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.

Help understanding doctors letter -EEG results

Sat, 05/13/2017 - 06:35
Hi there-so I'm really looking for some help in making sense in a letter I've received this morning from my neurologist if possible. So, to give you a brief background, I had a major seizure end of January-first (known) time this has happened-no warning signs and completely out of the blue. Had a few split second blackouts about 4 weeks prior and approx 7 years ago I had a "suspected" seizure (no witnesses-found unconscious). My MRI, CT and angiogram came back fine. My results for my EEG arrived today and the doctor writes as follows: "It showed there is an excess of irregular mixed frequency slow activities over the temporal regions on both sides, and there are occasional sharp waves, particularly in the left hemisphere. It suggests that there is an increased focal susceptibility to seizures." He goes on to say that if it happens again I need to go onto keppra but otherwise we'll see her in 6 months time. I feel totally left in the lurch with this as I don't know how to interpret these results-does this mean I have epilepsy or simply that I am prone to such occurrences due to the frequencies of my brain? I feel as though I've been left to put the pieces together myself and with 5 young children and a job/house to run etc it's very worrying. I'm struggling to cope without my licence, which has been the biggest blow to me-not just practically but in terms of my confidence and self esteem because it's taken my independence away. I live in a rural area so it's really hard. If anyone could offer any advice on how to best interpret these results I'd dealt appreciate it. I've booked an appointment with my gp to discuss but even that's a two week wait.

Comments

You're interpreting the

Submitted by mmepps on Mon, 2017-05-15 - 20:47
You're interpreting the letter correctly. The optimistic way to look at this report is that you have a doctor who is not willing to slap a label of epilepsy on you (or your medical record) until she/he is absolutely sure that it is the cause of the seizure or blackouts. So although you may feel like you're left in the dark, you may actually have a decent doctor who isn't willing to just give a diagnosis and hand out a pill that you may not necessarily need. Definitely let your doctor know if you have any other symptoms though - the doctor may not ask specifically about de ja vu or something that feels like a panic attack or impending doom - sorry there is no other way to describe the latter.  You know if you have it. If not, that's a good thing. Some people love Keppra, others hate it. I've not had a bad experience with it, and I'm taking it in conjunction with Lamictal. And I feel ya on the driving thing. I had the same thing. I am very independent, with no kids, and still had a very hard time dealing with it. I can't imagine what it is like with the kiddos. Hang in there and don't be too hard on yourself. 

Sign Up for Emails

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