Is this possible...?

Dear Dr.,

I had gone thru a hard time in the year 2001 because of one particular spell I had.  I was diag with NCS previously, but this looked like I had had a seizure.  The ER and my primary both thought syncope, but my cardio/ep said seizure.  This lead to seeing several drs. that included getting opinions from two more cardio/ep's.  None of the  cardiologist felt it was from my heart.

Then I was diag by an epileptoligist as having had a seizure.  I had an earlier MRI (a  few yrs ago that showed scarring of some sort) and now my video eeg was showing some sharps and spikes, but mostly in my sleep.

Now, because I was still battling accepting the seizure disorder diag a few of my drs. had suggested a 2nd opinion (early on the epi had, too for same reason).  I finally did so hoping it would help.  Well, this 2nd epi says it's from my heart and not a seizure!  He didn't say it was from my IST, or another suspected arrhythmia (which is what the other cardios were going to look into if a seizure wasn't diag by 1st epi), or even the syncope.  He said from my mvp!  My mvp is mild (with a myxomatous valve) and mild  regurg.  I told him about being eval by the 3 cardios already and he said maybe they haven't kept up with their reading!

So, here I go again.  Frankly, I think this dr. is wrong, it goes against everything I have  read and been told.  But is this possible?

My cardio just ordered a TEE to see if there is any reason my heart would've caused a stroke, which is what drs. have suggested as a possibility.

Thank you for your time.

[CCF-M.D.-RCJ]

Jan,

Sorry to read of your ordeal.

Differentiating between syncope and seizures can be difficult. In fact, sometimes a syncopal spell can lead to a seizure!  This happens, for example, in people who pass out in a chair.  Their brain doesn't get enough blood, and then they have a seizure after the syncopal spell.

I would be confused by now as well, and I'm not going to be able to figure out what happened to you without further information and a physical.  I can tell you that I have never heard of MVP being the mechanism by which a patient gets syncope.  Some people with MVP pass out, but some people with MVP are also Baptist -- one doesn't lead to the other.

I would recommend that you gather up your records and visit a syncope clinic at a big center.  The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo clinic, University of Pittsburgh, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Vanderbilt University, and others have good clinics.  Find a big center in your area.

Hope that helps.