EPILEPSY COMMUNITY
What should I be worried about as to unmedicated seizures?

What should I be worried about as to unmedicated seizures?

I have had what I called "attacks" since I was seven years old (currently 21). The most obvious outward symptoms being chest pain, heavy breathing, and inability to continue with any activity, my parents assumed it was a heart or asthma condition. Thus I periodically saw doctors in attempts to diagnose a heart issue throughout my childhood, to no avail. A few years ago, I described my symptoms to a nurse who witnessed one of my attacks, and she told me it was a seizure and I should start treatment. But my attacks have never had severe consequences, and I really hate medication, so I have avoided diagnosis. I am also a member of the Armed Forces, so I am completely unwilling at this point to receive a diagnosis that would get me med-boarded and instantly discharged.
The point is: the attacks have increased in intensity, length, and frequency every year as I've gotten older, and this last series was horrible. They have also increasingly kicked off periods of hard-to-conceal depression symptoms (I've been diagnosed both manic and bipolar by different doctors--also something I can handle without medication and would prefer the Army not to know about). My question is this--is there some kind of risk factor or issue I should be watching for? Where do I definitely need to draw the line and do something about this?
The attack symptoms are as follows...
They start with something that feels like deja vu; it doesn't hurt for the first few seconds and I am completely aware during that part. When I was younger, I remember looking forward to the sensation. Then it gets painful. I can't identify the source of the pain or what it affects exactly (it definitely gets the chest and the head), but it is excruciating. The feeling I have during is that I have heard or seen whatever is happening around me and it is building to something bad; I get panicky, and I often tell people around me to stop talking, because what they say sounds familiar. People tell me afterwards that I say, "I've seen this before" or "Stop!" often during it. I have to stop what I'm doing, I cannot form comprehensible sentences, I usually can't stop from breathing heavily or groaning, and the external circumstances that feel familiar seem connected to random thoughts that appear without my permission that are also related to the nightmarish panic. The pain and the familiarity build to a climax, and then slowly subside. Afterwards, I cannot remember specifically anything that was said or anything I thought that was so familiar and scary; although I feel as if some of it has been the same during every attack for years, I never recall it when I'm not in the pain. I cannot remember most of what occurred up to 10-15 minutes before I started the attack, either.
These happen in series; at this point, they usually last about 1-2 weeks long. There are usually one or two days before the series ends where I have the attacks every single hour, and I become increasingly numb and lethargic in between the attacks on those days.
The worsening of these attacks has accelerated in the past three years. I try not to think about it or self-diagnose, but after this last series, I became worried that I was irresponsibly ignoring some consequence that could be signaled by the intensification of the symptoms. I just need someone to tell me I won't start seizing on the ground and I won't lose all feeling at some point. I can control or at least hide my conditions as is.
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As epilepsy goes untreated the seizures continue to get worse and worse. In my case, it came to the point where I couldn't get out of bed because my headaches were so bad. I was also diagnosed with a mood disorder and panic attacks. Anyway, epilepsy can be dangerous both to you and someone else. Depending on the activity your doing you can put your life or someone elses in danger. What if this happens when your driving? What if you suffer some kind of trauma during a seizure? You get the point. For more information there are plenty of places to go. Epilepsy Foundation, CDC, etc.

Ignoring a problem doesnt fix it or make it go away. With medication you can be seizure free (I am) and do all the same things other people can do. I think its time to be concerned. Its only getting worse and Im assuming your worried otherwise you wouldnt have gone to all those doctors or posted in this forum.

I understand that the Armed Forces is very important to you but I figure you should outweigh your options. Whats more important, the Armed Forces or your health? Are you willing to take the potential risks that come with an undiagnosed condition? If something bad happens, to you or someone else, how will you deal with the consequences? Do some research on the Armed Forces and find out what their policies are concerning health conditions. Best of Luck.
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