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Neurology (Expert Forum)
negative eeg but sz during test
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negative eeg but sz during test
by amoeba, Aug 18, 2002 12:00AM
i was diagnosed with complex partial epilepsy many years ago. During the last few years have been having a reassessment. First had a short eeg during which i had a small sz with verbal sounds i was aware of it .. the eeg showed one spike .. neuro said it was a blip and inconclusive and also was from roughly the left side of head near crown. 2yrs ago had a veeg during which nothing happened until i had the strobe light. I had a major right sided sz with verbal utterances and fell out of chair. The eeg showed nothing .. neuro said this was a psuedosz caused by exciteable brain cells i do not understand can you explain? When i went for the veeg the technician said i dont know why he is doing all this you had a result last time she was the same lady who conducted the first eeg. He now says maybe i have a mix of psuedo and "proper" epilepsy and the only way i`ll know is to reduce my medication. Is their any other test i could have as i tried the reduction before and kept ending up in casualty.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT, Aug 18, 2002 12:00AM
In most cases, a true seizure will show up on the EEG as a chnage in the brain wave activity. Sometimes, people have what's called pseudoseizures in which they have some kind of event manifest as shaking, staring, fainting, etc... that do NOT represent any change in brain wave activity, and therefore are not true seizures.It is often not a conscious act, meaning the patient isn't doing it on purpose, but because of some reason or another (stress, psychological reasons, etc...) their body is reacting in a way that is similar to a true seizure. It is actually quite common to have both seizures and pseudoseizures. Treatment can be complicated and often requires the assistance of counseling or psychiatric help.
I'm curious why it is that "pseudoseizures" are so often thought - and quickly labeled by neurologists - to be psychological in nature?
For example, "amoeba"'s question here reminds me of how I almost always experience left finger (middle finger and pointer finger) twitching during the hyperventilation portion of the EEGs I've had. Once, when I underwent a sleep-deprived EEG the twitching during the EEG portion spread to my entire body. The EEG has never shown electrical changes during the twitching.
So, fine, the twitching is not epileptic in nature.
I do have true complex partial seizures and twitching is NOT a symtpom of my normal seizure presentation. It only happens during hyperventilation. My neuro says it's "anxiety." I disagree. I think it's some other sort of "reaction" to hyperventilation. It obviously doesn't bother me since it doesn't happen unless I'm hyperventilating for an EEG. So, why must everything that is not totally understood by medicine automatically be labeled as psychologically based?
I'm not trying to argue here... I SINCERELY want to understand this issue from a doctor's perspective. Aren't there other physiologically-based reasons for the rare "odd" incident of twiching, etc.? I feel that the psych label is often used (dangerously loosely) as another way of saying "I don't know." And personally, I'd much rather hear, "I don't know" from a doctor than to be labeled with anxiety issues just because I happen to respond to hyperventilation with twitching.
Thank you any insight you can offer.
Feel like **** all the time...with pre-seizures and post seizures, and have so many triggers (smells) that "take me" to another time in my life for a second or two. Very familiar but NOT remembered when it is over.
I am at my wit's end.
Liver is shot, and have osteoporosis, from the medication...Tegretol CR.
I need to hear about your experiences, please write to me.
Thanks.