, I had a very big memory problem. I love reading books but for sometimes I had to fight agains the memory problem. I continued to read books even if the following day I couldn't remember what I had read the day before. I had problem speaking, because I couldn't find words to express myself. I had to wait and think intensily until I had found the words (simple words, remember!) and keep my conversation. I went on for almost two years with these memory problems which I didn't have before. After the operation, the memory problem should have continue only for few days as I was told from my neurologist and the neurosurgeon. But it went on for a long time.I can only say that now I am satisfied after all the problems I went through after the operation. I have fighted against this memory problem with all my effort and strength. Now I don't have these big memory problems and I can talk, expressing my thoughts, ideas and feelings. I can have a conversation with others. The big problem is that, often, when I am talking with someone I hear his/her voice but I am not able to interpret the words. At first I get a bit scare to have a seizure. Now I have learned that if this problem happens and tends to continue, I would take an extra Rivotril, and the problem disappear. I have talked about this problem with my neurologist and he really doesn't take it as a bad problem. But it is and since I have an appointment with him in December, I will try to convince him to tell me how I can avoid this problem which bothers me because there are times that happens frequenly, and then I go on for a month, a month and a half before having another of this problem. I've wrote too much. I apologise. I thank you for your words because it helps me to continue my life even if I have this problem which bothers me a lot.my email: edy@maconline.com.au
RE: Complex partial epilepsy
Submitted by gsness on Thu, 2004-11-11 - 22:20
Hi!Persons with E occasionally do hear voices. Rarely, I think I hear them myself; but not clearly. I'm 50, so only about 4 years older than you. (My, doesn't time fly when your having seizures? Ha! A little epilepsy humor there.) Anyway, my experience is more like someone is talking just out of the range of my hearing and I am just catching a small phrase hear or there. The explanation I read was that it was more common in cases of left temporal lobe involvement. (I could be wrong about this. I have both left and right lobe involvement). Anyway, it's one portion of the brain that controls what we hear and/or our memory. In particular, I believe the LTL is a portion of the brain that most effects memory, and people with LTL involvement occasionally hear voices that they have heard in the past. Sometimes voices of people they know or knew well; sometimes just snips of voices or conversations that they have heard. It is an aura or limited sort of seizure in itself.I understand that the “hearing voices” thing is not THAT uncommon. But please talk to your neuro about it.Blessings to you, and good luck!GSN
RE: Complex partial epilepsy
Submitted by e_nuffofthis on Thu, 2004-11-11 - 08:07
How long ago did you have surgery? If it was a long time ago, things are so much better now. Maybe you can be reevaluated?
Did you always have those problems or do you think they started when you began taking one of the meds? What does your neurologist say about these problems?
How long ago did you have surgery? If it was a long time ago, things are so much better now. Maybe you can be reevaluated?
Did you always have those problems or do you think they started when you began taking one of the meds? What does your neurologist say about these problems?