FrJackHackett

All right, here is one which utterly mystifies me. At the outset I consider it most unlikely that light will be shed on it but I shall post anyway - you never know.

I am male, 56, health has always been first class and still is. In the ten year period 1993 - 2003 I have experienced, at roughly two year intervals (well, almost exactly two year intervals actually) mental "episodes". What happens is this. I shall be as brief as possible.

I begin, sometimes quite suddenly, to experience what I can only describe as a tremendously intense deja-vu, as if my brain has suddenly begun to cross-reference itself with false, extremely vivid memories. The first one (May 1993) occurred just before we were due to go out to a restaurant and I seriously doubted my ability to go through with the exercise. I sat down in the wrong position at our dining room table, I began using the wrong key to start the car ... various other things like this. It lasted about an hour and really shook me up. In fact though, I returned to normal rapidly and aside from being severely worried there remained only a slight but pleasant weariness.

I saw the doctor the following week, he admitted defeat and sent me to more specialised people. I went through a gamut of all sorts of tests, mental and physical. The diagnosis returned to my G.P. was that probably (emphasis on probably) I had had an isolated hypoglycaemic dip.

Since then I have had "episodes" on 2/5/93, 17/6/95, 18/11/97, 14/4/2001 and 16/6/03. They ALWAYS occur late in the afternoon, about 17:00, and never (yet) at any other time. Notice how they are so striking that I cannot forget the dates. Aside from minor alarm, I have been fully in possession of my faculties during them (except the first, which I think perhaps caused its effects by virtue of shock of the unexpected)I have tested myself during them, and I have been able to solve difficult mathematical problems and play difficult piano pieces during them. My long and short term memory seem completely unaffected.

One thing though - ingestion of a reasonable quantity of honey, sugar or glucose during one does NOTHING at all. It runs its course over an hour or two regardless. Therefore am I right to doubt the expert's diagnosis ?

Obviously, there's no real point in scheduling a whole new investigation. They haven't become more frequent and are certainly no worse - I feel I'd just be wasting everybody's time. I make sure my doctor keeps a note of them but beyond that the whole thing's a mystery.

But why every two years and only every two years ? I've racked my brains for some common thread - something I've done, something I've eaten ... I cannot think of anything I haven't done or eaten at other times.

It wouldn't matter, only these "episodes" are so peculiar, so distinctive, so utterly unlike being in a normal state.

Has anybody any ideas ?

I might add that my family and friends notice nothing unusual about me or my behaviour at these times when I feel so strange. After the initial diagnosis I made several attempts to generate symptoms by not eating, exercising flat out and so on but could not. There is some diabetes in one branch of my father's family, but only in individuals well over seventy years of age. I have hardly had a headache in my life - just don't get them. I am getting slightly shortsighted and have very mild tinnitus - always was there off and on. But no visual or aural problems to speak of. I have never smoked, never used drugs, I take medicine seldom and with reluctance, and enjoy only the occasional drink.

[This message has been edited by FrJackHackett (edited 08-27-2003).]

[This message has been edited by FrJackHackett (edited 08-27-2003).]