Freaked out w/how so much time passed

[alegnahas3]

Hi, I am undiagnosed but my Dr firmly believes something brain/neurological is going on.  I have not seem a neurologist yet but have an appt beginning of March.  I have seen a neuro-opth and everything checked out "ok" I do have a little random vision loss in some periphial but not enough to be of concern (visual field test) and my exam checked out good except my pressure was high side of normal.  Luckily she aggreed to order me an MRI due to sympt and "transiant vision loss" and MRA (due to family history of anurisms) for this coming tues.  anyway, on to what happened last night.

I went to walmart and buy a gift for son's friend and get some crafty things I wanted to try.  I remember being there.  I remember thinking clearly and interacting w/people & surroundings.  I remember the departments I went to and decisions I made while there.  BUT, when I left I realized I had been there for 7 hours!  I don't even know how that is possible.  I am, of course, freaked out and confused about how in the world so much time could have passed. It just doesn't make any sense!

I talked to my PCP today and he advised to not drive and not be alone until I have the tests.  He also told me the "if this happens" get yourself to er immediatly.  I have been seeing a colluge of his recently who has not been taking my symptoms very seriously.  He listened to me and asked questions and said I def had the right tests ordered and MS was the first thing it sounded like to him (based on all symptoms not just what you hear in this post).  He said it wasn't as scary a diagnosis as it sounded and would be MUCH easier to treat than a tumor or anurism.  I was very comforted by talking to him and am now at home getting ready to do some of that crafty stuff I spent so long shopping for last night.

Have you ever experienced anything like this before or know of anyone who has?  It just doenst make any sense to me!

Thanks!
Ang

[sllowe]

Hi Alegna,

Welcome to the forum.  It's always worrysome to me when people find us  because their PC, or general MD mentioned MS to them, as is it worrysome to the individual who hears this firsthand from a doctor they trust.

Let me start by stating what you describe can be many things. And, for a PC to mention MS, so prematurely sets off all my red flags, even though he/she was very comforting, it's just simply not that easy of a disease to diagnose (even for MS specialists), and oftentimes not easy to treat. You see, there is no cure, and not all disease modifiers are successful for MSers.  Your doctor is making very lightly of a very serious disease.

It's great the doc is being proactive w/the MRA, and MRI considering your family history. I wish you well with those tests.  I also hope you'll feel comfortable to ask anything, and that the doctor gets to the bottom of the problem, and it's something that can be cured :)

Thanks for joining us,
-shell

[Valkyrie568]

I was wondering about a seizure when I first read this, too. My husband has had a seizure disorder and there is a period directly following a seizure called the "postictal phase" that can last from seconds to days. I incorrectly call it "auto-pilot". He seems pretty normal, in fact to a stranger he seems perfectly normal. He can carry on conversations about specific events or weather conditions, but he will have NO MEMORY of it at all once he is out of that phase. The longest auto-pilot episode I remember was about 2 days.

These longer postictal phases are much more common with Generalized Tonic Clonic (formerly known as Grand Mal) which surely someone in WalMart would have noticed, but they can rarely occur with absence seizures (which mostly occur in children). A complex partial seizure would be my first guess. They are connected with the Vagus Nerve, which would seem to be a tie in to your current neurological concerns, are non-dramatic enough not to draw a crowd, and could easily have a amnesia like postictal phase. Judging by what I've seen with my husband and a college friend who had the complex partial seizures, you may have just gotten in a lot of walking around WalMart, looking perfectly normal while on autopilot. I am so glad that whatever it was, it did not happen somewhere worse!

I hope you can get this figured out quickly. I know my husband has gone through a couple bouts of "do not be alone; do not drive" and he gets pretty tired of having constant companionship, or a babysitter as he says, but hopefully they will get it figured out quickly.

Valerie

[SarahL2491]

I've had that but only for periods of up to half an hour or an hour.
didn't think to mention them to my neuro, but have new MRI next
week, so will see.

Agree with your doctor, might be even wise to take someone with you when go out on these trips, just in case.  You'd hate to have this happen while driving.  Someone somewhere in the past referred to these as "absent seizures".  Kinda like when you are driving down the road and suddenly don't remember any of the last 30 miles!

good luck and keep us posted