Epilepsy?

Hi Dr.,

I just wanted to get your opinion on this because I think it is really strange. I think I may have some sort of temporal lobe epilepsy. I hear words that I can't make out at night, and when I took a few antipsychotics for it (zyprexa, geodon, and abilify) prescribed by my psychiatrist, it helped but started to get worse all over again. Does this make any sense for an atpyical to work and improve symptoms, but then immediately after pushing back the symptoms, the symptoms are getting worse all over again?  From what I know, I thought that they either work and keep working as long as you take them, or they don't work at all because the patient is treatment resistant to the medication.

Here is something else to consider. When I took these medicines they all seemed to work right away within a day, and then my

So yeah, that's my question.

Thanks.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

I don't think you can use the usual reaction to drugs as a way to make a diagnosis since there is usually so much individual variation.  If you are concerned re epilepsy, then an eeg and a workup by a neurologist is in order.

[zara219]

. . and having said that, I think you should also know that Temporal Lobe Epilepsy often does not show up on EEGs, but has a certain set of unmistakable symptoms. All of which are largely subjective, so it helps to be informed - and to consult an epileptologist, a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy. The symptoms are an interesting list: experiences of deja vu or jamai vu; hypergraphia; "seeing things" out of the corner of the eye, so to speak; spiritual experiences; sudden smells or bad tastes. . .and more. Read up!