seizures

[mcash]

I am a 53 yol female who recently started having what appears to be seizures. I have posted here before with loss of skin sensation.  No one has discovered the reason for my skin loss. This lastest has happened Oct 30, crumble to the ground. I can hear and see what is going on around me. but i can not move. It is scary.  It is sudden.  I have no dizziness, no warning.  the first one i was walking down a hall and then slid down a wall to the ground. It was less than  a minute. second one I was reaching up to pet a cute little puppy. down i went no warning. less than a min.  third one I was xmas shopping. looked up. thought i saw and smelled smoke. Told my husband and down i went. Was down less than a min.  But this time i could not get back to the car. I would rest on a bench for about 15 min and try to walk.  I would walk a few feet i would go down again. Finally my husband called an ambulance. i had one in the ambulance and scared the guy in back.  i guess i get this death stare look in my face at least that is what my husband says.  By the time we got the hospital i was fine.  they let me go home and said it wasn't like any seizure they had ever seen. my dr put on topamax 150 mg twice a day and haven;t had one but not sure they are seizures. mri normal except a couple age spots, echo of heart normal,halter normal.having a seizure study in Jan. No driving until.  any suggestion what could be?  for a week after so tired could walk. some people afraid to be with me. heck i am afraid to be with me.  Any suggestions

[gracelyn]

I thought Cymbalta was causing mine and quit taking it, but I still had the swimming in the head feeling.

You described the feeling like you were in a snow globe, I know that feeling, i had that when I go off one of my drugs years ago, some other site called it brain shimmers, it was like when I got up to walk, something else was moving in my head, or when I stood up, I felt like i did a little jump even tho I didn't.

I now think lamictal is causing my fish swimming in my head.

I am sure we are both at a loss, this is so hard to deal with, most of us seem to be in our 40-s 50-s.

I think we were the guiney pigs for all the new drugs since the 60's and now all the side effects are appearing. And nobody is talking..............

[mcash]

I had a seizure study done and nothing showed up.  They took me off all medications.Could going off Cymbalta cause the problem i was having.  Where i lose complete volunter muscles but i am still conscious. I can hear and see(whereever my eyes are pointed) but can not move a muscle to safe my life.  I still have driving restrictions because no knowns what is causing these episodes.  I hope taking me off the Topamax will help me see what is causing these episodes.  I wish someone could help me figure this out.  The people who see this spell happen say i don't move and my eyes look as if i am not there.  Please could someone at least give me some clue as to what it might be?

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

First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes.
   The symptoms that you describe certainly could be a complex partial seizure, but they are not specific for this.  Smelling a certain smell prior to an event of 'death stare' is a common description of a complex partial seizure (a seizure that starts focally in the brain).  Other things that suggest seizures is that you were tired and had trouble walking after the event, and the fact that the spells were apparently treated with topamax.  I would suggest a 2 hour sleep deprived EEG (electro-encephalogram-brain wave test) to look for signs that would suggest a focal epilepsy.  If this is negative, then I would suggest that you be admitted to an epilepsy monitoring unit where they can stop the topamax and try to catch one of your episodes on the EEG in a controlled environment.  I would also suggest a workup for syncope as well including tilt table test (it sounds like you already had a Holter monitor).  I agree that you should observe seizure precuations for now (no driving, no being around water unsupervised, avoid heights such as ladders, etc) until a diagnosis is reached.  I would also suggest a repeat MRI with thin coronal cuts through the temporal lobes (a special epilepsy protocol).  
I hope this has been helpful.

[monsterdeb]

Hii,

Since you are having this seizures I would request you to visit a nerologist immediately.

I hope nothin is wrong but "prevention is better than cure"

Regards,
Deb

[mcash]

I want to add to my above question: This is so sudden with no warning. I lose complete muscle controling during these spells.  I can't talk or move any muscle group. But I can hear and see, but only were my eyes are pointed.  This lasts for about 1 minute.  My breathing has either slowed way down or i have stopped. My husband says i am breathing. My eyes are open but they have a distant stare to them.  That's according to the people who are with me when this happens.  A far distant look to them  like i am not there. When I come out I start to thrash about because inside i am so trying so hard to come out of it.  within 3-5 minutes i am ok. It is very scary. I am not sure what this is.  It doesn't act like a regular seizure.  I was hoping someone could direct me to some possiblities.

[gracelyn]

I know how lost you feel, I have been having a type of seizure that is like a swimming sensation in my head, it starts with the bottom of my leg getting numb and the numbness works it way up to the back of my skull and then the swimming sensation starts and I have to lay down and call 911, I get to hosp and nothing is wrong, the 911 medics said my BP was low, once it was high, CRT ok, you can read my previous post, I hope someone can help you.