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Newly diagnosed with epilepsy! I have a few questions please

Hi all!!!

My first time on here...I hope I find some answers. I'm sorry, this is going to be quite long...i'm really worried and I be it that it's my first time, I just wanted to give a little background! I apologize in advance if it's too long

A little over 2 weeks ago I had a seizure @ home @ night. It was my first time... lucky my boyfriend was home and handled it actually pretty well.
I saw an epilepsy specialist a few days later and he gave me an ambulatory EEG to wear for the night. Nothing out of the ordinary happened over night and I returned it the following day. I really was convinced this was a one time thing and everything would be fine.
On Monday I went back for my results and I was told my EEG is abnormal and he diagnosed me with epilepsy. He has not prescribed me any medication, and i do not drive (well, I have a license but I don't have a car).
I am do back in 8 weeks. He told me to take 250mg of magnesium a day and get a MRI. He also said we'll discus maybe medication then, but I've read the horrible side affects, and I'm already depressed and anxious, and I really don't want to take them if it's unnecessary.
I've read a lot about the disease itself, but I wanted to just hear from others that also have epilepsy or are familiar with it and can share any advise with me.
Even though the nero I saw is borderline genius he didn't answer a lot of the question I had. From reading on line it sounds to me like I had either tonic seizures or atonic seizure.(can you have both?)
Basically, I got up from the chair and felt extremely dizzy to the point where my vision started being unfocused and I had to hold on the the table not to fall. I remember holding a something in both my hands. The next thing I know I'm on the chair, shaking and not being able to say anything or focus my vision on anything. I was so lucky my boyfriend was home and right next to me. He said I dropped whatever I was holding in my hands first and fell on the chair (bc the chair was right behind me), my head went to the right side almost instantly and my head and neck were jerking "left and right back and forth" (as per his description). My eyes were rolling in the back of my head. I don't quite remember it that way, but I was hearing him say my name and ask what's the matter, what's the matter? He said it lasted about 10-20 seconds. He snapped his fingers (i don't know if that's what made me come out of it or the seizure itself just ended, and I also don't remember him snapping his fingers, but he said I came back), but I was confused, and all I could say was "what" over and over again. He took me to the couch and I layed down, I kept touching my teeth, and like biting my lips, and I was very tiered. He said I was disoriented for about 10-15 minutes later. After that I felt perfectly fine, except very scared and anxious.
Since then, we watched a movie and just got blueray, and there were lots of lights going on in the movie (I am # 4 was the movie) and that bothered my eyes so much I had to cover them! I get dizzy often when I get up, but I sit back down right away and it goes away. Sometimes I get blurry vision (like right now actually) but it also goes away.
I need to add a few things about me (i'm sorry i'm rambling, i just want to get it all out there). I'm 31. I'm under tremendousness amount of stress and have been since last October. I've lost 40+ lbs since then (i am now about 137 lbs) bc of all the stress that's going on. I also have another neurological disorder, Pseudotumor cerebri, but have been off medication for about 2 yrs bc I'm feeling much better. I've had neumourus MRI's in the past and CTs bc of the PTC, last one in 10/09, and they all have been normal. My nero said this next MRI will probably come out abnormal bc of the new on set seizure.
I went to a different neurologist then the one I see for PTC. Should I go back to him?

For the ones who are "experienced" (for lack of better words) with this...any advise please...as into do u know when a seizure comes on? is there anything to prevented it? do you know what triggered your first seizure? certain things that trigger it for you? should I follow a certain diet? do i really need medication? I smoke and I socially drink (really socially, lately not even once a month). I also smoke pot now and then, but I was told that may help it. I sometimes take Xanax to help me sleep, but @ no other time during the day. The seizure happened about a week before my period. I am on no other medication.

Thanking in advance for your answers and help! Again, I am sorry it's so long....
3 Responses
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144586 tn?1284666164
For some people the so-called ketogenic diet is helpful. This is a high-fat low-carbohydrate prorgram.

Others have special sensitivity to flickering lights, especially red lights. and wearing polarized dark glasses helps.

Two episodes do not confirm a diagnosis of epilepsy. There may have been some factor in your life that altered the threshold of sensitivity. Certain drugs are prime suspects. There is no evidence that smoking organic pot "helps". Street pot is often contaminated with toxins that could cause a seizure. You have to end all use of alcohol.
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Avatar universal
I can give you a little advice, because I have a brother-in-law that has it, as well as a cousin.  I can tell you that smoking, drinking, and smoking weed are not a very good idea.  My brother-in-law does all 3 of them, and winds up paying for it.  If you are feeling weird one thing that comes to mind is you may have what is called an aura.  Auras are not something to be scared of they just are part of having epilepsy.  
No one is going to fault you for being forgetful, because well that is part of epilepsy.  I wish I could help you more, but I think I have reached the max of what I know.  Good luck!  
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Avatar universal
I'd like to add that lately I've been sort of forgetful, mixing certain things up here and there, like i'd like to say  phone, but I say remote! Not daily or anything like that, but it's happened a few times. Reading back my post I realized how many mistakes I've made, but I can't edit it. Stuff like that happens sort of often. I work in a medical office and when I have, I guess I can say an "off" day, I noticed I make mistakes with # and letter while I type alot.
Anyway, I thought I should add that! Thanks again
Helpful - 0
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