Questionable Seizures

[mickislack]

About 6 months ago, I fell and hit my head.  I was on .5 of Halcion and demoral when I fell.  (I was having a procedure in a medical facility).  I was diagnosed with a cerebral concussion by my neurologist.  I do not have any memory of the fall,etc.  This can be contributed probably to the Halcion.  I sufferred post-traumatic headaches for 4 months after and dizzy spells.  However, now I am experiencing some strange episodes.  At night when I am trying to fall asleep occassionally I will get a feeling that comes over me.  I am paralyzed, cannot move or speak.  My mouth will jerk open and shut very fast, sometimes my head jerks, sometimes my left arm feels like it has pins and needles in it.  This only seems to happen when I am over-tired only.  It never happens when I am well rested.  Sometimes, I wake up in the morning with extreme fatigue even after a full nights rest.  I have had an EEG, a sleep deprived EEG and an MRI.  All tests were done after my head injury and before the "episodes" started happenning. All were normal.  I do have an ambulatory EEG next week.  However, it is my understanding that unlesss I have an episode while I am wearing the device, it will be normal. Can ambulatory EEG detect abnormal sleep patterns?  I also notice I get a sensation going down the left side of my body.  It feels like a chill.  My nuero doc thinks I may have suferred a seizure the day I fell due to my blood pressure being so low because of the meds I was on.  I never experienced any episodes that I have described until after I fell and hit my head.   I am worried about my episodes.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT]

Sorry to hear about your symptoms. It's possible they could represent a seizure or it could be a sleep disorder. One thing that would be more helpful than an ambulatory EEG would be a sleep study, where they hook you up to an EEG all night and record while you sleep. Also, just video EEG recording where you're admitted to an epilepsy unit and watched 24/7 while hooked up to a video and EEG for a few days may be able to pick something up. The normal MRI however is reassuring that there is something going on in the brain that requires urgent attention. Good luck.

[mickislack]

If I am infact having seizures, is there a chance I will at some point get proof of them if they keep happenning.  Its frustrating when you know something is going on, but everytime you have a test its normal.  I almost want to stay up all night the night before I get the EEG and try to bring a seizure out.  I guess I most worry that I will get a seizure some place other than my safe bedroom.  I am worried one will strike me in the car when I am driving with my kids.  I am really getting frustrated but atleast they are just happening at home at this point.

[jan]

I had 3 EEG's before anything showed up and then it was only focal slowing. Then I had a 48 hr. video/eeg and even though I didn't have a seizure, they caught seizure activity during this time. I, also, have the chill like feeling. Try to get a video/eeg.
Good luck.

[mickislack]

Would you mind describing your chill like feeling? I am just curious so I can compare it with mine.  I can describe it as if you were watching a really dramatic movie or something and you get the "Chill".  It starts in my head and goes down the left side of my body only.  It feels like the warm fuzzies.  I hope I am not on the verge of a stroke.  I am seeking a second opinion, however, I have to wait a month.  This forum has been so helpful to all the questions I have.

[jan]

Yes, mine is the same type of chill and yes, warm fuzzies. :o) Sometimes it is my whole body, but most of the time it is my left leg. Once in awhile it is an intense chill, but mostly moderate, sometimes weak. Mostly  it happens all over, my body or leg, at the same time, but sometimes it does the traveling bit. Starts at top of head or leg (depending if it is whole body or leg only) and travels downward. This week it has done that and then did it repeatedly, once it worked it's way down it started all over again and again.

Hope that helps. If you get any news anytime soon, let me know. :o)

[snowgoer]

I found your situation interesting and wanted to share my 2 cents worth. Have you ever researched sleep paralysis? There is alot of information on the web about this. I have had a few episodes of this and it is very spooky! Not sure if this is what you are experiencing, but it would seem that if it was a seizure, then you would not recall it quite so vividly. I agree that a sleep study is the way to go. Best of luck to you!

[mickislack]

I will do this research.  Can someone get sleep paralysis after a head injury? Does Anyone know? I never experienced any of these symptoms until after I fell and hit my head.

[jan]

If these are seizures and possibly simple partial seizures then he/she would have recall of them as with the seizures conciousness is neither lost or altered. I had thought of sleep paralysis, too, but since it may be related to the head injury and with the abnormal movement...

[mickislack]

I have to agree.  I did however do some reseach on sleep paralysis and it could very well be a strong possibility. I just think its odd that all of this comes after I hit my head.  I dont know if there is any treatment for sleep paralysis anyway, since sometimes it can be normal.  My ambulatory EEG gets put on next week, I think I am going to stay up the night before to try to bring the seizure activity on. I just need some proof and fear if I am well rested, etc, the episode wont happen.  I guess my biggest fear is that these episodes are seizures and they are going untreated at this point because all other tests are normal.  On an MRI, will an old seizure show? Thanks for the feedback, this site is a wonderful resource.

[jan]

The MRI will show if there is any abnormality in the brain that could be a seizure focus. The fact that you had a head injury... I have a lesion on my brain that is the seizure focus (they think stroke or MS). I would like to give you some links to yahoo clubs for epilepsy, but yahoo is down this wkend.  You can find info from this link for the EFA:  

http://www.efa.org/    

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/epilepsychat

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/epilepsysupportgroup

Hope this helps.

[mickislack]

I have not had an MRI since my "episodes" began.  I had my MRI in NOvember and I did not get my first episode until Dec. 29. The reason I had my MRI was to evaluate my head injury and to be able to tell if I had a seizure when I fell. Because of the medication I was on they were sure I had a seizure when I fell due to the meds and low blood pressure.  Thanks. I will check out those sites, and chat rooms.

[jan]

My complex partial seizure was because of a medication I was on, but the epileptologist says it's not from the medicine, the med brings it out. You cannot have a seizure from the med if you don't have an abnormality already. Low blood pressure can cause a seizure like response and if it is quickly resolved it can cause a seizure in itself.

[jan]

correction: if it isn't quickly resolved... Also, just let me say clearly that a MRI won't show a seizure, old or new, but some abnormality that could be a seizure focus.

[mickislack]

My blood pressure when I was on all those meds was 70/54.  They were not taking very good care of me.  Perhaps the low blood pressur caused the seizure.  Who knows.  I am really starting to think all my episodes have been sleep paralysis, because they only happen when I am trying to fall asleep.  I am considering cancelling my ambulatory EEG as its wasted time if I just have sleep paralysis.  I guess I will let my doctor decide.

[jan]

Do not  cancel EEG!!! Some people get them as they fall asleep , others as they are waking, some during sleep. All sorts... Most of my activity was during sleep, but I don't know if I have them when I am sleeping. Getting the EEG can't hurt, but it may help. Don't cancel it!

[mickislack]

Ok, Ok, :) Thanks for your concern.  I guess it would not hurt.  I am going to mention the sleep paralysis thing to him though.

[nurse12hr]

Hello
The reason you fainted was probably b/c your pressure fell, a result of the meds and the procedure.  I am a nurse, and in the area where I work, it is not uncommon to have people faint when getting up to the bathroom.  The faint can seem quite startling, and even appear to be seizure activity to someone who has not witnessed it before.

For this reason, we wait until someone has regained their baseline pressure before letting them up, they must sit on the bedside for several minutes before standing, and we accompany them into the bathroom until the patient assures us they feel fine.  

Even with these precautions, some folks still faint.  Not many, but a few.  Sounds like they just let you get up after the procedure, no wonder you fainted.  Hope your neuro signs improve.

[mickislack]

Thanks for your comment.  I do think you are correct.  I dont know why the staff let me just get up when my blood pressure was so low and I was so pale.  Because of my "fainting spell" I sufferred a concussion, vestibulopathy and I hurt my jaw.  I have to wear an appliance to help with the pain in my jaw.  I just wish I could remember what happenned in the bathroom.  I guess the reason why the nuero doc felt I had a seizure is because of the damage in the area.  I really messed the place up in there.  Next time, I hope I am wise enough to know whether i am ok or not. However, this last time I was drugged out of my mind and it was not my fault. I was mentally impaired and should not have been allowed to make the decision myself.

[nurse12hr]

I agree.  I hate to recommend an attorney, but I believe no one should have allowed you to just get up like that.  You were at risk BIG TIME for a fall.  Every medical AND DENTAL office should have a fall prevention policy in place, especially if they administer drugs that are well known to place you at risk.  

You have suffered b/c medical personnel were careless with you.  

Good luck in the future!
christie

[jimmonaghan]

I recently started taking Zanax (low dosage) which was prescribe to be taken 3 time a day.  I only took one per day at night time to help me sleep after taking the medication for a month I had a massive seizure.  Has anyone every heard of Zanax causing seizures?   My doctor who prescibe the medication swares that Zanax could not have caused the seizure but CVS wasn't surprised.
  

[jimmonaghan]

I recently started taking Zanax (low dosage) which was prescribe to be taken 3 time a day.  I only took one per day at night time to help me sleep after taking the medication for a month I had a massive seizure.  Has anyone every heard of Zanax causing seizures?   My doctor who prescibe the medication swares that Zanax could not have caused the seizure but CVS wasn't surprised.
  

[jan]

I read a couple of articles that state that abruptly stopping Xanax can cause seizures or if you have epilepsy it can cause seizures. This link has seizures listed with rare  side effects:

http://www.heartdrs.com/meds/Xanax.htm