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Electrical feeling (seizure aura) in body after using cpap machine.

I am 48 years old, and have had a seizure disorder since I was 11 years old.  I've been on Dilantin Kapseals since then, with only one seizure in high school (when I was taken off my meds.)
Since then, I am still taking Dilantin (400mg. Mon/Wed./Fri.and 300mg. the rest of the week). I also take 20 mg. Lexapro once a day for general dep/anxiety, which has given me much relief.

I have severe sinus and allergies, for which I take allergy meds. when needed and go for a twice yearly cortisone sinus shot for some relief.  Whenever I stand up to walk around, I get a pounding/thumping in my head as if it is coming from pressure in my sinuses.  

I was sent for a sleep disorder study and was found that I have moderate sleep apnea, for which I use a CPAP machine.  After starting the CPAP last year, I awoke to use the bathroom and went back to bed with a roaring in my head and a feeling of an electric shock/tingling throughout my body.  It was a dreadful feeling, similar to the beginning of a seizure.  It also effected my stomache with sharp pains.  My Neurol. had several tests done, MRI, MRV, eeg, and ambulatory eeg.  Nothing unusual from the findings, except sinus blockages that were noticed.

I stopped using the CPAP and thought I would try it again just recently, and after 1 week of continuous use, I experienced the same reaction with the electrical type feelings in my body, followed by a burning sensation.  I always remained alert during these episodes and wound up taking lorazepam as instructed by my Internist immediately after the episode.

I am not sure which way to turn now....could it be my sinuses are so blocked, that the pressure from cpap is causing something in my brain to set off a partial type seizure?  I was also concerned about the pressure on my lungs from the cpap, because I would get quick little pains in my lungs when using the cpap too.  

I don't know what else my Neurol. could do as far as testing, but I really do want to find out why this is happening to me.

Any help in pointing me in the right direction is appreciated.
Thank you.
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Avatar universal
i have this tinnittus as well, i ve been on dilantin for ten years and recently switched to keppra......bad idea  had 8 different sezuires since then and thats when my ringing started .now im back on dilantin and feel better , and im goin for a sleep study but i have had this sensation when i blew my nose and had a sezuire two different times  it sounds alot like what you described...   good luck  hope you find a happy medium, oh and  dont take dilantin too long  beware long term side effects.
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Avatar universal
I also forgot to mention that since the first episode with the roaring in my head and the feeling on a coming seizure, I also developed Tinnitus.

Since then I have constant sound in my head whether it is ringing, clanging and sometimes like a motor running.  I need to use a sound machine at night so I can sleep.
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