EEG question-please help

[catwolf]

I had a sleep deprived EEG on Monday, as my doc suspects I may have seizure disorder.  During the part of the EEG where they use the strobe light (they had me close my eyes and they flickered the light at different frequencies in front of my face), I experienced severe facial twitching, eye fluttering and head tingling.  

Could someone please tell me if this is a normal response to the strobe light?  The nurse who administered the test was very sweet, but wouldn't give me an answer.  She simply said that everyone responds differently.  I was very scared and I don't see my neuro until Monday.

Thanks so much in advance for any responses!  

[juliannaspring]

my daugther has siezures as well and you sleep and feel tired afterwards because even though the siezure may not have been very long but sierures uses sugars which could lower your sugar level, and our nuro. doc says it puts ur brain through so much thats why u sleep and feel groggy afterwards, but i hope u best of luck

[amijordan]

were my reactions during eeg test normal?

i have sleep paralysis. i hadn't heard of it so i had a sleep study done with an eeg. when they flickered the lights in my eyes my eyes went crossed and i couldn't uncross them and when they turned the eeg machine on my head locked back to my neck and i couldn't move, like it does in sleep paralysis. i have paralysis attacks after waking up at exactly 4.am (usually) upon waking am instantly filled with feeling of terror and get an intense electrical buzzing in my head it sounds like someone waving a light sabor right behind my head. i have also had out of body experiences because i try so desperately to get across the room to turn the light on whilst having an attack (because its so scary) and then when i can't press the switch i realise my body is still in bed and then im instantly back in my body. when i wake up i feel like i have a head full of cotton wool and am groggy and sleepy all day.

[catwolf]

I greatly appreciate your response!!!  I know I shouldn't be worrying, as it is unproductive, but I cannot help it! If I do have seizure disorder, than you're right, there are medications that can help.  I just want some answers...hopefully they'll come on Monday.  I agree that the nurse shouldn't have told me anything, especially with all the sue happy people we have today...

Interestingly, the symptoms I experienced during the EEG were different from the chronic "episodes" or seizures that I have.  I generally have three to four a month, although I do sometimes skip a few months here and there-or have more.  They begin as a feeling of fear/that something bad is going to happen. Then, I enter a state which I can only describe as being between awake and dreaming.  I do not lose consciousness.  During this state, I continue to have horrible, intense fear, a strange (not nauseous) feeling in my stomach, my head tingles all over, I start sweating and then I have a deja vu/psychic experience.  It is almost like my brain is showing me an event that hasn't happened yet, but I've been there before.  Unfortunately, I can never recall it, as it is gone as quickly as it came on.  I feel disoriented and confused during the whole event.  As I start to come out of it, it feels as though someone has stuffed my head with cotton.  This lasts for several hours after the episode, and it is always accompanied by extreme fatigue.  All I want to do is sleep.  I feel so groggy, that it is very difficult to concentrate on things.

These episodes happen randomly and the last few have woken me up out of sleep.

I've been having these episodes since I was 15-16 years old (I'm 30 now).  Because my mom told me I was having "premonitions" (lol) and did not take me to a doctor, I just brushed them off.  I obviously didn't tell anyone (except my husband) either, for fear they'd believe me to be insane.  It wasn't until a month ago, when I had some very severe ones, that my husband panicked.  He said it looked as though I was having a seizure.  I finally sought medical attention.  

Interestingly, one time, I tried to write down the "premonition" I was experiencing during an episode.  After I came out of the episode, I tried to decipher what I had written, but it looked like the handwriting of a child-not even legible in a couple areas-and it was a string of random words that didn't have any relation.  

I'm curious to hear your opinion on this, as you sound like you have a level head.  If you respond, don't worry-I won't take your ideas as a diagnosis.  ;)  

Thanks again for your response,
Kat

[Quixotic1]

The nurses and techs don't give answers because of liability and because they can't give you the full story.  This can cause misunderstandings and greater worries.  That said, the "normal" (non-seizure-prone) brain won't generally respond at all to the strobe.  That you did feel some changes may indicate some seizure activity - or it may not.  ONLY by looking at the EEG tracing during the episode can they really tell.  You were having the EEG for some reason, right?  Perhaps you will end up with a diagnosis.  The vast majority of seizures can be well-controlled.  

Let us know what the doc says and try not to fret.  Quix