peache
10-22-2002, 08:06 PM
Hello everyone~
I'm new to this but I have a few questions so if anyone has any advice that would be great. 2 years ago I was diagnosed with partical complex seizures. I had many tests done. I had a CAT scan done an eeg, and an ekg. All of the tests came back normal but my neurologist said that happens often. Well I was told by another doctor that I could be suffering from anxiety disorder and not seizures. Since many of the smyptoms are the same for seizures and anxiety I often wonder myself. I don't know what's wrong with me and I was taking tegretol and now I'm taking carbatrol. Has anyone ever delt with anything like this or know someone that has? I'm all out of places to go. Thanks.
I'm new to this but I have a few questions so if anyone has any advice that would be great. 2 years ago I was diagnosed with partical complex seizures. I had many tests done. I had a CAT scan done an eeg, and an ekg. All of the tests came back normal but my neurologist said that happens often. Well I was told by another doctor that I could be suffering from anxiety disorder and not seizures. Since many of the smyptoms are the same for seizures and anxiety I often wonder myself. I don't know what's wrong with me and I was taking tegretol and now I'm taking carbatrol. Has anyone ever delt with anything like this or know someone that has? I'm all out of places to go. Thanks.
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YogaMom
10-22-2002, 10:54 PM
Hi Peache,
I am new here too and from the Cleveland area also! I just read a book on temporal lobe epilepsy and it says that often anxiety attacks can be epileptic seizures in those with TLE. Apparently, TLE and emotional disorders like depression and panic attacks, etc. can be closely related and some docs think that those disorders can be caused by brain scars in the temporal lobe. The book is called "Seized" by Eve LaPlante. It's very good. Do you know where your seizures originate?
If you didn't know, there is an adult epilepsy center at the Cleveland Clinic downtown. My doc is there. I have heard that an MRI is much better for detecting brain abnormalities such as those which cause seizures. Do the meds. control your seizures or the attacks?
Hope that helps!
Susan
[This message has been edited by YogaMom (edited 10-22-2002).]
I am new here too and from the Cleveland area also! I just read a book on temporal lobe epilepsy and it says that often anxiety attacks can be epileptic seizures in those with TLE. Apparently, TLE and emotional disorders like depression and panic attacks, etc. can be closely related and some docs think that those disorders can be caused by brain scars in the temporal lobe. The book is called "Seized" by Eve LaPlante. It's very good. Do you know where your seizures originate?
If you didn't know, there is an adult epilepsy center at the Cleveland Clinic downtown. My doc is there. I have heard that an MRI is much better for detecting brain abnormalities such as those which cause seizures. Do the meds. control your seizures or the attacks?
Hope that helps!
Susan
[This message has been edited by YogaMom (edited 10-22-2002).]
peache
10-23-2002, 12:15 AM
Thanks for the information. I do not know where in my brain that my seizures origniated from. My doctor told me that it won't show up on test but it's still there. I guess that's what I find so frustrating is really just not know for sure. The medicine seems to help most of the time but it's just gotten to a point in my life where I don't care because I do not want to do this anymore. I'm going to check out that book you mentioned. Thanks,
Robyn
Robyn
YogaMom
10-24-2002, 12:12 AM
Hi Robyn,
I am sorry you are feeling badly. I feel for you! I had anxiety attacks for many years every time I even thought about going out anywhere. In fact, I used to drink alot just so I could socialize. But that's a whole other story...They have subsided and now I just have depression which is treated with med.
Anyhow, I have done lots of research on TLE and it seems that with TLE, partial complex seizures are the most common. I think your doc should be able to tell where the seizures originate if he or she is so sure nothing will show up on film. With temporal lobe lesions or scarring, sometimes the damage is too deep in the brain to find so that may be what your doctor is thinking.
Have you asked for an MRI since the CT didn't show anything? Please don't give up hope. Every day is new. I hope the book will shed some light for you. It says alot the doctors don't tell you.
I know I speak for others when I say we are here for you!
Susan
I am sorry you are feeling badly. I feel for you! I had anxiety attacks for many years every time I even thought about going out anywhere. In fact, I used to drink alot just so I could socialize. But that's a whole other story...They have subsided and now I just have depression which is treated with med.
Anyhow, I have done lots of research on TLE and it seems that with TLE, partial complex seizures are the most common. I think your doc should be able to tell where the seizures originate if he or she is so sure nothing will show up on film. With temporal lobe lesions or scarring, sometimes the damage is too deep in the brain to find so that may be what your doctor is thinking.
Have you asked for an MRI since the CT didn't show anything? Please don't give up hope. Every day is new. I hope the book will shed some light for you. It says alot the doctors don't tell you.
I know I speak for others when I say we are here for you!
Susan
susieq35
10-30-2002, 12:46 PM
Hi i to have complex partial seizures with anxiety and depression my eeg was very bad but the mri was clear .I guess i am responding and asking to.
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"Grant me the courage to change the things i can"
Suzie
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"Grant me the courage to change the things i can"
Suzie
nkrett
11-05-2002, 10:18 AM
my daughter has been having periodic grand mal seizures for about 18 months and is currently on trileptal and keppra (1500 mg and 3000 mg respectively)She also has simple partial seizures, but rarely. The other day, the father of one of my kids friends who is a neuropsyciatrist, mentioned to me about pseudoseizures. it seems though when she has the grand mals, it doesn't correspond to a anxiety filled situation. i might point out too that she had a major breakup with a boyfriend in august and didn't have a seizure then. she had her last one sunday morning at a overnight party celerating a 1st place win at a play competition. it just doesn't make sense. anyone familiar with this?
noidvoid2002
11-05-2002, 07:17 PM
hi i have also suffered with 2 complex partial seizures over the last 2years, i am 29 and never suffered any seizures until i was 28 but suffered the morning twiches in teenaged years mainly on the right side, i ve never had a head trama and my MRI,EEG come back clear,and i am not photo senseitive, so maybe it me mentally, any thoughts??
peache
11-06-2002, 03:42 AM
I also am not photo or light sensitive and my mri eeg and cat scan were all normal....a lot of the time i think that there is something mentally wrong with me and that it isn't a seizure. All I can say is read read read and ask questions to your doc. One of these days I would just like someone to give me a clear cut answer as to whats wrong with me
nkrett
11-06-2002, 09:33 AM
i was checking into this pseudoseizure thing and found a chart that compares epileptic and hysterical (pseudoseizures) the website is: http://w3.uokhsc.edu/neuro/division/cope/pseudosz.htm
after reviewing it, my daughter definitely falls under the epileptic seizure category. also, i've been reading how abnormal heart functions such as syncope can cause seizures...have you ever had that checked out? we see our neurologist next week and i definitely want to bring all of this up. my daughter's seizures have been diagnosed as "sleep deprivation" seizures...we're on lots of drugs and she still has grand mals approx. every 6 months. starting to wonder if she can built up a tolerance level to the drugs?
after reviewing it, my daughter definitely falls under the epileptic seizure category. also, i've been reading how abnormal heart functions such as syncope can cause seizures...have you ever had that checked out? we see our neurologist next week and i definitely want to bring all of this up. my daughter's seizures have been diagnosed as "sleep deprivation" seizures...we're on lots of drugs and she still has grand mals approx. every 6 months. starting to wonder if she can built up a tolerance level to the drugs?
nkrett
11-06-2002, 09:34 AM
i was checking into this pseudoseizure thing and found a chart that compares epileptic and hysterical (pseudoseizures) the website is: http://w3.uokhsc.edu/neuro/division/cope/pseudosz.htm
after reviewing it, my daughter definitely falls under the epileptic seizure category. also, i've been reading how abnormal heart functions such as syncope can cause seizures...have you ever had that checked out? we see our neurologist next week and i definitely want to bring all of this up. my daughter's seizures have been diagnosed as "sleep deprivation" seizures...we're on lots of drugs and she still has grand mals approx. every 6 months. starting to wonder if she can built up a tolerance level to the drugs?
after reviewing it, my daughter definitely falls under the epileptic seizure category. also, i've been reading how abnormal heart functions such as syncope can cause seizures...have you ever had that checked out? we see our neurologist next week and i definitely want to bring all of this up. my daughter's seizures have been diagnosed as "sleep deprivation" seizures...we're on lots of drugs and she still has grand mals approx. every 6 months. starting to wonder if she can built up a tolerance level to the drugs?
MrsPepper
11-21-2002, 05:34 PM
I was told the same thing. I was in the hospital for tests and no seizures happened. I was told it could be anxiety disorder. I went in for treatment for this for about 1-2 months (can't remember exactly how long). Nothing happened there. I was fine the whole time for everything they had me do. They said it was not anxiety disorder. The seizures did start up again and I ended up having surgery. When a test was done on what they removed they found a scar. I've also had MRI's and EEG's over the years. The EEG's weren't always OK but the MRI always came back normal. The scar was never visible on them.
nennery
11-21-2002, 08:33 PM
I've never posted to any boards before,so please bear with me. My 4yr. old son has just been diagnosed with epilepsy. He had an eeg done last week which showed "obvious" abnormalities (as soon as he was hooked up, the "spikes" were apparent, and they were evident during awake and asleep time). Two days later we were seeing a neurologist who put him on Tegretol. We are increasing the dosage to 3x a day over the next three weeks. I am supposed to be observing him to see if the medication is working, but my biggest question is that I don't know if I've ever seen my son have a seizure, nor am I sure I would recognize if he's having one. The reason his pediatrician sent him for an eeg is because I mentioned how "out of it" he often seems. He also has had numerous tests done over the last two years (not an eeg, though) due to "falling down" episodes when he was just two years old. He would fall and not be able to walk for 20-30 minutes, also complaining of leg and back pain at the time. He is a very explosive child, with severe rage or temper attacks. He is very clumsy. The neuro seems to think this is all connected due to where the "seizures" are coming from (left-temporal lobe I believe- I need to double check). He can only tell me that he is having "partial" seizures, says I don't need to know more. Does anyone have any light to shed on any of this? Sorry for the lengthy post, I am just so confused about all this. Thanks!
nennery
11-21-2002, 08:38 PM
oops......sorry, I just realized I was supposed to go to "new post", not "reply". Sorry.