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No one knows.

Sun, 02/04/2018 - 14:25
Hi, I cannot seem to get a diagnosis that fits and wonder if anyone else has the same symptoms. My first 'episode' I was having breakfast in a cafe with my husband, I suddenly felt faint, slid to the ground, my eyes rolled up and apparently I went quite rigid. When I came to, the ambulance was already there and I had vomited a small amount, also peed a small amount (great in a restaurant!) I was probably 'out' for about 15 minutes. I spent three days in hospital having every test known to man. Nothing was discovered and I was given a vague diagnosis of possible Epilepsy. Since that time six years ago I have only had three more incidents. All with a different MO. Sometimes a warning sometimes none nothing at all. Three times a full black out for up to twenty minutes, yet one time I could hear and understand what people were saying as from a great distance but had no use at all of my limbs. I was effectively paralyzed for about an hour, at which point my husband and a friend had to support me to get me to a bedroom. Fortunately I was at home. On two of the four occasions I vomited, once beforehand, once as I came to. I also peed a small amount again during one episode. On each occasion I have been sitting down before blacking out. Once I was in a theater watching a play, once on the sofa watching a movie, twice sitting at a table. On none of those occasions have I suddenly stood up. The only connecting factor is that on each occasion I have eaten a meal within an hour of blacking out. I never feel panicked or scared. On the first occasion, I remember as I gradually came to, feeling a sense of euphoria and calm. I have told my husband that if it happens again, not to call an ambulance just to leave me on the floor, cover me with a blanket and watch over me. My new Neurologist has diagnosed Syncope but it just doesn't seem to fit. This after another hospital visit lasting three days, again with dozens of tests. Despite the rarity of these blackouts, I no longer drive for fear of having an episode and killing someone. I hate this! Apologies for the long post. Does anyone have any ideas?

Comments

Syncope can look like a

Submitted by just_joe on Sun, 2018-02-04 - 23:17
Syncope can look like a seizure. However it is also a heart issue because your blood isn't getting to your brain quick enough. Has your neurologist done any tests?? One of those would be an EEG. The EEG is a bran wave test showing the electrical activity in your brain during the test. They will want to see abnormalities. Those would be spikes, waves epileptiform or seizure activity. seizure activity is not a seizure itself. What causes a seizure is an electrical discharge  impulse hitting wrong in your brain, That impulse hitting wrong causes a chain reaction. Kind of like stacking up dominoes and tapping the first one. They all go down. Stick a finger between the first and second and tap the first and the rest stay up. Your finger would be one of the medications. With syncope they do not lose control of all their muscles so I don't know if them throw up or pee.Nothing was discovered and I was given a vague diagnosis of possible Epilepsy.  All it takes to diagnose epilepsy is 2 seizures and from hat you posted you have had more then 2/ Discuss this issue with your neurologist or even get them to refer you to a neurologist that specializes in epilepsy. Epileptiologist do specialize and take your files from the hospital visits with you.

It sounds like several types

Submitted by mereloaded on Wed, 2018-02-07 - 18:19
It sounds like several types of seizures from tonic seizures (body goes stiff), to complex partials (standing up), to a sense seizures. Loss of bladder control is common when having a seizure My son vomited often for about two years before his epilepsy diagnosis. He would vomit randomly with no explanation. Sometimes he would get dizzy but not pass out, or would say that he needed to sit down after turning pale. The doctors mentioned syncope too, because tests were normal.We have had 5 EEGs done by 3 different hospitals, all of them normal. He only got diagnosed afte the unexplained ed duzzy/vomit spells turned into myoclunus episode that later turned into a tonic clonic seizures. So all of those random symptoms that no 9 e could ex0lain turned out to be auras and epilepsy crawling in... symptoms got worse and came to a head when he got a tonic clonic. He has had 3 of those now that I know of, but before that there were just dizzy spells and vomiting, nothing else.

Ps/ yes, he got diagnosed

Submitted by mereloaded on Wed, 2018-02-07 - 18:21
Ps/ yes, he got diagnosed with epilepsy after two known seizures. He takes keppra and is no coincidence that the symptoms stopped and He never has gotten a dizzy or vomiting spell ever since.

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