Confused...

[Patient117]

Dear Doctor,



No one seems to know what I have.



It first started at night when I was tired. Began with auditory hallucinations, then visual, then olfactory, then gustatory, then tactile, then dizziness, then motor symptoms.



When gustatory started up, olfactory began again too, as though they were linked somehow...



My "hallucinations" that don't seem real at all are of repeating my senses.  It depends on the frequency and intensity.  If I smell something strong, it will repeat later as an olfactory one.  If I hear something for a long time over and over, it will repeat over and over, but doesn't sound real.  Just indescribable. And the visual images repeat the same things I've seen.  Everything is worse when I'm tired.



During the day I see colored lights such as green, blue, and purple.  I lately have seen what look like black dots moving through my vision similar to flies.



The motor symptoms again happen when I'm tired and my eyes move up and body around the chest area shakes.  This all lasts for 1 or 2 seconds at most.  One time I had an image and eye movement at the exact same time.



I have seen to find a pattern with it all.  It seems to go from one thing and at first be intense, then go somewhere else and leaves it common.  For ex: began with auditory, loud inside my head such as dog bark, setting a cup on table, garbled voice, then when visual began, auditory just stayed common and visual was really worse at first, and so on.



I've had 4 EEGs including a 5 day one, an MRI, a sleep test (all normal).



Drug interactions: Antipsychotics that make you sedated make my symptoms worse. However, non-sedating drugs like risperdal don't make it worse, but don't make it better either.



Strange thing: SSRIs Celexa and Lexapro made it far worse.



Thing that made it better: combination of Depakote and Ativan.



5 psychiatrists say no schizophrenia, 3 neurologists say either sleep disorder, depression, or somatoform disorder.



I am in deep **** because it keeps getting worse and interferes with my life greatly.  When it first began it only happened when I was tired and when there was no stimulus present (eyes closed and silence). Now as it got worse it gradually became constant. No wonder why an EEG couldn't detect it.



Anyway, now my last neuro said goodbye and now I have to hunt down another psychiatrist or neuro? and another sleep test is on the way but wont be for a few months.



I'm very desparate and have lots of goals. I don't want to end up in a mental institution.  I am a 20 year old male and it has been going on and getting worse for 5 years now. PLEASE HELP ME. If it is truly neurological, how or who can I go to to get seizure medicine help. Them seem to rely on an EEG only!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

As a test I would ask your internal medicine doctor to put you on higher doses of Depakote because these may be some form of seizures...obviously I can not make that diagnosis but that avenue is worth exploring by test of medication. IF not depakote, maybe another anti seizure medication.

[Patient117]

I also "hear" the same words over and over again.

[hangin'in there!]

Sounds stress related and psychological - and yes this can have very real and physical symptoms. I'd be inclined to see a psychologist if I were you and they would be able to explain how your symptoms are linked to your nervous system (which is psychologically sensitive) - am I making sense?



Hard to make sense while I'm pregnant and I appologise if you find this answer confusing!!!



I don't think this is nuerological.  Also, have you had your eyes tested recently?  If your vision has deteriorated and you do not get glasses/contacts to fix the problem you may feel sensations similar to what you describe.  Bad eye sight can even bring on head aches and coloured lites appear in your peripheral vision.  You should have this ruled out before finding another neurologist!!



Good luck and take care.