Dear Doctor,
I'm an Italian woman aged 33. 5 months ago I had a seizure that left me with a dystonia in the face. Then things got worst with continuous seizures lasting for hours : the muscles of my face went up and down, like in a series from right to left. I also felt contractions in my arms and feet. I had a permanent headache that nothing could relieve.
Partial epilepsy was diagnosed at EEG, and left hippocampal sclerosis. I was put under Valium and Depakine for 2 days. Relief, at last! But Depakine was abandoned due to polykystic ovaries and I'm now under Tegretol. The seizures persisted and from 600 mg a day, I had 800, 1000 and now 1200 mg. Symptoms were similar, and I felt as if my hand was under aenesthesy. Sometimes I felt vertiginous (very rapid rotation inside my body) with vomiting. My neuro asked for EEG video recording : I had no seizure but interictal independent discharges (spikes) in the left and right temporal lobes were evidenced. His conclusion for now is atypical partial epilepsy and he would like to renew the recording.
I want to add something to this (I'm not sure my neurologist takes this into account). For about 10 years, I've been feeling very bad - at wakeup (no strength, dizzyness, headache), - and 15-20 times a year : seizures that begin with drowsiness, loss of tonus, a sensation of nausea that goes up until my whole chest and neck feel oppressed and I'm craving for air, my heartbeat goes up and my words don't come out. Inconsciousness follows. I don't know afterwards if I've been sleeping.
Please let me know what is your opinion. Mariann