Sense of Unreality

Hello again. I posted a while ago regarding a seizure I had. I now take Ativan and I no longer get any of those attacks I once got. But I still haven't been diagnosed with having anything except for panic attacks. However, I do have these senses of unreality. I had them 2-3 weeks before I started taking the Ativan as well. I have them 24/7 basically, and it is very scary. It's as if I am looking at everything for the first time. Even when I breath I get scared. I don't understand why all the things that happen, happen! When I look at everything, it seems that the things around me can't possibly be real. Even though I know that they must be. I sometimes get these feelings that I'm in a hospital bed in a coma waiting to wake up. I can't stop thinking about all of this. It seems that it's all in my mind. When I talk with people, or am concentrated doing something important, the feeling goes away. However, I think about it again and it comes back. It significantly worse when it's raining, dark outside, and at night. It's starting to get very annoying, and I am scared 24/7. I'm even scared to leave my own room at times. Any recommendations would be helpful. I am 18, if this would be of any help when diagnosing :0)

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

I recall your post well. If these do represent seizures, ativan may not be cutting it for you. An EEG would be very helpful in sorting this out. If you experience one of these episodes of unreality during the EEG and there are no electrical changes seen on the test, then it;s reassuring that these are not seizures. If you don't have an episode during a routine 20 minute EEG, more prolonged EEG monitoring may be necessary to capture as many episodes as possible to make sure they aren't seizures.

If everything comes out normal, then these could represent panic attacks and you may need more than just ativan. A longer acting medication such as prozac and counseling may be helpful. GOod luck.

[jan]

Searching,
I can't find the page for the epilepsy forum on braintalk, can you help me out plz? Thanks a bunch. :o)

[searching]

Hiya, Jan!  Nice seeing you again.  I was wondering whether you were still around.  :o)  How are you doing?  

Um... let's see...  the epilepsy forum link will be a lonnngggg one to print here, but here it goes:  

http://neuro-mancer.mgh.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&forum=Epilepsy&number=33&DaysPrune=20&LastLogin=


Did you get all of that?!  LOL  Best bet would be to copy and paste the long addy in your address bar.  

OR, go to www.braintalk.org.  Then, click on the "Specific Neurological Conditions (A-L)" link.  Then scroll way down the page until you see the link for "Epilepsy," and click on that.  Do not use the "Epilepsy Awareness Projects" link, though.  Um... well, not unless you're interested in that project.  In other words, you want to click on simply the link that says "Epilepsy."  

Hope to see you there someday Jan.  I just got done posting there before coming here this morning.  :o)  

Oh, by the way...  Jan, you had mentioned that the Braintalk chat rooms are deathly slow.  If anyone's looking for a faster-moving live chat, the Epilepsy Foundation of America has a nice chat room.  Moves along great and you can either register to participate or can sign on (as a "guest") without registering.


Searching

[Jenee]

I too have had problems where I have thought that I was in a coma, ar in a hospital bed- In fact, sometimes I feel as if I am in surgery. I have been diagnosed as being Manic- Depressive...
Maybe you might try to set up an appointment with a Psychiatrist... I am currently taking "Geodon" which is an anti-psychotic, and I've noticed that when I don't take it on time, then that is when those feelings emerge... Again, talk to a psychiatrist- it may be helpful..

[vega]

I used to have something similar to your "panic attacks".  The neurosurgeon said it was a kind of petit mal seizure, but I think that indicators show up on brain scans/EKGs.  I took Tegretol before my brain surgery (removal of cavernous angioma), and I haven't had any repeat seizures since.  Hope this helps.

[qbert]

thanks for the help :0)