EEG

[4Caligirl]

I was in an auto accident.  I had an EEG today with strobe lights.  During the strobe light test, my body became tense, tears streaming out of my eye, clinching of my jaws, heart racing, sweating, feeling of stress and irritation.
Once finished, I started to relax but then pain shot into my head which started to twitch with my heart racing.  Eventually my head stopped twitching and my body relaxed.  A little later my entire face started severe twitching with my heart racing.  The tech repeatedly asked if I was okay, but I could not answer.  When the twitching stopped, I could answer.  Eventually I relaxed again just for the facial twitching and heart racing to start again.  I relaxed again and then my head started twitching with clinching of my jaws and heart racing.  The EEG Tech could not explain this to me and the Neuro brushed it off saying the EEG was normal.  I've never experienced anything like this before.  Would you please tell me what was going on?  

[4Caligirl]

Thank you for your reply.  I will consult with another Neuro to see what he thinks would cause the results.  Most people claim they have eye or facial twitches during the strobe lights.  I feel it is normal to have eye twitching during the strobe lights, which I had.  I also blink when my photo is taken with a flash so this sounds acceptable.  However, my severe twitching did not start until AFTER the strobe lights had finished and I was starting to relax.  I also was very sick for the rest of the evening.  Again, thank you for your reply.

[silkcut]

Hi

I was very interested to read your experience and in complete sympathy with you too. Not sure I can really add much - I hope others can.

A few years ago, after a sudden stroke type event which left me blind for a while and with all sorts of neuro/cognitive deficits, I had an EEG.

When those strobe lights started I immediately burst into tears - sort of from a very deep place. I'd been lying there very calm and actually really relaxed and interested in the whole process. But then lights>immediate gushing of tears, tension, distress, heart beating fast etc.

THEN I had a sudden thumping head/neck pain. I felt woosy for the rest of the day and just not right as I fought off the head/neck ache.

I went to see the neuro a few weeks later for the report. He came into the room flashing the part of the trace that apparently showed something problematic and exclaimed 'Here it is! Here''s the problem!' and ringed a part of the spiky lines with a red pen.

He didn't explain it at the time and told me he'd tell me about it later. Next time I asked he said it was nothing.

However, about a year later I had sight of another neurologist's letter to my GP (I think). The letter said I had 'slow, spike waves' and 'epileptiform discharges'.

Soooo, THAT'S not exactly nothing, is it! (I am still annoyed that I was told it was nothing and had no explanations at all. SOMETHING happened to me under that strobe.).

Fast forward to present: I now have all my MRIs and MRAs. They show conclusively arterio-venous 'difficulties' in exactly the place I had and often get a thumping head/neck ache.  (difficulties = very bulging, very looped up arteries and thin to non-existent veins that don't seem to fill up.)

I'd be very interested to hear other people's answers about what this strobe light is supposed to do or check for.

Meanwhile, knowing what I know now, if I were you I'd really push your neuro for proper explanations for what you experienced. Have you seen your MRIs and had them properly explained?

best wishes
samx