EPILEPSY LIKE SYNDROME OF UNKN. ETIOLOGY POSSIBLY HEAD TRAUMA IN EARLIER LIFE.

WIFE EXPERIENCES OLFACTORY ODORS SOMETIMES PRECEDED BY OLFACTORY AURA OF"WET CHESTNUTS" HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE 1969 WHEN SUFFERRED HEAD TRAUMA. RX WITH TEGRITAL UNSUCCESSFULLY. NEGATIVE CAT SCAN AND EEG. SEEN BY ALLERGIST 1995 NO SPECIFIC RX OR DIAGNOSIS. SOMETIMES PRECEDED BY STUFFIESS IN HEAD AND OR HEADACHES. RX BY LYING DOWN AND / OR HOLD ONE NOSTRIL OR OTHER SHUT. (R) SIDE EASIER TO TREAT. OCCURS SUDDENLY SOMETIMES W/O WARNING.
ONCE OCCURING WHEN STANDING BY ME WHILE I WAS SIGHTING HUNTING RIFLE IN , GUN SHOT STIMULATED ATTACK. FROM ONSET S & S MAY CONTINUE FOM FOR A FEW MINUTES TWO A COUPLE OF WEEKS. CAN YOU GIVE ME ANIDEA OF WHAT THIS MAY BE AND WHERE AND HOW TO RX.

WILLIAM . WHITE

[HFHS MD-JM]

William,

       You describe a vague syndrome that may represent damage to your wife's olfactory nerves which can not uncommonly be seen as a result of head trauma.  Its not clear if there are other symptoms that would suggest a seizure disorder.  Tegretol is one of many anti-convulsnant agents that may or may not be helpful for treating different seizure disorders.  I also want you to realize that a negative EEG does not rule out a seizure disorder.
I strongly suggest that your wife be seen by a neurologist for further evaluation and treatment as they are the experts in this area.  Good luck.

Sincerely,

HFHS MD-JM

Keywords: Closed head injury

[NRO-Sx]

Might be an olfactory hallucination associated with an unruptured intracranial aneurysm.  Normal head CT scan would be negative without intravenous contrast enhancement if this is in fact due to an unruptured intracranial aneurysm.  Also, EEG would be normal.  Necessary investigation may include non-invasive CTA (CT angiogram) or four vessel cerebral angiogram (invasive procedure that requires femoral artery puncture and placement of catheter within blood vessels of the brain).

[William w white]

Please refer my question to the neuro forum. The second theory has me quite consrrned. hope to here from you soon.

[WILLIAM W. WHITE]

WIFE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING FORGETFULNESS OVER SMALL MATTERS LIKE MIPLACIG KEYS .,. COMBS ETC. YESTERDAY FOR A HORT TIME WHILE SIGNING HER NAME (DEBBIE) TO CMAS CARS COULDN'T REMEMBER HOW TO MAKE LETTER  D. ANY COMMENTS AND CAN YOU REFER THIS TO NEURO. I CAN NEVER GET IN. THANKS BILL WHITE.