long positng - possible stroke?

[Deltha Myrtle]

I am a 42 yo female w/ a history of small seizure-like events since my early 20

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[Deltha Myrtle]

Thank you for your information. I appreciate you taking time to do this after a long day of work. I als understand that you will not reply to my answer, but will post this anyway.

I had a psychological evaluation during that time I sought on my own and (paid for sans insurance since my md would not refer)for the very reasoon you give and it was negative for any psychological problems.  I didn't even test out depressed - I am seeminly one of the few well adjusted - which was quite disappointing since it is so uniteresting. Having worked in a clinical setting with persons seeking couseling, I know that the person with the problem is often the last to identify it. Also I realize what it can mean when the tests come up negative yet you still have symptoms. After all the testing I asked my last neuro if he felt it was psychosomatic - the old fashioned way of saying it is a somatic or conversion disorder or psycholoical psuedosiezure -  (since I realized that I myself would not probably recognize if I had a problem) and he said he did not.

I did have to increase thyroid medication after this all happened for the first time in seveeral years.  I did not experience "typical" events in the clinical setting since movement was limited and my problems seemed triggered by movement  - not boredom!  It did give me an intense sense of graditude that I did not have the severity of problems of others in the unit. I think they wanted to keep me longer by my ins company would not approve the extra days (for which I was relieved).

I will just suck it up and pull myself up by my bootsrtaps and keep on trucking and just quit watching those funny movies!  Thanks again for the long distance doctoring on the internet.

DM

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

Thanks for the story and I'm exhausted reading it as I'm sure you are living it. It is very difficult with cases like this to say very much without seeing you. The fact is that despite all these events there appears to be no structural abnormality noted on the MRI. If you have have a stroke or symptoms lasting over a day that were stokes something should be seen. Sometimes migraines can also act like strokes so that is a possibility. Some patients that have prolonged seizures can develop something called Todds paralysis, where they have prolonged neurologic symptoms after the spell that they goes away over time. If you were in a monitoring unit and have several events and the EEG was normal then the issue of pseudoseizures is raised. These are usually seizure appearing events that are typically not volitionally induced and should not be treated with sz medication. Treatment in these cases usually involves a psychiatrist. Exactly what your events are I am not sure. The encephalopathy refers to slowing but this could be medication induced. The point your go from hear is up to you and your doctor. we do at Clevelanfd have an otoneurologist who treats dizziness and we have epilepsy experts. I wish you the best  with this difficult problem. gs

[wildcat]

Deltha

Yah, those lemons always get tricky. I had a nasty seizure last night and am in la-la land today. I forgot what people have been telling me all day within only a coupple of minutes of when they told me. It's really frustrating as I appear to be nagging if I have to go back within minutes and ask the same question again!
eye.yey.eye.yey.eye. Temporal Lobe Lapse! Good to hear from you again partner in brain warrenty wearout. Maybe one day we can but a new one!LOL

hang in there, bye

luv,  wildcat

[jan]

Hi JanB,
I just saw your comment about the mitochondrial...on one of my posts in this forum the neuro suggested I be checked for that. Now, my curiosity is really piqued. I am going to check out that website. Thanks.

[Deltha Myrtle]

Thank you all so much for your help - you all have given me good information that I can use to assist me in making better educated decisions.

Wildcat and I, however, are going to have search for rebuilds since we got the same stinky warrenty package.  I swear I don't have as much mileage on my brain as the wear and tear seems to indicate in fact I have friends who will swear for me that I have used it as little as possible! I guess it just had a little blowout....LOL - and thanks again.

DM

[Jan Bailey]

Deltha, I have a condition called "Mitochondrial cytopathy" and belong to a digest group.  Many members in the group experience "stroke-like episodes", migraines (actually one of the treatments is 400 mg B2), word search problems, crashing which is helped by sleeping 20/24, etc.  If you are interested in researching this, go to the United Mitochondrial Disorder Foundation website....You might ask your doctor if you could possibly have a mito disorder with neuro/muscular components...

[kd re: longstanding MR]

I am not a medical professional - just a person who has had a few neurological glitches.  The first symptoms sound like seizure activity, to me.  The language, numbness sounds strokish.  My second stroke set off seizure activity and they couldn't figure out what was going on because it was not "typical" seizure and not "typical" stroke.  Later, they found that I had a stroke that set off the seizures.  The CTScan, as usual, didn't find the stroke.  Sometimes, MRI does not show a stroke.  My first is only seen on a SPECT Scan.

According to my medical dictionary - "encephalopathy" means "any dysfunction of the brain."  "focal" means that it is limited to a small area.

In my opinion - yes, you should mention ALL of your symptoms to your neurologist - even the bladder ones.  Depending on the neuro, it might help to have a list that he/she can look over.

[wildcat]

Deltha,

Yah, I forgot that same extended warrenty. I think mines had too many miles as well.

It's thunderstorming here and I love thunderstorms so what in the heck am I doing playing on the internet after work. I should be out enjoying the nice weather!!!!! These seizures have really changed me.

[jan]

Your experiences sound very similar to mine. I have posted several times under "syncope vs. seizure". I have been told I had a stroke (old), MRI shows ischemia or old trauma. My eeg was similar to yours. I am now being seen by an epileptologist and cardio ep at a university hospital because of my "spells". They are trying to figure out syncope vs. seizures. (Sometimes the dizziness is terrible!) It is a royal pain, I have been running to dr.'s for so long, but I really think this way I will get an answer.

[ChiroDoc]

Hi!
I would be curious about my other vitamins and minerals associated with stress such as the B vitamins you have mentioned. Basic nutrition is taken for granted and replaced with stimulents such as coffee, sugars, blah ,blah......causes a hugh mess with internal regulation of sugar, insulin, causing deregulation of hormones and increaseing the stress hormones leading to a large depletion of the B's....whew!! Check the web for symtoms of B vitamin lack, you will be surprised. I would get on a VERY healthy diet, no junk, and locate a Naturopath/Homeopath that could help you get back in balance....

Good Luck!
ChiroDoc

[Deltha Myrtle]

jan, thank you for the web-sites.  I appreciate your thoughtfulness and caring.  Perhaps syncope is what the neuro meant by cardiac related.  I will look for your posts.

I think my warranty was up at 40 and I forgot to buy the after-market extended wear package - and I don't know if the repair manuals for my model are very well-written.  If I could only trade-in my brain for a newer brighter model - perhpas ith a faster processer! I guess I shouldn't have used my brain so much earlier in my life - too many miles on it now.  

Deltha

[jan]

Are you aware of these epilepsy support clubs?

http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/epilepsysupportgroup

http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/epilepsychat

Maybe they will be a help to you. :o)

[wildcat]

Deltha,

By the way, if you want to discuss your seizures further feel free to respond and we can share experiences. Sometimes just being able to talk to someone who has experrienced the same sort of problem makes it not quite as bad although seizures when you are still conscious are very painful like torture, so the unconscious ones are almost lucky except they can't drive.

I got fired from my last job for the seizure disorder. I had been forcasting typhoons for nearly 20 years and now I changed career fields. I was feeling it was time for a change. Now I am on a disability sort of work deal with another company doing clerical work. I know what you mean about being worried about your job. I always worry about it because I am still on the probationary period and with no job I can't pay my bills. I have no family to help me and I live alone so I pay everything alone. I support a house and a truck along with 10 cats and four dogs! I depend on my work and really need it. I never call in sick even when I have had seizures at night and feel like doggie doo-doo the next morning. Hang in there and feel free to talk about your seizure problems to me. I am really interested.

I also know what you mean about the anti-convulsants and side effects. I take Klonopin for mine 10 MG a day 2 MG five times a day. and also for the chronic pain 8-Ultram a day and 6-8[30 mg] of Codiene a day. I tried 300 MG of Tegratol and found myself in la-la land. I was almost hallucinating. There was no-way of working like that. That was before I tried the other stuff now except the Klonopin which I have been on for over one year.

Yes this is long too, I call it the typical Temporal Lobe Babble Syndrome!!!!!LOL  Take care and good luck,,, Hopefully no more [shakedown-breakdowns] as I like to call them.


wildcat

[wildcat]

Sounds like seizures to me. They call the stiff muscle phase [tonic], and the shaking or jerking phase [clonic]. It is common in partial complex seizures to have memory lapses during the seizure before and after as well. You may even have complete blackouts for a while along with inter-ictal and post-ictal delirium periods which leaves your mind in a state of la-la land! I've had this **** for almost two years now and it sucks, so I know some of what you are going through.

[Deltha Myrtle]

Thank you Wildcat for the words of encouragement. It's good to know that other persons have prevailed. I'll att Temporal Lobe Babble Syndrome to my list of nickmanes for my "problem". And I just thought I was long winded!  My own favorite I use most often is "brain cloud" ala Joe Vs. the VoLcano.

Deltha