Was This A Seizure?

[mkoven]

From the little bit of reading I've tried to do (I'm not a doctor), it seems like maybe it could be a simple partial seizure, since those are ones where you don't lose consciousness?

I did get the results, which are normal. I see my migraine doc tomorrow and will ask what she thinks. My ans doc wanted me to have a longer ambulatory eeg. My big problem seems to be very early morning.

[doctorguest]

Hi Michele,

I've read your original description of these "events", and from what you describe, these do not appear to be compatible with a seizure disorder, even the simple partial one. What these could be includes a list of possibilities - from medication side effect, to migraine aura, to sleep-related hypnogogic/hypnopompic halllucinations - i.e. a phonemona that occurs when someone either wakes up or falls asleep. It may help your doctors (and you) if you can record your blood pressure and heart rate during or immediately after these episodes. Good luck with the rest of the workup.

[mkoven]

Thanks, Doctorguest. As long as we can figure out how to make them stop, I'd be thrilled for them not to be seizures! I just want to understand what's going on, and then have an even semi-plan! For me, the worst thing is not understanding creepy symptoms. With ncs and migraines, I can deal since I get what's going on.

I'll see what I can do about bp/hr measurement-- during the episodes I'm too out of it to count, but could after-- knowing though that I do get a huge adrenaline surge after.

It did happen again this morning. Same thing-- between 3 and 5 am, I woke up, and each time, I was trying to nod off-- weird floaty feeling, flash in vision, tingly head, surge in stomach, like I have to go to the bathroom instantly, and then left-sided jerking. Not as jerky as Thursday, and I snapped out of it a lot faster, but it's making it very hard to get much sleep once these start happening. I'm not even sure which doc to pursue this with.

I am premenstrual. And the only med change has been decreasing keppra from 500 to 250 several weeks ago. I was on zonegran for two days but couldn't stand how it affected my thinking. So back to low-dose keppra, which I can't imagine is doing a whole lot for me. I started a half pill of plavix six weeks ago.

Otherwise, just allegra and singulair that I've been on for over two years, ibuprofen, klonopin a couple times a week for vertigo, and midodrine during the day.

But thanks for the tips!

Michele

[mkoven]

Hi everyone,

Just saw my migraine doc. She agreed with doctorguest, that it is probably a hypnagogic-type thing. But given the metallic taste and involuntary rocking, thought it would be good to do a 24 hour eeg anyway to be sure.

She thought getting the cpap treatment for apnea would probably help many things--maybe this weird new thing too. I'm supposed to go back for a second sleep study next week to get a mask titrated. Unfortunately, I now have a cold and am congested, so this might get postponed.

No new meds. Gonna wait on longer eeg and c-pap, though she said the next drug she would probably try for migraines would be gabatril (sp?)

thanks!!!

Michele

[mkoven]

I don't know what to think anymore. My pcp thinks these are seizures. I keep having these episodes, to one degree or another. Last night was rough as I was falling asleep-- strange surges in my head and stomach, tingling on one side, weird tastes, and then some jerking. The only thing that would interrupt it was to get up. I did finally fall asleep, but dreamed about jerking.

I'm scheduled for a 24 hour eeg on May 8. My pcp thinks this is too long to wait, if I am actually having seizures. He said that if I have another episode like the one a week ago where I started full out rocking, and couldn't make it stop, and couldn't otherwise move, he wants me to go to the er. He said that's the only way I'll get seen by a neurologist in a prompt fashion.

I'm really not in the mood for another diagnosis, round of testing, doctors, treatments. Whatever these episodes are, I'd like them to just stop.