Anyone here have Epilepsy?

[Danie]

Ive had these episodes for years, and I actually went to a Neurologist last year to figure it out. But nothing showed up on the EEG or MRI. This year though, my Neurological weirdness is in full force. I actually had my first Absence seizure a few months back, and now I have them all the time (I usual have Partials). Anyway, Im currently seeing a Neuro for seizures and symptoms that look Neurological rather than Psychological (to which I have psychological diagnosis'). Has anyone seen a Neurologist for seizures? Im rather lost on this whole process and could use some advice, and some guidance.

[Sophist]

I have simple partials but have never sought diagnosis because they are so mild.

Describe your partials. What symptoms do you usually experience during your seizures? That might give some idea of the originating location of the seizure and also may help indicate a trigger to the seizures which may make it easier to catch one during EEG (i.e., if you can replicate the trigger, you could actually cause a seizure and then get it recorded via EEG). I'm assuming that, so far, you've never experienced a seizure while you've been having the EEG done?

Also, Danie, what age are you? And at what age do you remember these seizures starting (e.g., childhood, puberty, etc.)? Do you ever notice if these seizures get worse around the time of your period?

[Danie]

Well with my partials, my SPs dont always occur the same way. Mostly the same symptoms, just in a different order. Usually though they start with a eye ache, then a headache, then I will eperience extreme dissociation (derealization like nothings real, in a drem world, etc) and then I will become very naseous. A couple mins after that I will see redspots in my vision. Usually when I see redspots it indicates a CP, and half my body will start to shake. Im completely conscience, and I usually can talk during a CP. These episodes will last from 3 to 15 minutes.

My absence is much different. I dont usually feel any of what I described above. I will be doing something, then I will black out what feels like miliseconds (I will lose time or be in a different place than i was before) and then afterwars I get EXTREMELY confused (where am i? where was i going? what was i doing?). After about 3 minutes it over. But I will feel wobbly and my balance will be horrible.

I actually think they are triggered by light. As in, If im on the computer too long (huge trigger), and if I watch tv in the dark. I cant stand movie theatres. After the movie I will feel SPs one after the other, and usually accomponied by a CP or even an Absense.

I am 21. My last EEG they did all the standard procedures, the light, the hyperventalation, and some other things I dont remember. And I got "spikes' but no actually seizures. But that one wasnt sleep deprived. And sleep deprivation is also a trigger. I get really "weird" neurologically. I will feel lighter, and I will get really spacey. As well, I take klonopin, and no meds is a trigger.

[Sophist]

Well with my partials, my SPs dont always occur the same way. Mostly the same symptoms, just in a different order. Usually though they start with a eye ache, then a headache, then I will eperience extreme dissociation (derealization like nothings real, in a drem world, etc) and then I will become very naseous. A couple mins after that I will see redspots in my vision. Usually when I see redspots it indicates a CP, and half my body will start to shake. Im completely conscience, and I usually can talk during a CP. These episodes will last from 3 to 15 minutes.

The left side of your body? Also, do you ever experience anything auditory? Buzzing combined with dizziness, etc.?

My absence is much different. I dont usually feel any of what I described above. I will be doing something, then I will black out what feels like miliseconds (I will lose time or be in a different place than i was before) and then afterwars I get EXTREMELY confused (where am i? where was i going? what was i doing?). After about 3 minutes it over. But I will feel wobbly and my balance will be horrible.

So you don't experience any similar auras at all? Try to make note of precisely what's happening before they start if you can. Are you tired? Stressed? Is it in the early morning after waking? Just before bed? After a lot of sensory stimulation? Etc.

I would really advise starting a very detailed seizure journal, if you haven't already. Make note of the symptoms, the time of day, how you were feeling up to an hour beforehand (tired, stressed, etc.), whether anything unusual happened that day, if your periods tend to be pretty regular then also make note of what day in your entire cycle you're in because changes in estrogen and progesterone can wreak havoc on seizure susceptibility. If you didn't start your seizures until during or after puberty, that would probably be why.

I actually think they are triggered by light. As in, If im on the computer too long (huge trigger), and if I watch tv in the dark. I cant stand movie theatres. After the movie I will feel SPs one after the other, and usually accomponied by a CP or even an Absense.

It may be a withdrawal of stimulation that triggers seizures if you're not experiencing them until after these stimuli are withdrawn. Make note if you have more seizures when you're tired and your environment is very quiet versus noisy or white noise in the background.

For myself, my seizures seem to be triggered by a LACK of noise in my environment. So I always need to make sure to have at least some white noise in the background and this prevents seizures. For you, the issue of stimulus withdrawal may be the key as well. In which case, if they want to trigger a seizure for you and catch it on EEG, I would recommend you deprive yourself of sleep and then that they do some sensory deprivation (cover your eyes, put on noise-canceling headphones, put you in a small enclosed room). For me, this deprivation will cause a seizure without fail.

I am 21. My last EEG they did all the standard procedures, the light, the hyperventalation, and some other things I dont remember. And I got "spikes' but no actually seizures. But that one wasnt sleep deprived. And sleep deprivation is also a trigger. I get really "weird" neurologically. I will feel lighter, and I will get really spacey. As well, I take klonopin, and no meds is a trigger.

Being tired reduces inhibition amongst interneurons in the cortex, making seizure activity more likely. Stress acts similarly. Which is why many people will have more seizures when they're either tired or stressed out. Being tired tends to have a more immediate affect on lowering the seizure threshold though; stress takes a little longer time to set in and lower the seizure threshold.

Danie, I can't precisely guess as to the focal point of your absence seizures, but your CP's definitely sound like Temporal Lobe, a combination of Limbic (with the derealization, pain, and nausea) and some Neocortical with the color spots. If you're having the motor seizures on the left side of your body, then I would say the focal point is probably right-sided, meaning Right TLE.