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Avatar universal

Blackout prior to car accident

Hello.  I am a 46 year old mother of 3 and was involved in a severe accident this past Saturday.  Thankfully no one was injured although 3 cars were involved and all 3 are most likely totaled.  Prior to the accident, I was food shopping at an area market.  I remember the first half of my trip but not the latter half - no recollection of checking out, paying for the groceries (many purchases which I saw later and was shocked at - things I would never normally purchase)...brief memory of walking to the car with the cart...then a brief memory (few seconds) of driving toward home - next memory is sitting in the vehicle with police and paramedics all around in the middle of a terrible accident.  Someone following behind me said I was driving erratically and drifted over into the oncoming traffic lane, hitting another car.  Prior to this I have never had a traffic ticket, let alone an accident.  I was transported to the hospital, briefly checked out and released.  I saw my regular MD today and will be going in again next week for a complete physical and was referred to a neurologist who will see me for a consult on Friday.  My blood sugar was tested in the ambulance and it was normal - my physician seems to feel this is not chemical but neurological.  My question is - what could possibly cause this to happen?  Could this be epilepsy? Brain Tumor?  I have had lyme disease 3x in the last 5 years - could this be neurological problems from the lyme disease?  I am following up with medical care but was hoping for some insight into what the possibilities are - nothing like this has ever happened to me before.  I will not drive again until I find out what has caused this to happen - and cannot stop thinking of all of the "what if's" - of how thankful I am that no one was hurt.  Prior to this I have been feeling very exhausted, run down, occasionally light headed.  I also was taking Ambian for sleep but have not taken this since the accident and do not plan on taking it again, just in case there is any connection.  Thank you in advance for any insight or help you can provide.
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Avatar universal
I too had some very odd experiences these past 30 days. 1) on Tuesday morning after having gassed up and not feeling quite right I decided to take an extra Dilantin 100 mg cap to be certain I would not have a seizure while driving the next 160 miles home. I had taken 500mg already but had been told by my surgeon over 500 mg is at times given to suppress any further seizure activity. I felt Ok got into the 3 1/2 month old car with 8100 miles, and was off to the highway entrance.. I missed the on ramp, and decided to pull in further down the road and make a 3 point turn. found a farmer's  laneway. drove into the lane then my mind went south. I thought this was the on ramp to the highway, passed the barn and the old cars parked there, say the real on ramp and thought this was a new way of getting on. I accelerated to almost 55 Mph and drove into an embankment.. Hospital routine tests CAT scan, etc ... nothing .. gave me my lic. back .. rented a car to continue my journey home, picked up the goods that were in the wreck and went home. Wed . no meds as per Dr. orders the Dilantin level was a bit high. Thurs. day started normally and took my regular dose of meds , met wife at train station , continued on our journey for the long Easter weekend. Stopped along the way about 1/2 way.. it was about 7ish, had coffee and a muffin, took remainder of my normal med level, drove on. then about an hour .. remember going into an odd set of bends on this highway mentioning it to our Mother-in-law, passenger,  and that is the last I remember ... was told I sped up, and continued to speed till I hit and drove a car off the road. I awoke about 3/4 of a mile past the crash and remembered nothing. my mother in law suffered 2 cracked ribs.  other injuries as well, however I remember NOTHING and why or how it happened.  I remember nothing of this second accident. I gave up my Lic. till this can be resolved.. I wonder if it could be some post concussion syndrome?
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Avatar universal
I thought i was the only one who had this happen. Except that i hit a stucco and concrete pole in front of a store.
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11203283 tn?1416172365
I myself had a recent accident.  I was riding my bike and I don't know what I was thinking not wearing my helmet and driving thru the dark street in Seattle at around 8pm.  Someone stole my headlights, so I didn't have one.  I was going pretty fast around 30 mph, and suddenly it was too late for me to dodge this pothole on the ground and I remember hitting it with the front wheel of my bike, and the pressure was just there and all of a sudden next thing was someone was helping me up, I had to try to recollect my memory of what happened and as to my shock I felt this numbess pain (it was 30 degrees cold out), and headache a bit of nausea and sickness.  I kept on asking the lady and the guy if my face was alright if I knocked off any tooth, or if I had broken my nose.  They offered to take me to the nearest E.R. but I told them I was fine.  I started walking with a bloody nose, possibly a broken nose, and a big cut on my forehead.  People were asking if I was ok because I was bleeding severely.  I called my sister and had her pick me up, I didn't bother going to the doctor and just rested for the next week.  I don't have much of a headache anymore, but I just have this depression that I can't deal with.  I could have been dead? and how long was I passed out in that dark street until they found me laying there?  I want to thank those couple for helping me up, my bike is not going to be ridden for a while and it will take time for me to recognize my own self let alone my life.  Ill be more careful from now on and definitely wear a helmet even though it makes me look goofy, having a screwed up face is worst looking than being safe wearing a helmet.  
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Avatar universal
Hello,

I've also recently had a car accident where I remember setting off from my house then seeing the back end of the car as it pulled out on me and then looking at my air bags thinking 'oooh, that's new...'.

Previous to my accident, I had been fairly stressed and taken sleeping pills a couple of weeks before hand. I hadn't taken any the night before my accident. I was in severe shock when the paramedics took me to hospital and I've since been told that my blackout was potentially due to stress and anxiety rather than anything else. I am perfectly safe to drive but have had no conclusive tests done.

Not sure if that's helpful?
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Avatar universal
I had a very similar experience Monday morning (April 30).  I remember turning into the parking lot of the hospital where I work, then the next thing I know I am surrounded by people, the air bags on my car have deployed, and I have driven hard into a pole.  I too took Ambien the night before, but it had been 9 hours since I took it, and I have taken it rarely in the past without issue.  Since I work at the hospital, I had a full workup (echocardiagram, carotid dopplers, Head and abdomen CT) and telemetry for 24 hours without any abnormalities turning up.  I am a 42 year old mother of one.
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